“Night Swim,” a horror and thriller film released on Jan. 9, 2024, is based on the 2014 short film “Night Swim” by Rod Blackhurst and Bryce McGuire. In the short film, the main character, Eve, swims in her pool at night but not alone. A shadowy night watcher observes her from afar, invisible like the breeze, yet very real. Similarly, the new film focuses on Eve, her husband, Ray, who is a former major league baseball player forced into early retirement by a degenerative illness, and their two children who move into a new home. Hoping to return to pro ball, Ray persuades Eve that the new home’s backyard swimming pool will be fun for the kids and provide physical therapy for him. But a dark secret from the home’s past unleashes a malicious force that begins to drag the family under. 

  The movie begins by playing a flashback of a previous family that once lived in their home. A tragedy had happened to the family which ultimately caused them to move out of the house. It then moves on to the Waller family beginning to settle into the new home. As R. Waller’s injuries cause more fear he won’t return to pro ball, the strain in his marriage and relationship with his children become more apparent. The new pool becomes therapy for R. Weller, who mysteriously is healed from the time he has spent in the pool. Whereas the rest of the family continues to experience events not as positive. After several tragedies centered around the pool, E. Weller is compelled to learn more about the history of the house, which finally reveals a dark past. After speaking with the previous owner, the truth comes out about the long history of the underground natural spring that feeds into the pool. Terrified for her kids, E. Weller rushes home to cut off the house and her possessed husband who has to give over one of his children to the pool for his fully restored health. It is the son who gets thrown into the pool and almost drowns, until E. Weller arrives to save him. It is at that moment that R. Weller comes back to himself and understands that the house will not be a safe place for his family unless he gives the pool something in return. Making the ultimate sacrifice, R. Weller gives himself over to the deep end of the pool.

  As someone who has never been a big fan of horror movies, I still was not thoroughly impressed. I thought the movie kind of dragged along and you can almost guess what is going to happen in the next scene. There were not many jumpscares that you would expect to see in a horror movie. The plot was creative, although a bit cliche, and the characters were developed nicely. If you are looking for a movie that is somewhat scary but wont keep you up at night, I would recommend this movie. If you are someone who enjoys the jumpscares and paranoia that comes from watching horror movies, this one is probably not for you.