This movie, though depressing, is a very good watch. It sees a woman who is a teacher going through day to day life, only battling major depression. What makes it sad is nobody sees it, even though its painted all over her. Only one person really gets it and sees her struggle, and I won't spoil who that is. Not going to spoil anything but all I can say is that it was all I could do not to start bawling at the end. Watch at your own risk, because I could honestly see how this film could end up putting someone in a slump. If you're prepared though or movies like this just don't have much of a negative effect on you mentally, definitely watch it.
52 Reviews
Not a feel-good film
jordan224025 January 2021
First, it is NOT, as the one-line synopsis says, about a woman battling insomnia. Yes, it is implied she has insomnia, but she is obviously battling a number of things - mostly the lack of attention and affection she gets from her family. I kept wondering if I liked this movie as I was watching it, but I kept watching, so it had something that held my attention. Perhaps I just kept waiting for something significant to happen. Eventually it does. Performance of the main character in particular was excellent. I'd recommend this only to those who enjoy character studies.
Azura Skye makes this movie
perisho1 November 2020
Amazing performance by Azura Skye. She inhabits this character and I can only imagine it took a toll on her.
This film is dark. It's slow. That's not a bad thing. It examines this character going through dark times. Isolation. Depression. Nobody is helping. Anxiety.
You will feel beaten up after you watch it. But it's an emotional experience that is worth having.
I'm trying to be vague because you really want to experience this without too much information. Just watch it.
Be sure to have something cheery to watch after.
This film is dark. It's slow. That's not a bad thing. It examines this character going through dark times. Isolation. Depression. Nobody is helping. Anxiety.
You will feel beaten up after you watch it. But it's an emotional experience that is worth having.
I'm trying to be vague because you really want to experience this without too much information. Just watch it.
Be sure to have something cheery to watch after.
Easily one of the best leading performances of the year
bob_meg27 September 2020
Azura Skye has been around for awhile, quietly amassing a resume filled with countless supporting roles, mostly in TV and minor-to-major league horror and thriller pics. Few actors work as regularly as she does, and if you've noticed her low-key yet emotion-laden work, you know she's extremely good at milking a slow boil for all it's worth.
It's just one more reason to see The Swerve, writer/director/editor Dean Kapsalis' feature debut. It's one of those rare indie-league pictures that has so much going for it, I've got my fingers crossed that it will reach a larger audience. It's an offbeat, deliberately genre-bending thriller that's grounded so much in reality and the razor-thin line that separates everyday stress from off-the-wall madness, it will stay with you for some time.
Skye is in virtually every frame of this movie and it's hard to imagine it having half the impact if that slot were filled by a more high-profile actor. In The Swerve, Skye plays Holly, a maxed-out mom and dutiful daughter and wife. She's a high school English teacher who takes her job very seriously (in a good way), but wears a hard, wrung-out look, yet she never comes off as "unstable" or "crazy" --- no more than anyone you know, at least. If you met her a few times you might say she's a little repressed but "stable" or "steady"... "dependable". An ideal citizen, right?
Yet the volcano is building every day, fueled by such minor annoyances as her sullen, bratty sons; her perpetually 12-step-recovering resentful sister (Ashley Bell in top form), a mouse infestation, and the unshakable suspicion that her husband is staying at the supermarket he manages for more than Inventory Night.
Probably the most disturbing thing about The Swerve is how well it portrays the consequences of one rash, violent act, subconsciously benign in it's execution, and how that reaction can completely derail you, setting off a trigger effect whose repercussions resonate for years.
Driving home after a particularly humiliating birthday dinner, Holly finally fights back when she's accosted by a few wasted punks out for a joyride (not a spoiler, it's in the trailer). It's a brash, if reckless, act of self-defense and she wakes up on her couch the next day, drool pouring, her sons chuckling and gaping at her.
Kapsalis doesn't spend a lot of time on the titular act, because it really doesn't matter that much in the scheme of the movie. It's *almost* a McGuffin of sorts. In fact, there are a lot of things that occur in The Swerve that have you questioning if they *really* happened or if they're Holly's paranoid wish fulfillment fantasies. But you'll figure it out. Holly does too, eventually.
There's enough plot in The Swerve to keep audiences who can't relate to character-focused dramas engaged, which is rare. It's also a beautifully composed and shot film, one that takes it's time building up and tearing down it's fragile suburban jungle until you (and Holly) notice suddenly that it's in flames.
