The Midnight Swim Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

The Midnight Swim Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 21, 2022

2014’s “The Midnight Swim” is a found footage production (or “POV cinema,” as some like to refer to it these days) that tries to present more dramatic interests while still dealing with genre interests in the supernatural. Writer/director Sarah Adina Smith aims to move away from the norm when it comes to expectations for a chiller, eager to connect with audiences on a more emotional level, especially when handling a growing situation of unrest concerning three half-sisters and their shared interest in their late mother’s life and strange death. “The Midnight Swim” isn’t big on suspense, and that it tries to be unsettling at all seems like a misguided creative choice, as Smith has much more success with lived-in relationship issues.

As with most found footage offerings, there’s no reason provided for the imagery, which is an edited and mixed documentary concerning a trip to a lake home taken by the siblings. Smith aims for intimacy, which she achieves, but the gimmick tends to get in the way of the material’s exploration of sisterhood, which is paired with a vague sense of doom as a quest to find the mother’s essence during a time of mourning touches on black magic.

The Midnight Swim Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation isn't handed much room to breathe, as the 88-minute movie is squeezed into a 13 GB file size. Artifacting is common throughout the viewing experience, with banding present, intensifying during evening interactions and underwater sequences. Detail is adequate for the HD-shot feature, presenting clear skin surfaces and fibrous outfits. Outdoor elements are dimensional, and household decoration is appreciable. Colors are compelling, with bright primaries and healthy greenery. Warmer hues are found with interior events. Skintones are natural. Delineation is acceptable, with some slight solidification at times.

The Midnight Swim Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 Dolby Digital is a largely frontal affair focusing on character interactions, with dialogue exchanges crisply presented, including quieter, more intimate moments. Musical moments are equally clear, with some mild weight with heavier beats. Surrounds aren't dynamic, but atmospherics are acceptable, along with underwater pressure.

The Midnight Swim Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (18 pages) features essays by Justine Smith and Nicole Cliffe.

• Commentary features writer/director Sarah Adina Smith and actors Lindsay Burdge, Aleksa Palladino, Jennifer Lafleur, and Ross Partridge.

• "The Three Sisters" (28:17, HD) is an interview with writer/director Sarah Adina Smith.

• Short Films "The Phoenix and the Turtle" (2:27, SD) and "The Sirens" (12:00, HD) are offered.

• And a Trailer (1:29, HD) is included.

The Midnight Swim Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Midnight Swim" is competently acted and assembled, but all the surreal touches and trips to the unknown tend to distract from the human side of the story, which is much more involving, examining delicate connections and concerns, exposing real feelings in a confessional-style environment.