The cast of “Night Swim” is led by Wyatt Russell (“Monarch: Legacy of Monsters”) and Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”). It is based on McGuire’s short film of the same name and centers on a former major league baseball player (Russell) who is forced into early retirement by a degenerative illness and moves into a new home with his family. Secretly hoping to return to the sport he loves, he convinces his wife that the new home’s swimming pool will be fun for the kids and provide physical therapy for him. But a dark secret lurks just below the surface, and terrifying happenings ensue.
Wan and Blum’s latest team-up is going to benefit greatly from a lack of direct competition. No other movie is opening wide against it. The main source of competition will come from some Christmas holdovers like “The Color Purple,” “Ferrari,” and “The Boys in the Boat.” Wan’s own “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” shouldn’t be a big issue as the DC superhero flick floundered in its debut. The only thing that could stand in the film’s way is if it’s poorly received by critics. That said, the horror genre is often less vulnerable to critical opinion — and one that can greatly benefit from rave reviews.
At this point, Blumhouse’s track record speaks for itself. The company rarely misses. Even last year’s “Exorcist: Believer” ended up with $137 million worldwide against a $30 million production budget, despite terrible reviews. (The big problem there was the larger, expensive deal made for a full trilogy of “Exorcist” films.) Overall, the hits far outweigh the misses, with last year’s “Five Nights at Freddy’s” becoming a full-on phenomenon, and “Insidious: The Red Door” becoming a bona fide summer hit. If all goes well, this movie will keep the hot streak alive.
“Night Swim” hits theaters on January 5, 2024.
