Swimming Pool

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Swimming Pool

R

2003

1h 42m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

153 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

When uptight British writer Sarah Morton (Charlotte Rampling) has difficulty with her new detective novel, her publisher, John Bosload (Charles Dance), sends her to his French country home to unwind. Once Sarah warms up to her new surroundings, her peace and quiet is interrupted by the arrival of Bosload's daughter, Julie (Ludivine Sagnier), a beautiful, uninhibited young woman. Though the two clash, they eventually form an unlikely bond -- one that is strained when things take a dramatic turn.

Critics Consensus

A sensual thriller with two engaging performers demanding our undivided attention.

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Keith Uhlich

ToxicUniverse.com

09/30/2003

3/5

[Ozon] treats his actresses like ruined objets d'art, fallen older goddesses (or corruptible youthful ones) who are just grist for his pop cultural mill.

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Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

08/08/2003

3/5

Ozon simultaneously manages to make his film lazily sexual and crisply suspenseful.

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Rex Reed

Observer

08/06/2003

Two parts psychological thriller and one part pretentious French art-house head-scratcher that leaves you mumbling, 'Duh.'

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Stephen Rebello

The Advocate

05/27/2022

Swimming Pool is a perfectly good summer movie -- but here's hoping for something even bolder and more decisive from Ozon next time.

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Darren Frei

Out Magazine

05/27/2022

Taut, charged, and haunting.

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PJ Nabarro

Patrick Nabarro

10/31/2019

4/5

A classy, frothy little thriller which isn't intended to be taken too much at face value as any kind of rigorous treatise on writing or the idea of the unreliable narrator.

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Dean S.

@deanislean May 29

I’ve never seen this

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Jack F

@MovieFan111 Feb 15

It was a great mystery movie. It had a really eerie tone, especially at the end. It was quiet and a bit slow, but it was effective for this kind of movie. I'd watch it again.

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Dave S

@RT68722908 04/16/2025

Needing to recharge her batteries, crime novelist Sarah Morton (Charlotte Rampling) heads off to her publisher’s French villa for some rest and relaxation. However, when the publisher’s daughter Julie (Ludivine Sagnier) unexpectedly shows up, things take a sudden turn. Francois Ozon’s Swimming Pool initially seems to follow the path of what appears to be a character study of an artist’s inner struggles, but soon turns into an emotionally charged psychosexual thriller…or does it? The unexpected (and somewhat confusing) twist at the end feels like it just convolutes things, but Swimming Pool remains a stylish movie that never sacrifices entertainment value for art. And Rampling, as always, is excellent.

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M7AMD A

@M7AMD 06/26/2023

first of all how is this movie has above average rating!. the story is just plain and not interesting the characters are dull, i felt like im watching a teenage film from Netflix, i was patient and hoped the movie would get better at the end but i couldn't wait i was getting bored of this mainly fillers and skipped forward and i am very thankful i did because the ending was really dumb. i regret i wasted my time watching this terrible movie, so my final score is 1/10 strongly not recommended, one of the worst movies I've watched this year.

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daniel n

@Daniel1 02/21/2021

This mysterious and sensual thriller with a pleasantly slow pace will keep you captivated from beginning till end leaving you confused about what was fiction and what was reality.

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01/05/2021

Feels like an artsy erotica without any other point, especially due to the controversial ending

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François Ozon

Director

Charlotte Rampling

Sarah Morton

Ludivine Sagnier

Julie

Charles Dance

John Bosload

Marc Fayolle

Marcel

Jean-Marie Lamour

Franck

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Synopsis

When uptight British writer Sarah Morton (Charlotte Rampling) has difficulty with her new detective novel, her publisher, John Bosload (Charles Dance), sends her to his French country home to unwind. Once Sarah warms up to her new surroundings, her peace and quiet is interrupted by the arrival of Bosload's daughter, Julie (Ludivine Sagnier), a beautiful, uninhibited young woman. Though the two clash, they eventually form an unlikely bond -- one that is strained when things take a dramatic turn.

Director: François Ozon
Producer: Olivier Delbosc, Marc Missonnier
Screenwriter: François Ozon, Emmanuèle Bernheim
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: France 2 Cinema, Le Studio Canal +
Rating: R (Nudity|Language|Some Drug Use|Some Violence|Strong Sexual Content)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: British English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 2, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 12, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $10.1M
Runtime: 1h 42m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)