Overview
A determined athlete defies age and the odds to chase her lifelong dream across treacherous waters.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- inspirational
- determined
- emotionally direct
- inspirational movie night
- sports movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film entertaining and emotionally rousing, with Annette Bening and Jodie Foster's performances and chemistry carrying a conventional inspirational biopic.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Diana Nyad begins repeated attempts to swim from Cuba to Florida at sixty, making age central to the conflict.
Bonnie Stoll returns as Diana's closest ally, coach, and emotional counterweight during the ocean attempts.
The plot follows successive open-water attempts, escalating physical danger and testing Diana's resolve.
Training and crossing sequences emphasize vast water, isolation, weather, marine hazards, and sustained physical strain.
Films like NYAD, and why
The Swimmers
shared biographical sports drama structure, endurance challenge, and uplifting determination
Eddie the Eagle
shared true-story athletic achievement, physical hardship, and emotionally direct inspiration
A League of Their Own
shared female-centered biographical drama, resilience, and commanding lead performance
The Walk
shared endurance-focused true story, survival pressure, and inspirational achievement
Movie Details
- Directors
- Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
- Release Date
- 2023-10-18
- Runtime
- 120 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (579)
Cast
- Annette Bening
- Jodie Foster
- Rhys Ifans
- Ethan Jones Romero
- Luke Cosgrove
- Jeena Yi
- Eric T. Miller
- Anne Marie Kempf
- Carolyn McCormick
- Marcos Diaz
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 NYAD about?
- A determined marathon swimmer and her steadfast coach confront age, ocean, and repeated failure in pursuit of an improbable crossing.
- What is NYAD like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of NYAD as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is NYAD violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in NYAD as mild.
- What did critics think of NYAD?
- Critics broadly found the film entertaining and emotionally rousing, with Annette Bening and Jodie Foster's performances and chemistry carrying a conventional inspirational biopic.
- Which films are like NYAD?
- Films with a similar feel include The Swimmers, Eddie the Eagle, A League of Their Own, and The Walk.
- How long is NYAD?
- NYAD runs 120 minutes.
- Where can I watch NYAD?
- In United States, NYAD streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