But see this movie for Skye. Throughout it all, she walks the very difficult border between effusion and concealment, at times so transparently, that it's almost impossible to discern her intentions and motives. Yet it satisfies and you "get it." Oh, you get that and much more. The Swerve has a payoff that's so bizarre and surreal yet so "right" --- it's stranger than fiction; it's life.
It could happen to anyone. And that's scarier than anything most filmmakers could ever dream up.
It's just one more reason to see The Swerve, writer/director/editor Dean Kapsalis' feature debut. It's one of those rare indie-league pictures that has so much going for it, I've got my fingers crossed that it will reach a larger audience. It's an offbeat, deliberately genre-bending thriller that's grounded so much in reality and the razor-thin line that separates everyday stress from off-the-wall madness, it will stay with you for some time.
Skye is in virtually every frame of this movie and it's hard to imagine it having half the impact if that slot were filled by a more high-profile actor. In The Swerve, Skye plays Holly, a maxed-out mom and dutiful daughter and wife. She's a high school English teacher who takes her job very seriously (in a good way), but wears a hard, wrung-out look, yet she never comes off as "unstable" or "crazy" --- no more than anyone you know, at least. If you met her a few times you might say she's a little repressed but "stable" or "steady"... "dependable". An ideal citizen, right?
Yet the volcano is building every day, fueled by such minor annoyances as her sullen, bratty sons; her perpetually 12-step-recovering resentful sister (Ashley Bell in top form), a mouse infestation, and the unshakable suspicion that her husband is staying at the supermarket he manages for more than Inventory Night.
Probably the most disturbing thing about The Swerve is how well it portrays the consequences of one rash, violent act, subconsciously benign in it's execution, and how that reaction can completely derail you, setting off a trigger effect whose repercussions resonate for years.
Driving home after a particularly humiliating birthday dinner, Holly finally fights back when she's accosted by a few wasted punks out for a joyride (not a spoiler, it's in the trailer). It's a brash, if reckless, act of self-defense and she wakes up on her couch the next day, drool pouring, her sons chuckling and gaping at her.
Kapsalis doesn't spend a lot of time on the titular act, because it really doesn't matter that much in the scheme of the movie. It's *almost* a McGuffin of sorts. In fact, there are a lot of things that occur in The Swerve that have you questioning if they *really* happened or if they're Holly's paranoid wish fulfillment fantasies. But you'll figure it out. Holly does too, eventually.
There's enough plot in The Swerve to keep audiences who can't relate to character-focused dramas engaged, which is rare. It's also a beautifully composed and shot film, one that takes it's time building up and tearing down it's fragile suburban jungle until you (and Holly) notice suddenly that it's in flames.
But see this movie for Skye. Throughout it all, she walks the very difficult border between effusion and concealment, at times so transparently, that it's almost impossible to discern her intentions and motives. Yet it satisfies and you "get it." Oh, you get that and much more. The Swerve has a payoff that's so bizarre and surreal yet so "right" --- it's stranger than fiction; it's life.
It could happen to anyone. And that's scarier than anything most filmmakers could ever dream up.
Not a horror movie
XTheXXTruthX6 December 2020
I saw this reviewed elsewhere as 'horror' and 'elevated horror'. It is neither, and thankfully so , as far as the the latter is concerned. I assume because this movie played at the end of Frightfest it has been given that tag. It's important to know this going on, because if you are expecting a horror movie you will be very disappointed.
It is however a very good movie, that providing you can get through the first 15 mins without abandoning it as being more pretentious crap, becomes very watchable and hooks you in.
The main proponents of that are the acting and the direction. The plot itself is pretty silly. Thankfully though, it is a vey watchable movie, albeit exaggerated on reviews as to how harrowing it is.
It is however a very good movie, that providing you can get through the first 15 mins without abandoning it as being more pretentious crap, becomes very watchable and hooks you in.
The main proponents of that are the acting and the direction. The plot itself is pretty silly. Thankfully though, it is a vey watchable movie, albeit exaggerated on reviews as to how harrowing it is.
Unforgettable Performance by Skye
carolinephillips-474279 January 2021
Holly (Skye) has been living a life of quiet, brooding desperation that only gets worse when a rat infests her home and her mental health takes a serious hit. She starts believing her family is out to get her and that her husband is having an affair all the while she develops a strange obsession with one of her high school students and while having haunting nightmares about causing a deadly car crash.
Did Holly actually cause this crash? Is everyone really out to get her? The Swerve doesn't seem very interested in answering most of these questions, which makes the whole thing seems all the more paranoid and nightmarish. We never leave Holly's side for a second and the whole story is told from her POV, so who knows what's the truth and what's made up?
