The producers of M3GAN high dive into the deep end of supernatural horror with NIGHT SWIM. Wyatt Russell stars as a former major league baseball player, forced into early retirement by a degenerative illness, who moves into a new home with his wife (Oscar® nominee Kerry Condon) and their two children. The new home comes complete with a backyard swimming pool, but a deep secret surfaces and unleashes a malevolent force that will drag the family into the inescapable depths of terror.
For in-depth thoughts on Night Swim, please see my colleague Lane Mills’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Night Swim arrives on Blu-Ray courtesy of Universal Studios Home Entertainment with a very strong AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. Considering the name of the movie, you know you are going to want strong black levels, and they are appropriately deep and give way to a stark amount of detail in shadows. The bright highlights during the day do not fall victim to any blooming in this presentation. There are no egregious instances of aliasing or compression artifacts detectable here.
The film has a natural color palette that deftly showcases elements of the clothing and production design. There are not that many chances for vibrant colors to pop off the screen outside of fleeting sequences like the pool party, but the natural majesty of the world never fails to impress. Skin tones appear natural across the entire cast with even the most minor facial details on display. The level of detail in this presentation remains as resolute as ever, as all of the subtle aspects of the costumes and production design are razor-sharp. This Blu-Ray is a sight to see as Universal continues its steady work releasing fetching transfers.
Audio Quality
The DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio track is wonderfully engaging, and it never stumbles when delivering something truly impressive. The soundscape on display here is complex with a nuanced design from beginning to end. This film has numerous conversational moments, but the film comes alive more when the thrills are introduced and the scenes dig deep. The numerous instances in the film that pack a punch. All of the effects have a nice sense of direction within the mix with noises in the water really springing to life.
The soundtrack and score are formidable without being too overwhelming to the competing elements. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear with none of the information feeling lost to competing elements. The movie uses environmental sounds to great effect, and the track retains strong detail even in the more chaotic developments. The track delivers on every level. There are optional English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Bryce McGuire delivers a sturdy commentary track in which he discusses expanding his short film, how they utilized practical effects when possible, his motivations for certain developments in the film, directing his performers, and more. McGuire is very passionate about the material which does make you a bit more warm toward the film.
- Masters of Fear: A seven-minute piece in which the cast and creative team discuss the motivations behind bringing this story to the screen, finding the right performers for these characters, subverting audience expectations, the direction of Bryce McGuire, and more.
- Demons From The Depths: A seven-minute look at the creatures that haunt the pool and the efforts that had to be put forth to film underwater.
- Into the Deep: A six-minute exploration of the challenges that come with making a film that deals with being underwater so much of the time.
- Marco Polo: A four-minute look at how the film subverts a childhood game within the confines of the narrative.
Final Thoughts
Night Swim may be more on the forgettable side of the scale when stacked up against Blumhouse features, but it is not as bad as the general reception would have you believe. The concept is a bit silly on its face, but the lore of the pool makes sense within the context of the movie universe. The story loses steam near the end when it wades into more traditional waters, but the psychological unraveling of the characters works for a while. Without the strong central performances from Kerry Condon and Wyatt Russell, the movie would not work anywhere near as well as it does. The movie does not completely work, but it is good enough to dip your toe in. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a top-notch A/V presentation and a nice selection of special features. If you like this film more than most, this release should please you.
Night Swim will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on April 9, 2024. The film is currently available on Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.