Swallow (2020) IFC/Horror-Thriller RT: 95 minutes Rated R (language, some sexuality, disturbing behavior, mature themes) Director: Carlo Mirabella-Davis Screenplay: Carlo Mirabella-Davis Music: Nathan Helpern Cinematography: Katelin Arizmendi Release date: March 6, 2020 (US) Cast: Haley Bennett, Austin Stowell, Elizabeth Marvel, David Rasche, Denis O’Hare, Zabryna Guevara, Laith Nakli, Lauren Velez, Babak Tafti, Nicole Kang. Box Office: $274,674 (US)
Rating: ***
Pica- a psychological disorder characterized by a compulsion to eat things not meant for consumption such as soil (geophagia), metal (metallophagia) and sharp objects (acuphagia).
Hunter (Bennett, The Magnificent Seven), the main character of the psychological thriller Swallow, suffers from pica. Among other underlying causes, it’s a matter of control not unlike anorexia or self-mutilation. Hunter has no control over her body or life. She’s married to Richie (Stowell, Fantasy Island), a controlling douche who only notices her when she does something that he thinks is embarrassing. Her acceptance by his picture-perfect wealthy family, parents Michael (Rasche, In the Loop) and Katherine (Marvel, Homeland), is conditional on her subservience. She spends long days isolated in their modernist glass house with nothing to do but watch TV and plan home décor. Then she finds out she’s pregnant which further diminishes her feelings of autonomy. Now she’s completely powerless… or is she?
After reading about spontaneity in a book given to her by Katherine, Hunter decides to give it a try. She finds a red marble, puts it in her mouth, rolls it around on her tongue for a bit and then swallows it. For the first time EVER, she feels in control. She starts swallowing other things until a routine ultrasound reveals her secret. Being the narcissistic a**hole that he is, Richie shows zero concern or sympathy. Instead, he berates, humiliates and subjugates Hunter further. He hires a nurse (Nakli, 12 Strong) to monitor her every move while he’s at work. His parents are involved in every step of her “recovery”. She can’t even talk to her therapist (Guevara, Gotham) with reasonable expectation of privacy. It’s a nightmare from which there is seemingly no escape.
As Swallow progresses, we learn about Hunter’s childhood in a religious, pro-life household with a mother who wasn’t all that loving. There’s a reason for it, but I’m not about to reveal it. I will say that Hunter eventually confronts a figure that has loomed over her life. Writer-director Carlo Mirabella-Davis, in a solid feature debut, is slow to reveal all his narrative cards. This withholding of pertinent information, along with Bennett’s inscrutable face, makes Hunter something of an enigma. This is exactly the way to go. As far as her husband is concerned, she’s an object of beauty to be displayed like a piece of art. She’s not supposed to have individual thoughts or opinions. Her only function is to be the dutiful wife; she’s expected to keep an immaculate house, have dinner ready on time and bear children, that’s it. She hates this role but doesn’t have it in her to speak up so she takes control another way. In the role, Bennett delivers an exquisite performance. The way she dials it back to the point of being a ghostly presence in her own life shows impressive talent.
What makes Swallow freaky isn’t the body horror aspect of the story. Pregnancy, while part of it, isn’t the main focus. Aside from a few grisly images, it’s not the stuff of a David Cronenberg film. The horror comes from Hunter’s deeply rooted emotional dysmorphia, her sense of isolation and alienation. These feelings are made tangible by the cold, antiseptic atmosphere of her surroundings, the tense and rigid shapes and angles in the house. It’s a stark contrast to the soft lines of her face and body. She’s as out of place in this environment as a misogynistic boss at a NOW meeting. The whole movie has a disturbing vibe that leaves the viewer with an unsettled feeling throughout. Another smart choice by Davis is to NOT allow Swallow to descend into a typical feminist revenge fantasy that ends with mass bloodshed and chaos. He’s more concerned with exploring the horrors of being a woman and trying to escape from a hellish existence.
Although hard to watch at times, Swallow is an effective thriller with more on its mind than the usual claptrap associated with the genre. It’s a female empowerment tale without all the noise and preachiness. It makes its point without feeling like it has to play to the moron demographic. If I have one complaint, it’s that Richie often comes off as a one-note villain. The way he sneers, yells, intimidates and threatens feels overdone. It’s the only major glitch in an otherwise fascinating and original film. It says a lot about female perfection and the associated self-destructive behavior without raising its voice.
