This Excellent Psychological Thriller Is Now Streaming — If You Think You Can Stomach It
If you know me, then you know one of my favorite films is Lucky McKee’s May. I’m a fan of uncomfortable cinema, because I think that, just as it’s vital to have those movies that we can relax with and escape into, it’s also important for art to make us uncomfortable. To challenge us. To ask us to feel someone else’s pain and recognize that we are not alone in our own.
These are movies that make you squirm. Sweat. And sometimes, test your stomach, all a part of the method to the madness on the path to revelation. This year’s The Ugly Stepsister is a recent example that made some waves. One you may not be aware of is a little gem titled Swallow, and it’s now available to stream on Shudder.
What’s Swallow about? Per Shudder:
A newly pregnant housewife develops a strange and dangerous compulsion to consume inedible objects in this provocative psychological thriller.
At Dread, we referred to the film as, “an unconventional approach to exploring domestic ennui…elevated by a well-told story and Haley Bennett’s powerful leading performance”.
That’s a spot-on assessment of this cringe-inducing feature from writer/director Carlo Mirabella-Davis, led by a jaw-dropping performance by Haley Bennett. If you aren’t yet aware of the actress—who has since appeared in films such as Cyrano and Till—Swallow should change that. Her quiet portrayal of a woman trapped under the thumb of her husband (Austin Sowell) and his wealthy family is one that, pardon the pun, swallows you whole. I simply could not pull my eyes away from her.
If you’re worried that Swallow is a member of the gross-out family, fear not; that isn’t the film’s aim. No barf bag necessary. Mirabella-Davis is more concerned with wrapping the viewer in the sadness of Bennett’s character, the most disturbing element being the emotional abuse she faces, despite a few squirmy moments of swallowing everything from marbles to much sharper objects.
Swallow is a story about a woman who has grown tired of gulping down her feelings, of being boxed in, seeking to bring control back to her own life by any means necessary. So, if you think you can stomach it, give it a look now that it’s streaming on Shudder. And if you like it, make sure to let me know on Bluesky @werematt.
Categorized: News
