Overview
A gripping tale of survival and resilience against the odds, showcasing the power of hope and determination.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- heartfelt
- urgent
- hopeful
- inspirational movie night
- historical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film heartfelt and uplifting in its treatment of refugee experience, Arab culture, and perseverance, while noting heavy-handedness and excessive length.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Yusra's journey from displaced Syrian swimmer to Olympic competitor drives the film's emotional and thematic core.
When the overcrowded dinghy's engine fails in the Aegean Sea, Yusra, Sarah, and other swimmers help save those aboard.
The sisters' family life, Syrian identity, and ambitions remain central while the story challenges reductive Western refugee framing.
Swimming connects the sisters' prewar life, their survival skills, and Yusra's place on the Refugee Olympic team.
Films like The Swimmers, and why
Lion
shared refugee survival drama, true-story basis, family bonds, and uplifting resilience
Brooklyn
shared migration journey, cultural displacement, humanist drama, and determined young protagonist
Eddie the Eagle
shared sports motivation, biographical storytelling, family pressure, and perseverance against overwhelming obstacles
Hotel Rwanda
shared war displacement, survival peril, and emotionally direct humanitarian drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Sally El Hosaini
- Release Date
- 2022-09-08
- Runtime
- 134 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (663)
Cast
- Nathalie Issa
- Manal Issa
- Matthias Schweighöfer
- Ahmed Malek
- James Floyd
- Nahel Tzegai
- Akuc Bol
- Elmi Rashid Elmi
- Ali Zayn
- Kinda Alloush
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Swimmers about?
- Two Syrian sisters turn swimming from a family discipline into a means of survival, solidarity, and Olympic representation after fleeing war.
- What is The Swimmers like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Swimmers as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Swimmers violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Swimmers as mild.
- What did critics think of The Swimmers?
- Critics broadly found the film heartfelt and uplifting in its treatment of refugee experience, Arab culture, and perseverance, while noting heavy-handedness and excessive length.
- Which films are like The Swimmers?
- Films with a similar feel include Lion, Brooklyn, Eddie the Eagle, and Hotel Rwanda.
- How long is The Swimmers?
- The Swimmers runs 134 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Swimmers?
- In United States, The Swimmers streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
