The Swimmers
Netflix | Release Date: November 11, 2022 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
62
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
8
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Time OutHanna FlintNov 15, 2022
Not all heroes wear capes, some wear swimming caps – and The Swimmers is an empowering reminder that it is a human right to live safely, no matter where you come from. Read full review
80
The TelegraphTim RobeyNov 11, 2022
Unashamedly rousing and immaculately crafted, The Swimmers is up there with Creed as a sports drama with more at stake than individual glory – a global-humanist purview to which it ascends without getting the slightest bit preachy. Read full review
80
Screen DailyNikki BaughanSep 18, 2022
Its impact comes not only from the real-life events it’s depicting, but also the way in which it frames this now-familiar tale; a triumph of human – and particularly female – will against adversity and a celebration of those who would seek a better life, despite the costs. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comMonica CastilloNov 23, 2022
The Swimmers is about a cause much bigger than the Olympics and is told on a personal scale that makes the issue accessible and unforgettable. Read full review
75
SlashfilmSarah MilnerSep 18, 2022
Alternating between exuberant and exhilarating, heart-warming and horrific, "The Swimmers" is an ambitious picture that tells an almost unbelievable tale of struggle, perseverance, and triumph. Read full review
70
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergNov 23, 2022
The Swimmers tells this story as an inspirational (but rarely sugarcoated) crowd-pleaser. Within those terms, it hits its marks. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenSep 18, 2022
In the case of Yusra and Sara Mardini’s remarkable survival story, their empowering journey ultimately proves more rewarding than the conventional destination. Read full review
60
Little White LiesDavid JenkinsDec 10, 2022
One issue with here is there’s so much plot, alongside a persistent desire to frame and underscore every one of this journey’s universal resonances, that it’s hard not to feel bogged down in ideas and details. Read full review
60
EmpireLou ThomasNov 11, 2022
A long, sometimes broad film, but one that tackles an important and prescient subject, especially considering the ever-increasing numbers of asylum seekers crossing seas in dangerous circumstances. Read full review
60
TheWrapSteve PondSep 18, 2022
The juxtaposition of jubilance and misery is the film’s modus operandi, however jarring it may seem. Read full review
50
ColliderRoss BonaimeNov 23, 2022
The Mardini sisters in real life went through hell, and their journey is incredibly powerful, considering what they went through. But The Swimmers only occasionally gives this story the power that it needs, instead, falling into easy tropes and an unfocused narrative. Read full review
50
IndieWireRyan LattanzioSep 18, 2022
As urgent and necessary as their story is, it also feels too familiar on cinematic terms. Read full review
50
The PlaylistMarya E. GatesSep 18, 2022
Destined to make audiences weep, The Swimmers is no doubt a crowd-pleaser with an important message about the growing refugee crisis worldwide, and Yusra’s story is one worth telling. It’s a pity the filmmakers couldn’t take the time to see her life as more than just a vessel for this message. Read full review
50
VarietyPeter DebrugeSep 18, 2022
At a bloated 134 minutes . . . your brain may well start to prune, the way fingers do when they spend too much time in water. Read full review
40
The GuardianBenjamin LeeSep 18, 2022
There’s an extraordinary story to be told here. It’s just a shame it had to be told in such an ordinary way. Read full review
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