Swallow | Rotten Tomatoes

Swallow

R

Released Mar 6, 2020

1 hr. 35 min.

Mystery & Thriller

TRAILER

for Swallow: Trailer 1

List

88%

140 Reviews

Tomatometer

71%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

A young housewife in a seemingly perfect marriage develops pica, the irresistible urge to ingest inedible objects and material.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Mar 21

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Hulu

Prime Video

Apple TV

Watch Swallow with a subscription on Hulu, rent on Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Critics Consensus

Swallow's unconventional approach to exploring domestic ennui is elevated by a well-told story and Haley Bennett's powerful leading performance.

Read Critics Reviews

Audience Member

This film is not about a bird, but about an activity: the urge to consume inedible, even life-threatening items as a woman's way to express her inner desire to escape her cozy, yet overly controlled life. Beautifully shot and well acted, this award-winning film keeps the viewer engaged to the rather surprising end. You won't look at a AA battery the same ever again!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

Full Review

Moko K

I always wonder why these troubled people never have friends or family. The wardrobe and make up style was so bad. So you live in a lovely home but don't have a cleaning service? Swallow this.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/03/24

Full Review

Michael W

Great acting, writing, cinematography, and music. I really felt for the main character, alone in the world.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/21/23

Full Review

Tyler B

A striking concept perfect for a thriller. There's a deepness to the characters that gives us much to ponder as the film masterfully layers unexpected tension. However it's probably only worth watching once.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/14/23

Full Review

R Z

Pretty visuals. But there's not much happening with the story. Slow, quiet, simple. I wanted more drama and tension and depth.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/29/23

Full Review

Nojustice N

This movie is so incredibly important. It asks the question what freedoms are you willing to give up for comfort? How small can you make your world before you go insane? It shows the truth behind a patriarchal system of greed and those who enable it. It shows how it hurts not only woman but also sets men up for inevitable grief and failure. It shows the generational trauma loneliness caused by sexual assault in a fundamentalist family. It ultimately gives birth to character so fundamentally broken from a system does allow her to take up space, make mistakes, or be a human being at all.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/21/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Carlo Mirabella-Davis

Director

Haley Bennett

Hunter

Austin Stowell

Richie

Denis O'Hare

Erwin

Elizabeth Marvel

Katherine

David Rasche

Michael

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

54%

45%

Burn

TRAILER

for Burn

76%

47%

The Ones Below

TRAILER

for The Ones Below

49%

77%

Unhinged

TRAILER

for Unhinged

44%

44%

The Wolf Hour

63%

43%

The Secrets We Keep

TRAILER

for The Secrets We Keep

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Best Movies Off the Radar 2020

Onward Is Certified Fresh

Swallow: Trailer 1

2:15

View more videos

View more photos

G. Allen Johnson

San Francisco Chronicle

Whatever.

Rated: 1/4

Feb 17, 2021

Full Review

Greer McNally

Time Out

This is Bennett's show... It's a role you can imagine a young Isabelle Huppert playing, and there's no higher praise than that.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 17, 2021

Full Review

Sara Stewart

New York Post

Bennett, who's been largely off the radar for a while, is heartbreaking and, eventually, fierce as her character begins to crave change.

Rated: 3/4

Feb 17, 2021

Full Review

Alan Jones

Radio Times

Functioning as a warped fairy tale, Swallow poses provocative questions about the expectations imposed on women, and the psychologically damaging effects of a patriarchal culture.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 9, 2023

Full Review

M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

Swallow has an uncommon raw power that most films can’t reach.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 27, 2022

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Depending on where you land on certain things I can see the ending being interpreted as hopeful, tragic, or even repulsive.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 25, 2022

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

A young housewife in a seemingly perfect marriage develops pica, the irresistible urge to ingest inedible objects and material.

Director: Carlo Mirabella-Davis
Executive Producer: Pierre Mazars, Eric Tavitian, Joe Wright, Sam Bisbee, Constantin Briest, Yohann Comte, Haley Bennett
Screenwriter: Carlo Mirabella-Davis
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Syncopated Films, Charades, Stand Alone Productions, Logical Pictures
Rating: R (Some Sexuality|Language|Disturbing Behavior)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 6, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 6, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA): $31.3K
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Most Popular at Home Now