It's Skye's harrowing performance that keeps one glued to the screen throughout The Swerve. It's one of those rare, surprising performances from an actor whom we didn't know had a performance like this within them.
The Swerve might just be the bleakest movie of the year and, considering the kind of year we've all been having, no one could blame you if you decided to keep this one on the back burner until happier days arrive, but it'll still be waiting and it'll be just as powerful.
Did Holly actually cause this crash? Is everyone really out to get her? The Swerve doesn't seem very interested in answering most of these questions, which makes the whole thing seems all the more paranoid and nightmarish. We never leave Holly's side for a second and the whole story is told from her POV, so who knows what's the truth and what's made up?
It's Skye's harrowing performance that keeps one glued to the screen throughout The Swerve. It's one of those rare, surprising performances from an actor whom we didn't know had a performance like this within them.
The Swerve might just be the bleakest movie of the year and, considering the kind of year we've all been having, no one could blame you if you decided to keep this one on the back burner until happier days arrive, but it'll still be waiting and it'll be just as powerful.
When a film leaves that uneasy feeling in your stomach, you know it's great.
Top_Dawg_Critic29 September 2020
I've never heard of the actors and filmmakers for this movie, so I went into it not expecting much from this B-grade film. Wow, was I surprised.
This is amateur/newb filmmaker Dean Kapsalis first full length feature film debut as writer, editor and director, with only two short films under his belt. This, dear filmmakers, is how it's done!
I really can't stand slow paced films, but this one held my attention throughout, although it could've been a little tighter. The 95 min runtime was just right, and the story well showcased in that timeframe, especially from a filmmaker experienced with just (only two) shorts.
This film embraces its heavy subject matter thru a riveting and troubling psychological drama about the incidental facets of daily life and their devastating impact on those who are struggling with depression, which relentlessly spirals out of control.
Kapsalis' directing was spot on, with excellent random shots intertwined with emotional close-ups, that were portrayed to perfection in the stellar and award worthy performance by Azura Skye. I'm talking a Meryl Streep performance here. Even her hair and make-up made her illness and emotions seem so authentic.
The cinematography and editing were on point. The score was outstanding, very fitting, and evident only were it needed to be - a rarity for a B-grade film, as they are usually overbearing, unfitting and annoying.
I can't wait to see what Kapsalis comes up with next, as he's a filmmaker to keep an eye out for. It's a definite recommend from me, and a well deserved 9/10. To see more of my 1000+ reviews and my reviewing criteria, simply click on my username.
This is amateur/newb filmmaker Dean Kapsalis first full length feature film debut as writer, editor and director, with only two short films under his belt. This, dear filmmakers, is how it's done!
I really can't stand slow paced films, but this one held my attention throughout, although it could've been a little tighter. The 95 min runtime was just right, and the story well showcased in that timeframe, especially from a filmmaker experienced with just (only two) shorts.
This film embraces its heavy subject matter thru a riveting and troubling psychological drama about the incidental facets of daily life and their devastating impact on those who are struggling with depression, which relentlessly spirals out of control.
Kapsalis' directing was spot on, with excellent random shots intertwined with emotional close-ups, that were portrayed to perfection in the stellar and award worthy performance by Azura Skye. I'm talking a Meryl Streep performance here. Even her hair and make-up made her illness and emotions seem so authentic.
The cinematography and editing were on point. The score was outstanding, very fitting, and evident only were it needed to be - a rarity for a B-grade film, as they are usually overbearing, unfitting and annoying.
I can't wait to see what Kapsalis comes up with next, as he's a filmmaker to keep an eye out for. It's a definite recommend from me, and a well deserved 9/10. To see more of my 1000+ reviews and my reviewing criteria, simply click on my username.
Tense and Depressing!
TVTimdb18 January 2021
If you're a fan of tense family drama, this is for you! They're calling it a Horror movie, and I certainly found it horrifying. I understand why others may call it more of a dark drama. It's that too.
Performances were incredible!
Performances were incredible!
Whoa!
davebuttomer3 October 2020
I never even knew who Azura Skye was, however her performance in this film is beyond powerful. A haunting film to say the least, and a definite must see. Not a feel good film by any means, but that's okay. The Swerve is a film you don't want to avoid.
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.
morrison-dylan-fan2 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
After having heard about it for years,going online led to me finally "attending" FrightFest. Having viewed one film a day over the past three days of the event,I felt it was fitting to end the FrightFest season by watching the final title being streamed at the event.
