Night Swim: what is it about, who stars in it, what rating is it and when is the movie released in UK cinemas?

If “Jaws” made people afraid to swim in the sea when it was first released in 1975, then first-time director Bryce McGuire must have taken a nod and decided to scare people from their backyard swimming pool in his feature film debut “Night Swim.” 

The plot might sound like a grindhouse version of “Hot Tub Time Machine,” but with James Wan and Jason Blum involved as producers, there’s a feeling that despite its odd premise, it may very well still deliver. Blumhouse in particular have a habit of releasing some horror films that, on paper, seem a weird premise but when executed are a lot more visceral than anticipated. At least, “M3GAN” and “Happy Death Day” were in any case.

The film began life as a low-budget five-minute short, “The Water Man," directed by McGuire and his friend Rod Blackhurst. The short starred Megalyn Echikunwoke and was filmed in the backyard of musician Michelle Branch, with McGuire drawing inspiration from films like "Jaws" and "Poltergeist" and described the story as semi-autobiographical. "Growing up in Florida, surrounded by ocean on three sides, in a climate that can only really be survived by partaking in water ritual, knowing friends who drowned, hurricanes that flooded homes, boating accidents, shark attacks, you come to have a kind of fear and reverence for the water.”

After the short went viral on YouTube, Judson Scott suggested it to James Wan, who purchased the rights for a feature film adaptation. McGuire came back to direct his screenplay, expanding upon his original story and adding what he called an “emotional element” to the terror that the characters face - while Wan teamed up with Jason Blum to produce the film. Fitting, as Blumhouse was one of the other influences McGuire has stated as inspiration for “Night Swim.”

What is “Night Swim” about?

“Forced into early retirement by a degenerative illness, former baseball player Ray Waller moves into a new house with his wife and two children. He hopes that the backyard swimming pool will be fun for the kids and provide physical therapy for himself. However, a dark secret from the home's past soon unleashes a malevolent force that drags the family into the depths of inescapable terror.”

Who stars in “Night Swim”?

IMDB has listed the following performers in main acting roles:

• Wyatt Russell as Ray Waller
• Kerry Condon as Eve Waller
• Amélie Hoeferle as Izzy Waller
• Gavin Warren as Elliot Waller
• Nancy Lenehan
• Jodi Long
• Rahnuma Panthaky
• Eddie Martinez
• Elijah J. Roberts

What is the BBFC rating for “Night Swim”?

The BBFC has rated “Night Swim” as a 15, due to “strong horror” and “protracted sequences of demonic possession, drowning and claustrophobic threat.”

When is “Night Swim” released in UK cinemas?

“Night Swim” is released in cinemas on January 5 2024.