Swimfan
Swimfan

Movie spotlight

Swimfan

2002
Movie
84 min
English

Ben Cronin has it all: the admiration of his many friends, a terrific girlfriend, and he's on the fast-track to an athletic scholarship. Ben's rock-solid, promising future and romance are turned upside-down with the arrival of Madison Bell. Madison, the new girl in town, quickly sets her sights on the impressionable Ben. While their first few meetings are innocent enough, the obsessive and seductive Madison wants more ... much more.

Insights

IMDb5.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes15%
Metacritic34/100
Google Users53%
Director: John PolsonGenres: Thriller, Drama, Crime

Plot Summary

Ben Cronin is a talented high school swimmer whose future is jeopardized when he becomes the target of a dangerous obsession by Carol Baker, a manipulative new girl in town. Carol uses blackmail and deceit to control Ben, escalating her actions from subtle manipulation to increasingly extreme and violent measures as Ben tries to break free from her grip. The film explores themes of obsession, reputation, and the dark side of adolescent desires.

Critical Reception

Swimfan was met with largely negative reviews from critics, who often criticized its predictable plot, derivative nature, and sensationalized approach. While some acknowledged its suspenseful elements, the overall consensus was that it failed to deliver a fresh or compelling thriller. Audience reception was similarly lukewarm, with many finding it to be a forgettable entry in the genre.

What Reviewers Say

  • Critics found the film to be a derivative and unoriginal thriller that borrows heavily from earlier works.

  • The plot was widely criticized for being predictable and relying on clichés.

  • Performances were generally seen as adequate but unable to elevate the weak material.

Google audience: Audience reviews suggest that while 'Swimfan' offers some moments of tension, many viewers found it to be a predictable and uninspired thriller that doesn't offer much originality. Some enjoyed the suspense, but a significant portion felt it was a forgettable film.

Fun Fact

The film was marketed with the tagline 'She's got a crush on him. He's got a problem.' which hints at the obsessive nature of Carol Baker's character.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

1 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

Jesse Bradford is high school swimming champ "Ben", popular, good looking and who, with his girlfriend "Amy" (Shiri Appleby), has a good life. The arrival of "Madison" (Erika Christiansen) upsets all of that, though - as she determines to s...