View on the film:
Front and centre of every scene, Azura Skye gives a powerfully brittle turn as Holly, holding close-ups with subtle changes in her facial expression as Holly discovers a new lower depth. Sinking deeper into Holly as the character becomes more withdrawn, Skye alters her body language as Holly turns from looking at the outside world with dead eyes, to a short fuse about to explode at any moment.
The first of his credits since the 2004 short Sara Goes to Lunch (2004), co-editor/ (with Alec Styborski) writer/director Dean Kapsalis & cinematographer Daryl Pittman draw a clinical atmosphere to the character study, draining Holly and the film of colour, for a dry, muted chalk palette, which becomes increasingly dour in the long take, stilted close-ups of Holly.
Slicing into each stage of Holly's downward spiral, the screenplay by Kapsalis is weighed on by the detached method of Kapsalis's directing, leading to the attempt at a gradual descent into Holly's breakdown, being hurt by little room being given for the audience to witness her life in the very early stages of the downward trend, causing the ending to feel like a sudden burst, rather then the attempted slow drop into the black void.
View on the film:
Front and centre of every scene, Azura Skye gives a powerfully brittle turn as Holly, holding close-ups with subtle changes in her facial expression as Holly discovers a new lower depth. Sinking deeper into Holly as the character becomes more withdrawn, Skye alters her body language as Holly turns from looking at the outside world with dead eyes, to a short fuse about to explode at any moment.
The first of his credits since the 2004 short Sara Goes to Lunch (2004), co-editor/ (with Alec Styborski) writer/director Dean Kapsalis & cinematographer Daryl Pittman draw a clinical atmosphere to the character study, draining Holly and the film of colour, for a dry, muted chalk palette, which becomes increasingly dour in the long take, stilted close-ups of Holly.
Slicing into each stage of Holly's downward spiral, the screenplay by Kapsalis is weighed on by the detached method of Kapsalis's directing, leading to the attempt at a gradual descent into Holly's breakdown, being hurt by little room being given for the audience to witness her life in the very early stages of the downward trend, causing the ending to feel like a sudden burst, rather then the attempted slow drop into the black void.
The truth
yougotmailtina6 April 2021
I love watching all kinds of movies but this one I could have passed on. The acting was good but it's slow. It was hard to keep interested in and predictable. I found it to have one good line. Some amazing art. In all the movie is as exciting as the trailer was.
This is heart breaking to watch
Jimmy_JimJim2 October 2020
proper tragedy
AluminumBird22 December 2023
It's a personal tragedy, and IMHO the main theme is integrated/socialized aggression. The hero learns too late to say and do what needs said/done in a proportional, appropriate way.
It's a wonderful feel-bad cathartic tragedy. Really really good.
Also it is full of imagery and vibe. It doesn't fall into the common trap of trying to explain everything away intellectually.
BTW the actor playing the hero nails it. I really went through every upsetting ordeal with her, and it was a roller coaster ride LOL. Good job!
Actually, I suppose all of the actors did extremely well, because I got such a strong vibe from each character from the moment they appeared on screen. They are all like dream characters, and I reacted viscerally to each.
It's a wonderful feel-bad cathartic tragedy. Really really good.
Also it is full of imagery and vibe. It doesn't fall into the common trap of trying to explain everything away intellectually.
BTW the actor playing the hero nails it. I really went through every upsetting ordeal with her, and it was a roller coaster ride LOL. Good job!
Actually, I suppose all of the actors did extremely well, because I got such a strong vibe from each character from the moment they appeared on screen. They are all like dream characters, and I reacted viscerally to each.
98% of the film is slow and uneventful, the remaining 2% is still meh
blajoie-9866524 March 2021
I made an account solely to review this movie in hopes to counter the horrible injustice other reviewers have made in leading people to believe there is anything to be desired in watching this film. As someone who questionably considers reviews before selecting a movie, a 6.7 rating is difficult to come by and largely sought after. This was by far one of the worst movies I have seen. I do not discredit the emotional nature and credible acting by the lead. However, to say this is anything other than a very slow drama is misleading. I treat individuals with mental illness and enjoy most psychological dramas, this was not one of them. It is categorized as a suspenseful horror movie. There is no suspense. It is not a horror film. It is literally one of the slowest and most uneventful films I have yet to watch. If anything, save yourself the time and watch the final 20 minutes. My boyfriend had his eyes dilated today and that experience was more enjoyable and engaging than this film.
Good acting, but oh so slow...
jkakos11 October 2023
If you're suffering from depression, I would recommend not watching this movie. Not that it's so powerful that it will push you over the edge, but I can see in some instances during the movie where it could help make your condition worse.
