These days, the easiest way for an independent film to gain notice is either by winning rave reviews from early screenings, or to come loaded with a premise that instantly generates intrigue. Fortunately for writer and director Carlo Mirabella-Davis, 2019’s Swallow had both.
The offbeat tale of psychological trials and travails premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and ultimately went on to land a Certified Fresh score of 88 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with the early buzz carrying all the way through to the film’s eventual theatrical release, where it wound up being crippled by the pandemic after debuting in March 2020.
As for the plot? Well, Hayley Bennett stars as a newly-pregnant housewife named Hunter, who suddenly finds herself overcome by the urge to consume dangerous household objects. Trapped in a suburban lifestyle that offers little in the way of escape, she instead opts to spend her time eating marbles, tacks, batteries, safety pins, and other assorted household objects.
Make no mistake about it; Swallow is not for everyone, and it folds a litany of hard-hitting and topical themes into its narrative, even if most folks won’t be able to get past the outlandish premise. However, iTunes subscribers have willingly taken the plunge, which has led to the one-of-a-kind experience gaining a new lease of life on streaming.
As per FlixPatrol, Swallow has started devouring the viewership charts, adding yet another unexpected tasty morsel to its growing collection, even if many viewers may end up with an ironically bitter taste in their mouths by the time the credits roll.
