Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

      View All
      Movies Tv shows Movie Trivia News Showtimes

      The Swimmer

      1968, Drama, 1h 34m

      27 Reviews 2,500+ Ratings

      You might also like

      See More
      Human Resources
      Gun Crazy
      Baby Face
      A Woman's Face
      Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media

      Where to watch The Swimmer

      Rent/buy Rent/buy Rent/buy

      Rent The Swimmer on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, or buy it on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu.

      Rate And Review

      User image

      Verified

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)



      • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Step 2 of 2

        How did you buy your ticket?

        Let's get your review verified.

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

        You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)

      • How did you buy your ticket?

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

      The Swimmer  Photos

      The Swimmer (1968) The Swimmer (1968) The Swimmer (1968) The Swimmer (1968) The Swimmer (1968)

      Movie Info

      Well-off ad man Ned Merrill (Burt Lancaster) is visiting a friend when he notices the abundance of backyard pools that populate their upscale suburb. Ned suddenly decides that he'd like to travel the eight miles back to his own home by simply swimming across every pool in town. Soon, Ned's journey becomes harrowing; at each house, he is somehow confronted with a reminder of his romantic, domestic and economic failures, until a final visit with an old flame (Janice Rule) leaves him devastated.

      • Rating: PG

      • Genre: Drama

      • Original Language: English

      • Director: Frank Perry, Sydney Pollack

      • Producer: Roger H. Lewis, Frank Perry

      • Writer: John Cheever

      • Release Date (Theaters):  wide

      • Release Date (Streaming):

      • Runtime:

      • Distributor: Columbia Pictures

      • Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation

      • Sound Mix: Mono

      • Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.85:1)

      Cast & Crew

      Janet Landgard
      Janice Rule
      Tony Bickley
      Marge Champion
      Bill Fiore
      Kim Hunter
      Marvin Hamlisch
      David L. Quaid
      Sidney Katz
      Carl Lerner
      Pat Somerset
      Peter Dohanos

      Critic Reviews for The Swimmer

      Audience Reviews for The Swimmer

      • Nov 20, 2021

        A fascinating amalgamation of seemingly disparate elements (the overwrought score, the surreal style, Lancaster's grounded performance) that nonetheless work together to create an entirely unique viewing experience.

        Super Reviewer
      • Nov 30, 2015

        A buff Burt Lancaster is nearly naked the whole film as a upscale businessman swimming through the pools of his neighbors in a circuitous route home one evening. I wouldn't watch this for years as I took it merely as a Lancaster vanity project, but now I guess I'm old enough to see that that actually plays an important part in the story, his vanity, undercutting what is seen versus what is real. There's a Twilight Zone twist telegraphed throughout, but nonetheless its a cool piece about the difference between who we think we are and who we are in fact.

        kevin w Super Reviewer
      • May 06, 2014

        Observing that all his neighbors have swimming pools, an indefatigably cheerful man out for a morning jog decides to "swim" his way home; at each stop he talks to a new neighbor, slowly painting a picture of his life. Based on a John Cheever short story, this odd concept works surprisingly well as both a suburban satire and (thanks to an excellent performance by Burt Lancaster) a touching character study of a man who doesn't realize the American dream has passed him by.

        Super Reviewer
      • Nov 15, 2013

        The Swimmer is an extraordinary bit of a cinema that for some reason does not get a lot of airplay. Lancaster is at his best as a person who has conveniently forgotten about his recent past and interacts with those who love and hate him as he swims through suburban pools on his way home. Gripping.

        Super Reviewer

      Movie & TV guides

      View All