Swallow (2019) Movie Review
Writer and director Carlo Mirabella-Davis has crafted an extremely unique story with Swallow. Hunter (Haley Bennett) and Richie (Austin Stowell) are the quintessential couple. They have the seemingly perfect life together. A nice house, nice cars, Hunter doesn’t have to work, and Richie has just been promoted at his dad’s company. Hunter even gets pregnant, so it seems that they will have a nice family together.
But from the beginning you get the sense that something isn’t quite right. It’s clear that Hunter doesn’t quite fit in with Richie’s family’s ideal. She’s a little flighty and Richie’s father, Michael (David Rasche), even cuts her off in the middle of a long-winded story at dinner. It’s a tad murky how Richie really feels about her, varying at times between being in love and being uninterested.
One day, Hunter interrupts her usual routine to swallow a red marble. That’s right, she swallows a marble. On purpose. I’m sure you’re understanding the title a little bit more now. This triggers her to begin swallowing a variety of objects. She even has a pair of gloves in the bathroom which she uses to dig through her fecal matter to find the objects when they have passed through her digestive system and dropped into the toilet bowl. I should have mentioned beforehand that snacks are really not a good idea while watching this movie.
As she swallows more and more objects she begins setting them all on a tray in her room. almost like trophies. At this point in the movie of course, I began Googling and discovered that the official name for eating items that are not typically thought of as food is pica. This term is mentioned when Hunter is inevitably forced into therapy by Richie and his parents.
The real strength of this movie is that you can’t look away from the screen. This is for a variety of reasons, the main one being, “What will she swallow next?” The second reason being that the movie is absolutely gorgeous. The color palette in every scene is exquisite and you’ll find yourself enraptured by the mise en scene. The contrast of colors is incredibly eye catching and the intentionality of each shot is evident. I loved watching each moment as it unfolded and cinematographer Katelin Arizmendi should be commended on an excellent job of capturing the minute details in every scene.
Haley Bennett carries the movie, with a haircut that harkens back to the 1950’s which at times will make you feel as if two eras are colliding. Bennett presents Hunter as somewhat timid with an “I’m just happy to be here” attitude. As we move through the movie we discover that may not necessarily be true, and you’ll want to keep watching to see what happens next.. Hunter is odd, but you grow to like her which is a credit to Bennett’s performance.
Autonomy is an issue here and you’ll cringe as Richie’s family tries their best to control the situation and more to the point, Hunter. There is so much to unpack with Swallow that you can sit and think about the movie for a few days after viewing it. Mirabella-Davis touches on so many important issues about mental health, family values, and the controlling of female bodies. Plus, it’s beautifully shot and composed which makes watching it even more enjoyable. Swallow is a movie you won’t want to miss.
Movie or Film: Film
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You want to learn about pica
2. You liked Far From Heaven
3. You enjoy psychological thrillers
