THE SWIMMERS (2014)

Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Sophon Sakdaphisit
Cast: Tanapop Leerattanakajohn, Chutavuth Pattarakampol, Supassara Thanachart
RunTime: 1 hr 53 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual Scene & Disturbing Scenes)
Released By: GV
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 28 August 2014

Synopsis: Perth (Chutavuth Pattarakampol) and Tan (Thanapob Leeratanakajorn) are both best friends and longtime rivals. No matter how hard Perth tries, he can never out do Tan. Life gets even more complicated for these two swimmers when Perth starts to fall for Ice (Supassara Thanachart), Tan’s girlfriend, who has also developed feelings for Perth as well. When Ice unexpectedly commits suicide at the swimming pool where the swim team practices, Tan can’t keep his depression in check and stops going to swim practice. Now Perth becomes the shoe in for the only university sports quota left. The opportunity to finally eclipse Tan pushes Perth to train every chance he gets, even if that means swimming alone at night in the same pool where Ice was found dead. One day, Tan reveals to Perth that Ice committed suicide because she was pregnant. Tan goes on a relentless pursuit to find and take revenge on the culprit. Find out whether love can overcome hatred? Remember no one can hear you scream underwater!

Movie Review: 

It’s been a while since we saw a competent horror movie from the Land of a Thousand Smiles. The offerings from Thailandin 2014 were decent but forgettable – how much do you remember about Piyapan Choopetch’ Project Hashima, Pisut Praesangeam’s She Devil and Poj Arnon’s Make Me Shudder 2? While Banjong Pisanthanaku’s 2013 hit Pee Mak gave us a few good scares, it was more of a comedy than anything else. Here we have an aqua themed horror flick which isn’t ashamed to display its good looking leads on the promotional poster. Check out the dude’s well defined abs! That ghostly looking girl is quite a looker with her pretty face! Wow, that nice tan the other dude is sporting!

Before you dismiss this Sophon Sakdaphisit directed movie as a disposable flick exploiting its young stars, let us assure you it’s a well made psychological thriller worth your time – especially if you appreciate a good horror movie from Thailand.

The titular swimmers are Perth(Chutavuth Pattarakampol) and Tan (Thanapob Leeratanakajorn), who are best friends, but also enemies in the pool. Things get complicated when Perthfalls in love with Tan’s girlfriend Ice (Supassara Thanachart), who expresses her fond feelings towards the charming but somewhat promiscuous Perth. The horror quotient goes up with Ice is found to have committed suicide in the pool, and the furious Tan begins seeking revenge for his dead girlfriend. Perthbegins experiencing strange things, and your mind begins to play mind games as well.

Sakdapisit, who impressed us with Laddaland (2011), about a father who moves his family to a supposedly haunted housing development, has again helmed a taut psychological thriller which reflects the larger social issue on hand. Strictly speaking, this 113 minute movie isn’t exactly about ghosts but about the guilt and aftermath of a hormone rush. Without elaborating too much, let’s just say if you had to resolve your sexual urge, at least make sure a condom is in place. If not, you may want to be spiritually protected against the demon that will follow you for the rest of your life, should an unfortunate accident take place.

Youngsters will flock to watch this movie: muscular teen dudes and cutesy teen girls are generously shown on screen. The triangular love story is an accessible plot to most teenage audiences. The three main leads are eye candy and deliver decent performances, which is a plus point for the production. Movie studio GTH has produced a commercial product which will go down well with today’s viewers. This is not a bad thing in this movie’s case, because there are some messages to take away after the credits roll.

There are some tolerably good scares scattered throughout the film, and things get a little absurd when the cocky Perth’s tummy begins to swell. Yes, it is every man’s worst nightmare: male pregnancy. A teammate tells him: "Hey Perth, your six-pack is now a one-pack!" We hear nervous giggles in the theatre, but you know this is the last thing any guy wants. How do things turn out in this recommended horror flick? We urge you to step into the cinemas to find out. 

Movie Rating:

(Look beyond the movie’s exploitative [but oh so good looking] bods and you’ll find a well made psychological thriller well worth your time)

Review by John Li