What do movies like The Evil Dead, Saw, and Smile have in common? They’re all based on acclaimed short films. Night Swim continues that great pedigree, and we spoke with its director, Bryce McGuire, who also co-directed the short film of the same name that went viral back in 2014. Years later, Atomic Monster and Blumhouse — the producers of M3GAN — are part of the feature-length adaptation, a new supernatural thriller starring Wyatt Russell and Oscar-nominee Kerry Condon. They play a married couple who relocate to a new home with their two kids after Wyatt’s baseball-player character is forced into early retirement due to a degenerative illness. The kicker? Their new house has an enticing pool with more to it than what meets the eye, to put it mildly.

A slew of classic scary movies come to mind while experiencing Night Swim. And anyone who’s ever read one of those Stephen King books about a mysterious inanimate object that comes alive will catch similar vibes in this terrifying new offering that Universal Pictures will soon release. We recently caught up with McGuire to learn more about some of the other inspirations behind Night Swim and his hopes for a sequel.

Night Swim Scared James Wan

The little short film that could, which can be viewed here, sent the internet swirling almost a decade ago, and some big names in Hollywood have become attached to the feature adaptation ever since. “It really started with my friend Rod Blackhurst, who co-directed the short, and just kind of remembering what it felt like to be a kid and be freaking yourself out about being in the pool at night, and the lights going out and feeling like there was no bottom to the pool,” explained McGuire, who continued:

And then, we’re swimming one night… in an apartment pool, and kind of still feeling some part of that as an adult. Like, that doesn’t make any sense. But yeah, we made the short just to kind of see if we could tap into that feeling, that kind of nostalgic feeling of fear and put it on the internet. And it turns out that we were not alone.

McGuire continued to detail the development process, saying, “It took a few years but kind of eventually found the right concept that felt like it was worth it to do as a feature, not just stretching out the same idea for 90 minutes. And it really got to be a bigger mystery, a bigger mythology. And the movie has that. But it did take some time to make sure you have that idea. Then, we took that out as a pitch.” He went on about the unique way in which James Wan got involved:

“James Wan watched the short. He was swimming in his pool at night. It scared him, apparently, and he kind of told us the next day. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I scared James Wan!’ So Kevin had me with him and just kind of pitched him… and just developed it with him and then eventually found our way to Blumhouse and then Universal. Again, James is obviously one of the great contemporary horror masters, and he had so much input and great ideas.”

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Some of the other great ideas in Night Swim certainly echo past scary classics, as mentioned earlier. But the idea of a haunted swimming pool feels fresh all the way. “I think what was unique about this movie was the pool and what its offers, the mythology and just that location,” said McGuire in thinking about influences from other projects. “Poltergeist was a big inspiration… Some of those big ideas, I’m okay with it feeling really familiar and nostalgic, because that almost puts your defenses down a little bit when it turns into some stuff we’ve never seen before. But yeah, Amityville Horror and The Shining and Burnt Offerings, and just Stephen King in general.” McGuire hits on a good point regarding King:

And Cujo, and picking something that’s supposed to be familiar and comforting and positive, and inverting it is something terrifying and negative… Definitely pulling from the kind of American horror film of the ’70s and ’80s was huge, even just visually. The lenses that we shot on are like these old prime lenses that just feel a little more textured.

Kerry Condon Kicks Butt

This combination of classic concepts with a fresh idea throughout Night Swim is heightened by strong lead performances, particularly from Condon, sporting an American accent fresh off her Oscar nomination for The Banshees of Inisherin. As the haunted pool takes its toll on Russell’s character, there’s a moment where his wife, played by Condon, realizes she needs to take the reins in saving her family. No spoilers, but there’s a moment where it all sort of shifts to Condon’s character, and the stakes become even more heightened.

“That kind of shift you’re talking about, I think, really was what drew Kerry to the material, to the character,” says McGuire. “It’s not just a passive supporting female character. She takes the whole movie over on her shoulders and kicks as and goes, like, full Ripley in Alien. I think she really wanted to go Mama Bear mode… And I love what she brought to that. I think that was a huge part of why she wanted to do it. She’s an incredible actor. Every time the camera rolls, something special happens.”

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Audiences will unite in rooting for these characters. In fact, seeing a movie like Night Swim in a packed theater full of excited moviegoers is perhaps the best way to experience McGuire’s new feature. “That’s one of the goals in making a movie like this, for people to get involved,” he told MovieWeb. “That’s the fun thing about horror. It’s a participation experience, not just watching in your own little bubble.”

Night Swim 2 and Bryce McGuire’s Favorite Movies of 2023
Universal Pictures

Looking ahead, Night Swim undoubtedly lays the groundwork for a uniquely haunted universe. “There’s more story to tell, certainly, and more mythology to unearth and more secrets to get into,” McGuire told us. “I’d love to be able to make a Night Swim 2, but obviously, hopefully there’s the audience for that and people like it. And we’ll see what happens… There’s an angle I’d like to find in the next one, that is kind of set up in the movie that I won’t spoil.”

And as 2023 comes to a close, we had to ask if McGuire had any favorite films that have hit the masses over the past year. “I just saw Godzilla Minus One. I freaking loved it. There’s such a good character story there. [The main character] can’t forgive himself. He’s trying to start this family, or he doesn’t want to give himself that happiness. But then also, the monster just kicks ass. The sound design’s amazing. I love a movie like that […] It’s scary, it’s rock ‘n’ roll, it’s great creatures, great design. So that was one that really stuck with me. I also thought Poor Things was great. M3GAN, of course, beginning of last year, in the same slot we’re going to be in, was so much fun and had such a cultural moment […] Our editor Jeff McEvoy cut M3GAN as well. So yeah, I feel connected to that movie’s success.”

And hopefully Night Swim is a success, too. From Universal Pictures, Night Swim hits theaters January 5.

Night Swim Release Date January 5, 2024 Director Bryce McGuire Rating PG-13 Runtime 1hr 56min