Summary

• Director Bryce McGuire drew inspiration from his childhood fear of swimming pools for the horror film Night Swim.
• Night Swim follows the Waller family as they discover their haunted swimming pool and the demonic entity lurking within.
• The film will have to rely on an unsettling atmosphere and creepy visuals rather than blood and gore to create terror.

Night Swim director Bryce McGuire has revealed his childhood inspiration for the upcoming horror film about a haunted pool. The movie is based on the director's 2014 short film of the same name, which depicted the concept in a terrifying 4-minute video. Now, Blumhouse has helped turn the short into a feature film expanding on the original's premise.

Speaking with GamesRadar+, McGuire revealed an irrational fear of swimming pools as a child led to the idea for Night Swim ahead of release. The director explained that fear deepened after he first saw Jaws, indicating how impactful the movie was on his fears. Check out what McGuire had to say below:

Swimming pools are f***ing haunted. They can be, at least. I’ll say this in my childhood imagination, the swimming pool contained deep and dark secrets that I was convinced were rising beneath me to grab my skinny flailing legs as a, you know, nine-year-old boy when the lights went out. And so it was just that kind of irrational childhood phobia that I felt after watching Jaws and then going into a pool and just being totally convinced that I was not alone – and realizing other people had their own versions of that.

Everything To Expect From Night Swim

Night Swim follows the Waller family as they move into a new home, unaware their swimming pool is haunted by a demonic entity. The film is the first to be released after Blumhouse and Atomic Monster's merger, the two production companies behind the movie. Trailers indicate a major focus on the swimming pool itself, as well as the monstrous supernatural creature hiding beneath the surface.

McGuire's fear of swimming pools is clearly on display in Night Swim, which will see the haunted locale change in depth as its antagonist attacks people. The film's horror elements will also be bolstered by its cast, including seasoned actors like Wyatt Russell (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters), Kerry Condon (Better Call Saul), Nancy Lenehan (Bless this Mess), and Jodi Long (Dash & Lily) along others.

Since the movie is rated PG-13, there likely won't be a reliance on blood and gore to sell the terror of the film. Instead, it will need to rely on an unsettling atmosphere and creepy visuals to sell the horrifying nature of its swimming pool setting. Since Night Swim will be out in theaters soon, it won't be long before viewers can see how McGuire translated his childhood fear to the big screen.

Night Swim's theatrical release date in January 5, 2023, though some screenings will be happening the day before.

Source: GamesRadar+