Wild Swimmers Review: Rickety Low-Budget Horror Finds Something to Worry About in the Water
In Ric Rawlins' West Country vampire film, a student journalist investigates chilling mysteries lurking below the surface of the River Avon. What hides beneath can be perilous, as any wild swimmer knows, but this tale swaps bacterial threats for a centuries-old aquatic vampire.
A Shoestring Outsider Horror with Amateur Charm
Written and directed by music journalist turned film-maker Ric Rawlins, Wild Swimmers follows his 2023 debut Rewilding as another low-budget outsider horror set in the West Country. The film features amateurishly acted performances by non-professionals, resulting in a rickety production that viewers may find either endearingly charming or frustratingly tedious.
Plot: Journalism Student Uncovers Vampiric Secrets
Valerie Kwok stars as Deji, a journalism student from Hong Kong probing a series of mysterious deaths in the River Avon. She interviews a retired police officer who investigated the 2018 death of a teenage girl, officially ruled a drowning. However, the officer reveals unsettling details: a witness described the girl being pulled underwater, and a postmortem found snake bites on her neck.
As the body count escalates, Deji teams up with photographer Kim, played by Caroline Murray, to unravel the truth. The plot grows increasingly absurd, blending horror elements with a quirky investigative narrative.
Horror Without Scares but with Eerie Atmosphere
Wild Swimmers lacks genuine frights, with blood effects resembling food dye and a daft amphibious antagonist unfazed by sunlight. Yet, the film conjures an unsettling mood through its depiction of the River Avon. Shot with mist rising at sunrise, the river appears mysterious and wild, capable of concealing dark secrets beneath its surface.
Missed Opportunities and Cult Potential
While horror often mirrors contemporary anxieties, Wild Swimmers fails to deliver a sharp environmental message or explore hidden terrors deeply. Its writing remains too vague to resonate with broader themes. Nonetheless, the film's quirky, low-budget aesthetic may attract a cult following among fans of outsider cinema.
Wild Swimmers premieres at Create Studios in Swindon on 18 March, followed by a tour. This unique blend of amateur acting and eerie aquatic dread offers a distinct, if flawed, addition to the horror genre.
