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As we dive into a new year, the supernatural thriller “Night Swim” is brought to you by Atomic Monster and Blumhouse—the same producers behind M3GAN. Wyatt Russell leads the cast as Ray Waller, a former MLB player grappling with a degenerative illness. The family’s pursuit of a fresh start takes a sinister turn when they move into a new home, setting the stage for a tale of terror.

In a nod to the acclaimed 2014 short film by Rod Blackhurst and Bryce McGuire, the movie introduces us to Ray’s world, where his dream of returning to pro baseball leads him to a seemingly ideal home with a promising swimming pool. Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, Amélie Hoeferle, and Gavin Warren deliver compelling performances, with Latin star Eddie Martinez adding depth as the baseball coach. Yet, the seemingly innocent pool harbors a dark secret from the home’s past, unleashing a malevolent force that drags the family into a nightmarish abyss.

Written and directed by Bryce McGuire, “Night Swim” explores a hard twist on wish fulfillment. The film’s narrative unfolds with an ominous undertone, revealing that dreams can indeed come true—at the chilling cost of human life. As the terror intensifies, Kerry Condon’s portrayal of Eve, the concerned mother, takes center stage. In a gripping climax, she becomes the savior of her son, who unwittingly becomes the sacrificial pawn in her husband’s dying wish.

The film’s tagline, “Everything you fear is underneath the surface,” taps into the primal dread associated with the unknown lurking beneath the water—a fear known as “thalassophobia.” However, “Night Swim” cleverly narrows this fear to a swimming pool, turning an everyday setting into a chilling battleground. While the film may not exploit this phobia to its fullest potential, it compensates with well-crafted jump scares that leave viewers second-guessing jumping into a pool alone.