The Swimmers

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1:21

The Swimmers

PG-13

2022

2h 14m

Drama

Biography

Sports

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

61 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Based on a true story, THE SWIMMERS follows the journey from war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics. Two young sisters embark on a harrowing journey as refugees, putting both their hearts and champion swimming skills to heroic use.

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Critics Consensus

The Swimmers can be heavy-handed and it's arguably too long, but it handles a worthy topic with generally uplifting results.

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Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (LAist)

11/30/2022

Inspiring, somewhat episodic, and definitely a crowd-pleaser.

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David Jenkins

Little White Lies

11/25/2022

3/5

Yusra Mardini’s story is one worth telling through film – and this does a solid job of that.

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Kimber Myers

Crooked Marquee

11/24/2022

B

Directed by Sally El Hosaini (My Brother the Devil), The Swimmers combines two of cinema’s most inspirational genres — the sports movie and the survival drama — into a single moving film.

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Yasmine El Rashidi

The New York Review of Books

05/12/2023

The effect is emotionally gripping (the film does provoke tears), but the inner lives and anguish, the ongoing sorrow at losing a homeland, are somehow overlooked.

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Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

03/24/2023

The Swimmers indelibly depicts the horrors of the refugee crisis. ... The film makes no attempt, however, to explore why millions of Syrians, for example, have been forced to flee their homeland or to name those responsible.

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Grace Han

Asian Movie Pulse

02/21/2023

3/5

It is just a shame that the human should be so easily translated into Euro-American codes of filmic legibility. “The Swimmers” ends up – strangely enough – as a feel-good refugee movie.

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Blake- N

@PBSAniDom Apr 20

The Swimmers (2022) is not a bad film by any means, but it’s also nothing groundbreaking or overly memorable. It tells an emotional and inspiring true story about resilience and survival, and at times it really does land its emotional punches. The performances, especially from the lead actresses, carry a lot of weight and help keep the story grounded even when it feels a bit overly polished or predictable. That said, the film sometimes plays things too safe, sticking closely to a familiar inspirational biopic structure. You can see most of the narrative beats coming well in advance, which reduces some of the impact. Still, the journey itself is engaging enough, and the real-life basis gives it meaning. Overall, it’s a solid watch that delivers what it intends to, even if it doesn’t take many risks. I’d give it a 7/10.

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C B.

@anttanager Feb 23

Poignant and much-needed perspective on the effects of war on the immigration crisis.

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Calvin O

@Caltus Sep 9

It's really a great movie, but I just don't like it enough. If u r an action lover I don't recommend this movie to you.

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Alexander F

@RT09811815 Jun 26

It's a good movie to watch, but it's lacking and very one sided sorry telling.

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Sharang L

@Scribe187 11/10/2024

Doesn't quite hit the spot. This true story deserved a better telling.

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aaini a

@RT45360460 07/28/2024

Well.. its a worth to watch. Definitely a big yes for it. U can experience many emotions while watching it. It also reveals one part of the world that is unknown to most of us.

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The Swimmers: Teaser Trailer

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Synopsis

Based on a true story, THE SWIMMERS follows the journey from war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics. Two young sisters embark on a harrowing journey as refugees, putting both their hearts and champion swimming skills to heroic use.

Director: Sally El Hosaini
Producer: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Tim Cole, Ali Jaafar
Screenwriter: Jack Thorne, Sally El Hosaini
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Working Title Films, AZ Celtic Films
Rating: PG-13 (Some Violence|Sexual Assault|Language|Thematic Material)
Genre: Drama, Biography, Sports
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 11, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 23, 2022
Runtime: 2h 14m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital