Night Swim (2024)

A haunted swimming pool makes a great short film, which is exactly how Night Swim started, and stretching it to 98 minutes drains the fun. Wyatt Russell plays Ray, a ballplayer forced into retirement by multiple sclerosis, who buys a suburban house because the backyard pool should help his therapy. The water comes from an underground spring, and the more laps Ray swims, the better he feels. The family cat, Cider, disappears early, and that’s about as subtle as the clues get. Kerry Condon’s Eve is the only one asking the right questions, and she’s the reason to keep watching. A few underwater scares land, especially in the first half. Then the movie starts explaining an old healing spring that takes a price, and every new rule is goofier than the last. It holds a 19% on Rotten Tomatoes and made $54.8 million worldwide on a reported $15M. A 2.9 because one creepy image isn’t enough to fill a feature. $9,041 says you hear a pool filter gurgle after dark this summer and decide your swim can wait until morning.

What works: A handful of underwater scares are effective, and Kerry Condon gives the family drama some weight.

What doesn’t: The premise is too thin for a feature, and the third act’s explanations get silly enough to sink the mood.

Who it’s for: Horror fans who want a low-stakes popcorn scare and don’t mind a predictable ride.