SECOND SIGHT'S 'SWALLOW' BLU-RAY IS A FEAST FOR THE EYES AND EARS!
Horror films have always been a reflection of the most prominent cultural issues of the time. The reason why slasher films were so popular in the 80s? Because the term “serial killer” began being used in 1981 amidst a rise in violent and pathological crimes. If you look at any decade for at least the past 70 years you are likely to notice patterns of movie trends tied to social, cultural, political, and/or economical things happening at the same time. So it’s not surprising that the past few years have brought an onslaught of horror films dealing with mental health and it’s related disorders. HEREDITARY showed us how generational grief, trauma, and guilt can ruin a family through the metaphor of demonic worship and possession. RELIC juxtaposed dementia through the use of a haunted house possession, and the list goes on. When SECOND SIGHT FILMS announced they were releasing one of their special collector’s edition blu-rays of 2019’s SWALLOW I was immediately curious to check it out. Having heard some good things, but still largely less talked about in most of the horror circles I saw online, I was both excited and dreadful in anticipation. While I don’t have any issues with copious amounts of gore, I tend to be a bit squeamish when it comes to tactile horror. With this new special edition treatment, does SWALLOW deliver something worthwhile in the psychological-horror sub-genre that seems to be growing at an exponential rate?
*** PLEASE NOTE: The Second Sight Films release is a REGION B release. This means that you can only watch this release if you have a REGION-FREE blu-ray player, or a REGION B blu-ray player ***
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Hunter (HALEY BENNETT), a newly pregnant housewife, finds herself increasingly compelled to consume dangerous objects. As her husband, Richie (AUSTIN STOWELL), and his family tighten their control over her life, she must confront the dark secret behind her new obsession.
Hunter’s first of many objects she will consume.
HOW IS IT?
I’m just going to level things right now and say that I absolutely loved this movie! It feels odd to associate the word “love” with this film, but it really is one of the most beautiful, dreadful, and engaging films I’ve seen in some time. There is a lot to unpack with this film, and I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, so let’s start with the obvious; the story. This film deals with so many themes as it illustrates what is essentially a story about control. It’s about losing control, who has control, and the lengths we are capable of to regain some semblance of control in our lives. The focus of the film is Hunter, a woman who has recently married a relatively wealthy and definitely privileged man, Richie. It’s obvious from the start that Hunter is trying her hardest to fit in with Richie’s world. She presents herself as the nuclear family archetype of a housewife. She cooks, cleans, and is always dressed to impress, eagerly awaiting each day for Richie to come home. Richie seems content with Hunter, but the scales are off-balance from the very beginning as he is clearly less interested in her and more interested in himself. When Hunter becomes aware she is pregnant things begin to change. Hunter develops an eating disorder known as pica where she has an uncontrollable urge to eat things that are not food. Without going into spoiler territory, what happens throughout the film highlights the challenges this disorder presents, the impact it has on her relationships, and ultimately an exploration as to how this could have happened to her by going back to her past. SWALLOW is a minimalistic film that is simply overflowing with threads of subtext that just beg discussion. That subtext is so rich that even trying to think about all the possible metaphors and connections points feels daunting, but this is one of the film’s strengths: it is complex and simple precisely when it needs to be. The film dabbles in discussions on identity and family in ways that will shock, but likely not surprise the viewer as we learn about Hunter’s past. Richie and his family's overbearing and patriarchal ethos demonstrate how class status can play a central role in relationships, and create the illusion of freedom and choice when one sees the other as lesser than. There’s so much to unpack, and what director and writer CARLO MIRABELLA-DAVIS does so well is make pica only a part of the story, not the focus.
While the above may sound more like an artsy Lifetime movie, this is psychological-horror at it’s finest. Even though the film is full of bright colors and vibrant cinematography, there is a blanket of dread that creeps up throughout the film. Gradually at first, only pulling back at the very end for the film’s conclusion. This is a credit to both the cinematography and the talented cast as the script itself is composed of many quiet, but impactful moments. Cinematographer, KATELIN ARIZMENDI, captures everything in the film so clearly and vividly. She fetishizes the objects Hunter swallows in such a way that you as the viewer see what Hunter sees, you long for the objects just the same even though you know what this could mean for her. SWALLOW succeeds because it avoids the temptation of exploitation. It doesn’t use pica, or Hunter, as a canvas for shock and awe imagery. That is not to say that some scenes may make you squeamish, but it never veers into gore-hound territory. In this way, SWALLOW treats it’s characters with a level of respect that makes you care about them as characters and not define them by just the things they experience. And the film itself is absolutely beautiful. The set design, locations, camera work, editing, etc. all immerse you in the film’s world without ever becoming a distraction. I found myself at times just pausing to admire certains shots in the film of Hunter standing on her outside deck because they feel like works of art.
It’s hard to find fault with this film, but it does bear mentioning that this is a slow burn. Like many other great psychological horror films, the moments that affect you the most are the ones that are quiet and subdued. It’s scenes like therapy sessions or violations of trust that are captured so well as to cause you to feel what Hunter feels without having to resort to sensationalizing the situation at hand. One of the most arresting moments involves a confrontation from Hunter’s past and a scene about a ruined necktie. Both highlight the persistent sense of fear throughout the film, but also how the actors really can make or break the success of films like this. With a lesser cast, or even a different cast, I’m not sure the results would have been the same. Each person plays their part accordingly, and their arcs give you many shades of these people beyond being defined by one aspect of their being. Richie’s mom is a great example of a character that subtly evolves throughout the film and helps us to understand exactly what Hunter is going through. I could go on and on, but I fear the more I do the more tempted I’ll be to say too much!
Privilege and class are key themes underpinning every aspect of the film.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
SWALLOW is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2:39:1 and the blu-ray image is sharp, vibrant, and not oversaturated. Given this is a 2019 film, there is not much in the way of new scans needed here and that’s totally fine. I do wonder why they did not opt to go for a 4K release similar to their DAWN OF THE DEAD and THE GUEST (read my review of that disc here), but that’s not a complaint as much as an observation.
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
SWALLOW comes with a DTS-HD MA 5.1 sound mix that works extremely well despite not having a lot to do. Given how quiet most of the film is and the majority of the action coming through dialogue, the real standouts are the sound design and the score which fades in and out as needed. The dialogue comes through clearly, and while this isn’t going to be your next surround sound benchmark test it is an effective audio track that is immersive and sharp.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
***For the sake of transparency, we were only able to review the special features on the blu-ray disc and not the physical contents of the Limited Edition package***
The disc comes loaded with some really nice supplemental material for those of you who love to dig into special features. I was not able to watch all of them, but I did pick out a few to which I can give some insight. The first was “A Personal Story: An Interview with Carlo Mirabella-Davis” which clocked in at 54 minutes and was an intimate discussion with the director and writer of the film. This was just him talking to the camera, albeit with some prompts edited out, and it provides a deep perspective on the inspiration for the film. He talks a lot about how his own personal and familial experiences played into this, the challenges of getting funding for a film with an obscure topic, and the magic that came together during shooting and post-production.
The second special feature I watched was the director’s first film, a short called KNIFE POINT. This was a nice prelude and you can see how much of the tone and look of this short matured into what we see in SWALLOW. I really like when sets feature the creator’s previous work, and I hope that this film opens up many more doors for CARLO MIRABELLA-DAVIS in the future. The other special features and physical supplemental material for the Limited Edition set are listed below:
Special Features
New audio commentary by Director Carlo Mirabella-Davis and Producers Mollye Asher and Mynette Louie
A Personal Story: a new interview with Carlo Mirabella-Davis
Something Bubbling Underneath: a new interview with Mollye Asher
The Process: a new interview with Editor Joe Murphy
Metal and Glass: a new interview with Composer Nathan Halpern
A Room of One’s Own: Alexandra Heller-Nicholas on Swallow
Knife Point: a short film by Carlo Mirabella-Davis
English subtitles for the hearing impaired
Limited Edition Contents
Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Haley Turnbull
Soft cover book with an exclusive introduction by Carlo Mirabella-Davis and new essays by Anne Billson, Jordan Crucchiola and Ella Kemp
6 collectors' art cards
One of the most tense scenes involves a harmless necktie.
LAST RITES
SWALLOW is a beautifully realized and captured exploration of the ebbs and flows of control, and the psychological-horror that can inflict on people. While SWALLOW doesn’t have a body count or any gruesome depictions of violence, you will likely find yourself more uncomfortable than terrified throughout and it’s a film you won’t soon forget!
THE GORY DETAILS
Directed By
Written By
Starring
Where can you watch it?
SECOND SIGHT is delighted to announce CARLO MIRABELLA-DAVIS’ visually stunning, critically acclaimed feature debut SWALLOW is set to receive a fantastic Limited Edition Blu-ray Box set release, complete with a slew of fascinating new bonus content available now HERE!
