The Swimmer
A privileged Connecticut swimmer crosses a chain of neighborhood pools and finds his carefully maintained identity dissolving in the process.
Overview
A man embarks on a surreal journey through suburban pools, uncovering his past with each stroke.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- disturbing
- melancholic
- surreal
- classic cinema night
- literary adaptation night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a strange, disturbing, visually evocative indictment of 1960s suburbia, anchored by Burt Lancaster's career-highlight performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ned Merrill's journey through neighborhood pools progressively undermines his confident image of domestic and social success.
The affluent Connecticut pool circuit becomes a penetrating portrait of 1960s upper-middle-class isolation and materialism.
Ned's continuous swim from pool to pool organizes encounters that gradually reveal his life story.
The valley's connected pools, abrupt tonal shifts, and evocative outdoor imagery give familiar suburbia an open-ended, dreamlike quality.
Films like The Swimmer, and why
American Beauty
shared suburban alienation, psychological unraveling, and critique of affluent American life
The Ice Storm
shared midlife crisis, existential disillusionment, and surreal collapse beneath suburban respectability
Revolutionary Road
shared upper-middle-class malaise, stylized social observation, and emotionally corrosive self-deception
Death of a Salesman
shared tragic masculine self-mythology, social performance, and adaptation of psychologically incisive American literature
Movie Details
- Director
- Frank Perry
- Release Date
- 1968-08-09
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (279)
Cast
- Burt Lancaster
- Janet Landgard
- Janice Rule
- Tony Bickley
- Marge Champion
- Nancy Cushman
- Bill Fiore
- Rose Gregorio
- David Garfield
- Kim Hunter
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Swimmer about?
- A privileged Connecticut swimmer crosses a chain of neighborhood pools and finds his carefully maintained identity dissolving in the process.
- What is The Swimmer like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Swimmer as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Swimmer violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Swimmer as mild.
- What did critics think of The Swimmer?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a strange, disturbing, visually evocative indictment of 1960s suburbia, anchored by Burt Lancaster's career-highlight performance.
- Which films are like The Swimmer?
- Films with a similar feel include American Beauty, The Ice Storm, Revolutionary Road, and Death of a Salesman.
- How long is The Swimmer?
- The Swimmer runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Swimmer?
- In United States, The Swimmer is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