With a lot of movies that are written and directed by the same person, they tend to try to be a little too dramatic and drag out scenes that have no use for it. Some of the scenes I had to literally fast forward as she's walking around a grocery store. I think the Director is trying to create something from nothing and it's just a waste of minutes.
Overall, good acting, but not a desirable movie to watch with friends.
With a lot of movies that are written and directed by the same person, they tend to try to be a little too dramatic and drag out scenes that have no use for it. Some of the scenes I had to literally fast forward as she's walking around a grocery store. I think the Director is trying to create something from nothing and it's just a waste of minutes.
Overall, good acting, but not a desirable movie to watch with friends.
Dark and disturbing masterpiece
calicut1107 January 2021
This film is really well done. Not a typical scary horror but still very disturbing. The lead actress was phenomenal snd the supporting cast all very believable. I probably won't watch it more than once but it was definitely good.
Sad :(
henrys-8854828 January 2021
Sad
inickerson28 May 2021
Amazing and intense. I still can't shake it!
Adam-958 September 2020
Caught this at the film's world premier at Cinepocalypse. Now that it's getting released, I still can't shake it off. Knew very little going in and I was blown away. An incredible performance by Azura Skye as Holly, a mom, wife, daughter, sister and English teacher as you follow her on a downward spiral of madness and death.
Acting, cast and direction are top-notch. The cinematography draws you in and takes hold. The music is by the guy who did "The Witch" and "The Lighthouse" and it's gorgeous. This film is a bleak, but cathartic, beautiful and unforgettable study of mental illness. A real gut punch. Don't miss it!
Acting, cast and direction are top-notch. The cinematography draws you in and takes hold. The music is by the guy who did "The Witch" and "The Lighthouse" and it's gorgeous. This film is a bleak, but cathartic, beautiful and unforgettable study of mental illness. A real gut punch. Don't miss it!
I Killed Them.
wandernn1-81-68327417 January 2021
Character Study about a Teacher who suffers from some sort of sleep disorder. Her husband apparently is cheating on her. But is it real or is she seeing things that aren't really happening?? But her reaction is still an improper one, real or not. She begins having a sexual relationship with one of her students.
But really the movie is pretty well done. You don't really know in the end what happened for sure, except for what happens at the end. A pretty good movie.
7/10
But really the movie is pretty well done. You don't really know in the end what happened for sure, except for what happens at the end. A pretty good movie.
7/10
Insominia? This movie will cure it.
rebinger-119 February 2021
Incredibly Disturbing Psychological Study
lindsaykeaton9 January 2021
I'd been under the impression from friends that The Swerve was a horror film. It's not really that, so don't go in expecting gore and things that leap out at you. It's more of a psychological drama that builds to an incredibly disturbing, if slightly predictably bleak conclusion.
It's beautifully shot with a haunting musical score and a genius performance by Azura Skye, but the bleak nature of the story can get to be a bit much. It almost makes you wish there was a little more humor or levity sprinkled in to keep it from being so insanely depressing. Still, one can't say it's not memorable.
It's beautifully shot with a haunting musical score and a genius performance by Azura Skye, but the bleak nature of the story can get to be a bit much. It almost makes you wish there was a little more humor or levity sprinkled in to keep it from being so insanely depressing. Still, one can't say it's not memorable.
Family Drama (Not Horror)
dreamcandi762 February 2021
I read alot of reviews saying this movie was depressing. I didn't think it was depressing. Maybe the ending but that's about it. It was not totally obvious that Holly was struggling with depression. She may not have smiled that much but it was bcuz she didn't have anything to smile about. Rather than depression, it was more that she felt like she was being ignored & disrespected by her family. (Notice her last line in the movie.) This movie is not a horror or thriller. It is more a family drama. It wasn't a bad movie & it wasn't an awesome movie. It was decent tho & entertaining enough for one watch.
Waste of time
traciehenry13 February 2021
I refuse to start a movie without finishing it. However this made me almost cry it was awful and it just got worse and worse and I just want my time back. My head hurts this was the wurst writing ever. But it surly was nothing but drama. Run around. Circle. Stupid drama. Terrible movie.
Horrific but not horror!
dizznmo28 January 2021
If you are at all sad do not watch this! Please take off the label that it's a horror film. The star was absolutely amazing, everything done exceptionally. I took away a couple stars for being left sick at my stomach while I only wanted a fun little horror movie. Now I need to watch something funny or at least happy! Just a very sad show!!!
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