Friday FunDay: 10 Movies to Watch With a Swimming Angle

Friday FunDay: 10 Movies to Watch With a Swimming Angle

The new horror movie, “Night Swim,” starring Wyatt Russell and Kerry Condon, is out in theatres now. “Night Swim” is a movie that is bound to keep everyone on the edge of their seats. The Waller family moves into a new home with a beautiful, enormous pool in their backyard where they have hopes of hosting gatherings for the kids and using the pool for Ray’s physical therapy exercises. Some suspicious activity begins to take place at the new house, and it all seems to connect to the pool in the backyard. You can dive right in and catch “Night Swim” at your local movie theatre today!

With the recent release of “Night Swim,” we want to cover some of the most popular swim-related movies from over the years. Below are 10 swim movies that you will have to add to your “must watch” list if you have not seen them already!

“The Last Gold” – 2016

Photo Courtesy: USA Swimming

“The Last Gold” is a documentary about the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, focusing on the American female swimmers and their quest to win the last event against East Germany. Facing an East German squad which was proven to benefit from doping, the U.S. routinely beaten in Montreal. But in the 400 freestyle relay, Team USA’s foursome of Shirley Babashoff, Kim Peyton, Wendy Boglioli and Jill Sterkel delivered an epic victory.

“Swimfan” – 2002

Ben, a high school senior from New Jersey, seems to have it all going for him until he meets the new girl, Madison. Ben has a past of trouble as a juvenile delinquent and drug user, but he found peace in swimming and his long-term girlfriend, Amy, who helped him flip his problematic lifestyle around. As a top swimmer on his team, Ben spends most of his time at the pool or preparing for recruiting visits until Madison becomes a distraction. Although Ben conveys to Madison that he is in a happy relationship, she seduces him anyway. Ben tries to keep his and Madison’s secret on the down low, but he soon realizes how far she is willing to go to ruin his life and future.

“Touch the Wall” – 2014

Four-time Olympic gold medalist, Missy Franklin, talks about her road to the 2012 London Olympic Games with her close friend and training partner, Kara Lynn Joyce, right by her side through it all. The duo trains and competes with each other on a daily basis which fuels their support for each other as well as their sister-like bond. This sports documentary is all about the highs and lows of the sport of swimming, as well as the true meaning of friendship.

“Nyad” – 2023

Released last year, 64-year-old Diana Nyad became the first person to ever complete the 110-mile swim from Cuba to Key West, Fla. in 2013. Nyad sparked attention in the mid 1970s when she set multiple marathon swimming records. After her prime time of long-distance swimming was over, she felt like she still had more to give. Despite the many doubters, Nyad always dreamed of swimming the very long stretch from Cuba to Florida. It was not until her fifth attempt that she found a way to make her dreams become a reality.

“47 Meters Down” – 2017

The adventurous horror film, “47 Meters Down,” features two sisters named Kate and Lisa who vacationed to warm and sunny Mexico. After a lot of convincing, Lisa caved in to Kate’s proposal to dive into the deep ocean to see sharks from their protective cage… so they thought. Things seemed to be going smoothly until fear sunk in to the pits of Lisa’s and Kate’s stomachs when the cage broke away from the boat and dropped the sisters 47 meters down to the ocean floor. As their oxygen tanks began to diminish, so did their time to figure out how they were going to survive. Slowly swimming back to the top of the ocean may be their only choice.

“The Guardian” – 2006

Starring Kevin Costner, Ashton Kutcher, and Sela Ward, “The Guardian” is a movie that teaches many valuable life lessons. Ben Randall, a coast guard rescue swimmer, chose to train recruits for the Coast Guard after he lost his crew in a major disaster. A high school swimming champion named Jake Fischer crosses Randall’s path after he enrolled in the U.S. Coast Guard “A” School. Randall teaches and trains Fischer and he eventually takes him on a very dangerous mission.

“The Longest Swim” – 2014

Two friends, Ben, and Matt, took a trip to Vermont and are staying at a lake house together. One night, Matt woke up from a loud scream coming from Ben. It seemed as though Ben was having a diabetic seizure and Matt was the only person who was there to save him. Stranded in unfamiliar territory with no phone or hospital nearby, Matt was left with one option which was to swim to a house located across the lake.

“Jack Goes Boating” – 2010

This romcom is a story about Jack, a limo driver, and Connie, a friend of Jack’s best friend Clyde. Clyde and his wife set Jack and Connie up on a date. They begin to catch feelings for each other which prompts Jack to learn how to cook and swim, as well as apply for his dream job.

“Swimming Upstream” – 2003

“Swimming Upstream” is based off the true story of Australian swimmer, Tony Fingleton. Tony grew up in a household with many siblings who constantly fought for their father’s approval. He struggled to find his passion until he realized that he wasn’t a bad swimmer. Tony wanted to become a great athlete so that he could finally impress his father, Harold.

“Pride – 2007

Based on a true story, Jim Ellis starts up an all-black swim team in Philadelphia as a response to the city officials who marked the building for demolition. With the help of the janitor, Elston, the two work together to fix an abandoned pool so that Jim can coach his team. Jim battles the issues of racism and aggressive city officials all while trying to coach his team for the championship meet.

If you are looking for a swimming related horror movie, make sure to check out “Night Swim.” On top of the several movies listed above, there are many more that teach valuable life lessons about friendship, adversity, teamwork and perseverance. Comment below some other swim movies that you recommend!

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Rob D

4 months ago

Here’s a TV episode to add to the list. “Cold Case” “The Plan” https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0543958/