“Night Swim” Collector’s Edition Blu-ray and DVD Review

Written and directed by Bryce McGuire, Night Swim tells the tale of a woman trying to save her family from a cursed swimming pool in their new home.

I was provided with the Night Swim Collector’s Edition Blu-ray and DVD release for free for review. The opinions I have shared are my own.

Lone bodies of water being used in horror and thriller fare isn’t anything new, especially swimming pools. Even though we know that it’s an irrational fear, I think almost all of us, during some part of our lives, dreaded being pulled underwater by a supernatural entity while doing a lap or two in a swimming pool. Heck! I think most of us feared a shark magically popping up in a public or backyard swimming pool, even though we know that’s impossible.

Anyway, my point is that McGuire had the right idea when he decided to construct a horror story involving a swimming pool and a family being tormented by the pool’s ancient curse. However, where Night Swim fell short for me was in the world-building. It ended up being one of those movies that made me wish it was just a bit longer so the lore could be better fleshed out. I really wanted to learn more about the pool’s cursed water and how it linked to the age-old “Be careful what you wish for” warning.

With that particular gripe out of the way, let’s focus on the story itself. Night Swim instantly let the audience know it wasn’t afraid of going dark. It opened strong by showing that even kids weren’t safe from the swimming pool. Not only that, but I appreciated how the pool was capable of attacking potential victims during the day as well as at nighttime.

On a more personal note, as someone who is certified in the field of Recreational Therapy, I liked how Ray Waller’s illness was handled as well as the accompanying emotional beats that explained why a famous ex-baseball player such as Ray (Wyatt Russell) would want to remain connected to the pool.

Kerry Condor’s Eve Waller served as a sympathetic mother trying her best to handle having a cursed pool in her backyard. Night Swim made Eve go through a lot during the third act and Condor delivered. Also, it was nice to see the narrative explain Eve’s swimming abilities and why she’s capable of doing certain things.

As for the kids, I mean, they were okay. They came through when it was time. In a sense, the son Elliot Waller (Gavin Warren) got a lot more development compared to his sister Izzy Waller (Amélie Hoeferle) due to him not being as skilled as her or Ray in sports.

The film had an unexpected narrative thread of parents picking a “favorite” child which I think many will be able to relate to.

Scare-wise, I would give the overall horror in Night Swim a mild. There were certain scenes that did make me feel a bit uneasy, but the movie never went all-in on the terror meter for me, which was disappointing after seeing a very strong opening. But then again, your scare levels may differ.

@thegeekiary “Night Swim” (2024) Movie – Unboxing the Blu-ray and DVD Combo Collectors Edition… and Digital Code Giveaway… thank you to Universal Pictures Home Entertainment for sending these products for FREE (Not Paid Sponsorship)… #nightswim #nightswimmovie #bluray #dvd #universalpictures #universalpictureshomeentertainment #blumhouse #digitalcode ♬ The Horrors Of Blumhouse (soundtrack) – Gavrik

Talking about the Collector’s Edition physical release, the front of the cover had an image of Eve in the pool at night. The word “Swim” being a bit “wavey” to mimic water is a nice creative touch. The back of the cover had a handful of stills from the movie, a synopsis, and a short list of the extra content.

I encountered no issues with the visual presentation of the Blu-ray (Aspect Ratio: 16:9 2.39:1 Widescreen). Due to many of the scenes taking place at night, I appreciated being able to see what was happening not only because of the crisp visual presentation but also because McGuire and his team understood how to properly light nighttime scenes.

The day scenes came across as vibrant, especially the entire pool party sequence that took a wrong turn.

There were also no issues encountered with the audio presentation of the Blu-ray (DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1). The dialogue was clear even with background noise (especially during the pool party scene). The musical cues to help amp up the horror were delivered nicely. There’s some good sound use during underwater scenes.

Coming to the extra content for fans to enjoy, the physical release offered:

• Masters of Fear – Jason Blum and James Wan talk about working with Bryce McGuire on Night Swim.
• Demonstrate the Depths – You get to learn about the special effects that went into creating the creatures as well as the extra care required due to filming underwater.
• Into the Deep – A look at the physical and technical work the cast and crew did to create Night Swim.
• Marco Polo – Director Bryce McGuire breaks down the ‘Marco Polo’ scene from the film. I mean, play ‘Marco Polo’ at night in a swimming pool at your own risk.
• Feature Commentary with Co-writer and Director Bryce McGuire – One of the reasons I can’t make myself be too harsh with Night Swim is because you can clearly see the passion McGuire exudes for said project. 

All in all, Night Swim is a serviceable horror flick that uses a relatable kind of fear. The cast did a good job and it’s shot well. But as mentioned, my biggest grip with said film is that the lore-building needed more depth (ha!).

Being made available on Digital on March 12, 2024, you can now own it on Blu-ray and DVD as well.

Did you watch Night Swim? What did you think of it?

Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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