Physique horror and queer coming of age are subgenres that may definitely go hand in hand if executed effectively, particularly since navigating sexuality as a younger queer individual can generally really feel like a horror film of its personal. Swallowed efficiently meshes a number of concepts and subgenres, creating an intoxicating and unique slice of queer horror. Tropes and gender norms are flipped right here, with males being put via a number of the chaos that feminine characters would normally undergo in a extra typical thriller. The horror on this movie incorporates weird components that many viewers would most likely by no means look forward to finding in a normal style movie, however it all works and serves the story. Swallowed is a dynamic movie that has lots to say and manages to nonetheless have a sweetness to it, regardless of how grotesque it will possibly get at instances.
Written and Directed by Carter Smith, Swallowed follows Benjamin (Cooper Koch) and Dom (Jose Colon), two shut mates in Maine who’re celebrating their final evening collectively earlier than Benjamin leaves for L.A. to behave in grownup movies. Dom decides to shock Benjamin by involving the 2 of them in a drug deal so as to provide Benjamin with a bit of money earlier than his transfer. Issues quickly go awry, although, when drug supplier Alice (Jena Malone) forces the boys to swallow unusual sacks containing what they’re led to imagine are merely medication. The belief of what’s truly occurring to the 2 mates will pressure them to return head to head with a horrific nightmare in addition to their emotions for each other.
Smith, who directed the 2008 pure horror film The Ruins, creates kind of his personal shared universe with Swallowed. In 2006, Smith directed a charming and horrific brief movie known as Bugcrush, which featured comparable themes and concepts as Swallowed, and the 2 movies appear to really exist in the identical world. Swallowed expands on an idea first explored in Bugcrush, elevating the stakes and taking it to new unexplored ranges. Swallowed serves as a kind of companion piece to Bugcrush however incorporates a a lot richer narrative that’s as unpredictable as it’s partaking.
Swallowed‘s physique horror sequences are horrifying and memorable, however these components are simply the bottom for a extra contained crime story that includes queer characters. Mark Patton, who performed the lead in Nightmare on Elm Road Half 2: Freddy’s Revenge, comes into the image late within the movie and actually switches issues up. Patton is terrifying as a relentless queer villain who’s depicted in a really lifelike means, by no means feeling exploitative. Malone is one other good addition to this movie, bringing grindhouse sleaze blended with allure. The ending sees a state of affairs and ultimate showdown that almost all audiences will not see coming, feeling like a Coen brothers movie in the way in which that the occasions preserve unfolding quickly till the characters are taken to fully new locations, each metaphorically and actually. The screenplay is extraordinarily layered, with wacky surprises hidden inside every peeled layer.
The connection between Benjamin and Dom is heartfelt and really plausible, anchored by two nice performances. Koch and Colon have nice chemistry, making a loving dynamic between the 2 characters that creates a light-weight inside such a darkish movie. That gentle carries on via the tip, even sufficient to warrant a smile after the credit roll. With that mentioned, Swallowed is stunning and unsettling however is so multi-faceted that it appears like three movies in a single. It is physique horror, however it’s additionally a gritty crime caper, and it nonetheless manages to function humor and coronary heart. Anytime the movie feels prefer it may begin to drag, one other U-turn is made, and the film turns into excitingly contemporary as soon as once more.
The dirty surroundings and bleak but crisp cinematography assist add to the general vibe and aesthetic of the film. The punky soundtrack additionally helps Swallowed shine, sounding like what could be featured in an early Gregg Araki film. General, Swallowed is a movie that flips the style on its head whereas constructing a unbelievable but horrifying world that must be visited time and again.
Swallowed is being screened at this 12 months’s Fantasia Worldwide Movie Competition on July 15 and July 18.