Swallowed

A strange sort of thriller. There were some clumsy directing choices, but overall a unique twisted story of bad choices and the tension of trying to cope with those horrific choices. Jenna Malone is always great to see in a film. Jose Colon also deserves credit for taking on a physically bold role. Most actors would shy away from such a role.

I am aware that is a vague review, but I do not want to add spoilers.

Recommended for 18+ only, as it does have some graphic full nudity and adult themes.

A few stars removed for the actor chosen for the third act scenes, some sloppy directing, and the ending that didn't really fit the dark story. In addition, it felt like there were some holes in the plot.

... come out right? Well no pun intended here, but as the title suggests ... well if you only know the title, you may be in for quite the ride, like I was. Just the beginning was quite something - you get the feeling for our two main characters and what they are about.

Of course only as the movie progresses we get to see how deep their friendship goes ... almost literally and no pun intended. There are scenes here that are not easy to watch - even if they are not explicitly shown. On the other hand, this has quite a lot of male nudity in it. If you have issues with that - well you have been "warned" (I too am more fond of the female body, just saying).

On another note, the movie has Mark Patton in it. If you do not know him: he was in one of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. And his character was quite prominent - also in how he changed perception in male leads. Not just for the time this was made.

He really goes all out with his character here. Even more fun when you have met him in real life and know what a sweetheart he is - the character he portrays is anything but. But that is acting - the slow burn on the other hand may not be everyones cup of tea ... suspend your disbelief and go with the flow ...

'Swallowed' is a very different kind of horror movie. It doesn't rely on blood, guts and gore. But this is as unnerving a film as you're going to get. This was a difficult watch for many reasons.

Cooper Koch stars as Benjamin, a handsome young gay man who is about to move to California to become a porn star. Jose Colon stars as his best (straight) friend, Dom. One night - after an evening of clubbing - Dom has to make "one quick stop" on the way home.

I don't want to do spoilers here, but as you can imagine this quick stop turned out to be a complete nightmare. They soon find themselves in the cruel and unsympathetic world of drug smuggling - but this is by not your average drug trafficking movie! Not knowing what was going to happen to them with the dire circumstances they found themselves in, suspense gnawed at me all the way, and I was on the edge of my seat for most of the movie. I was so nervous for these poor guys!

The performances are very good. I liked Benjamin and rooted for him. Mark Patton stars as the film's main antagonist, Rich (even though he only appears almost at the final act). This final act had quite a few surprises in store!

There's quite a bit of full frontal male nudity here - even glimpses of an erection - but I honestly didn't mind in the least! It was relevant within the context of the film and never sleazy or exploited. 'Swallowed' is an interesting film with a great payoff. I really liked it.

What a letdown. I rented this film expecting a horror movie. What I got was a weird drama thriller that barely falls under those categories either.

It's a thin script that's stretched out way too long for how little actually happens. No big twists, no big surprises, and moves like molasses.

Which is a shame because it starts off strong, establishing the characters, their relationship, and the intrigue of the plot set up, but doesn't do much of interest for the rest of it.

It is well acted though. From the two leads who are sympathetic, human, and believable, which gives the thin material more weight, to the female drug dealer who is intimidating while not crossing the line into completely unlikable. The one weak performance comes from Mark Patton, who's all over the place. But it feels like no one involved knew how his character was supposed to be portrayed.

Overall not very good.

I didn't like this film for the first twenty minutes or so, which is not a good way to start a review, but it's true. Although Swallowed has its flaws, it's such an unusual work with strong cinematography and quirky tone, and it stands out from the usual American film fare that I actually think it deserves a watch. The actors really embodied their roles, even Jena Malone who plays sort of a deputy drug mule wrangler.

I don't want to spoil the film, but it's essentially about a young man played by Cooper Koch who is moving to LA but not before one last get together with his friend. This friend has decided to be a drug mule for a large sum of money, which leads into a run in with the dealers organizing the drug run. There is a twist in Swallowed in that the drugs aren't ordinary drugs. I do think there was a missed opportunity as far as making the film into a true body horror film, but the realistic performances of the actors sell this film as the toeing-the-line-of-real-life tale that it is.