''The Midnight Swim'' is a 2014 POV drama-mystery and the feature film directorial debut of Sarah Adina Smith. The film had its world premiere on July 27, 2014 at the Fantasia Film Festival and stars

Lindsay Burdge Lindsay Michelle Burdge (born July 27, 1984) is an American actress and producer known for her roles in independent films such as '' A Teacher'' (2013), ''Wild Canaries'' (2014), ''The Midnight Swim'' (2014), '' The Invitation'' (2015), and '' 6 Y ...

Jennifer Lafleur Jennifer Lafleur is an American actress. She is known for appearing in the independent films ''The Do-Deca-Pentathlon'' (2012), '' The Pretty One'' (2013), ''The Midnight Swim'' (2014), ''MAD'' (2016) and '' 6 Years'' (2015). On television, Lafl ...

, and Aleksa Palladino as three half-sisters trying to put their missing mother's affairs in order. The film was released on June 26, 2015 in a

limited release __FORCETOC__ Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few theaters across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...

and through video on demand by Candy Factory Films.

Synopsis

When June's (

) mother goes mysteriously missing after diving in Spirit Lake, she and her sisters travel home to put her affairs in order. June, a mentally unstable documentary filmmaker, records the experience with her two half-sisters Annie (

) and Isa ( Aleksa Palladino). Their mother, an ecologist who was campaigning to preserve Spirit Lake, is gone but always present. As they settle back into her house, Isa takes up with June's ex-crush Josh (

Ross Partridge Ross Partridge (born February 26, 1968) is an American actor, director, screenwriter and producer. His most notable work as a director is the 2015 adaptation of the book ''Lamb'', which Partridge wrote, starred in and directed. As an actor, he ...

) while several strange occurrences happen after they jokingly summon the ghost of a local legend. As the questions mount, the family begins to unravel and June finds herself drawn deeper into the true mystery of the lake.

Cast

as June *

as Annie * Aleksa Palladino as Isa * Beth Grant as Amelia Brooks *

as Josh *Michelle Hutchison as Realtor *Shirley Venard as Maggie Helms *Kaya Sakrak as Father * Traci Dinwiddie as Mother *Ebru Caparti as Auntie

Reception

Critical reception for ''The Midnight Swim'' was positive, with much of the film's praise centering on the performances and the "acutely unsettling" tone of the film. Indiewire praised these elements, calling the film "enigmatic and fathomless," and stating that the film "is, among other things, a movie about sisters, who actually seem like sisters. They look alike, they sound alike, they move alike enough to seem like sibs. One is a believer, one is a cynic; one is, at least on the surface, slightly unstable. They may be variations on a single genetic theme, but even their differences speak to kinship." Twitch Film and Film School Rejects also wrote positive reviews, with Film School Rejects commenting that although they saw the found footage format as a "constant distraction" the film was overall well acted and praised the film's imagery.

Fangoria ''Fangoria'' is an internationally distributed American horror film fan magazine, in publication since 1979. It is published four times a year by Fangoria Publishing, LLC and is edited by Phil Nobile Jr. The magazine was originally released i ...

commented that the found footage format was integral to the story and something more akin to an emotional POV, stating that "the camera uniquely acts as an almost-transparent bridge between you and a character's psyche." Moveable Fest says the movie "terrifies existentially." Ion Cinema states that "the unnerving quality of Sarah Adina Smith's directorial debut occurs mostly in its aftereffects, leaving us with the profound, less earthbound implications in its final few moments."

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival on July 27, 2014. on May 12, 2015, the film was acquired by Candy Factory Films. The film was released in a

and through video on demand on June 26, 2015.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Midnight Swim, The 2014 films Found footage films Films about film directors and producers 2014 directorial debut films 2014 drama films 2010s English-language films