---
title: "The Swimmers"
year: 2022
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-swimmers"
fi1m_id: "the-swimmers"
imdb_id: "tt8745676"
tmdb_id: 821881
wikidata_id: "Q106706738"
fi1m_score: 66
critics_score: 64
critics_reviews: 15
published: "2026-10-03T03:09:00.192510+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-03T03:09:14.321696+00:00"
region: "DK"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Swimmers (2022)

Directed by Sally El Hosaini · 2h 14m · Drama, History

## Identity

The Swimmers

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-swimmers
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-swimmers
- **IMDb ID:** tt8745676
- **TMDB ID:** 821881
- **Wikidata ID:** Q106706738
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8745676/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/821881, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106706738

**Fi1m score: 66** · Critics 64 from 15 reviews

*In a sentence:* The sisters make us care; the soundtrack seems worried they have not done enough

> Sally El Hosaini’s drama is carried by Nathalie Issa and Manal Issa, whose closeness makes the danger matter. The refugee journey grips, but conventional sporting uplift and insistent music weaken an affecting story.

## Synopsis

Yusra Mardini (Nathalie Issa) and Sarah Mardini (Manal Issa) are sisters trying to keep swimming while conflict overtakes their lives. On a rooftop, they dance despite the violence around them. Yusra’s ambition to compete becomes difficult to separate from the more immediate need to get away. Their story also follows Nizar (Ahmed Malek). Leaving means undertaking a refugee journey, with a sea crossing between the sisters and the prospect of safety. Swimming offers a possible future, but first they must face water under circumstances far removed from competitive sport, with their relationship central to the journey ahead.

## Review

Sally El Hosaini’s *The Swimmers* is an affecting refugee drama weakened by its reliance on familiar sporting uplift. It gives its central sisters enough warmth and individuality to make their ordeal matter, then too often tells us how encouraging we should find it. We would recommend it to those interested in their story, with reservations about the way it is told. The strongest passages concern the practical business of surviving a journey neither sister should have to make.

Nathalie Issa plays Yusra Mardini and Manal Issa plays Sarah Mardini, and their convincing closeness does much of the work. They make the relationship feel established before the screenplay has finished explaining its importance. The affection between them is persuasive enough that we can care about them without another reminder of what their experience represents. When the writing grows earnest, the performances remain approachable; these are people we want to spend time with, even outside the ordeal.

Christopher Ross’s cinematography is particularly effective when the sisters dance on a rooftop with violence around them. The pleasure of dancing is allowed to register, which makes the surrounding danger harder to dismiss as background. Sally El Hosaini understands how much this ordinary enjoyment matters to our sense of who the sisters are. The scene gives them a life beyond the suffering the story requires us to witness.

The sea crossing is the film’s most forceful stretch. We were frightened by the boat sequence, because its confusion makes safety feel difficult even to imagine. Iain Kitching’s editing keeps the uncertainty immediate, and Christopher Ross’s images bring us close enough to share it. There is suspense here without the reassuring distance of an adventure, and we never lose our concern for the sisters amid the confusion. This is where the film’s concern for its characters feels most fully earned.

Along the coast, discarded life jackets and shoes make another strong impression. Patrick Rolfe’s production design is effective in such material details, which suggest individual lives without requiring another explanatory speech. The objects are enough to hold our attention. The film would benefit from trusting this sort of image more often, rather than repeatedly pressing its larger message about courage and perseverance.

Jack Thorne’s screenplay is less convincing when the sports-drama conventions become more prominent, and the pacing slackens across 134 minutes. Hope is welcome, but the encouragement becomes predictable. Steven Price’s music belongs to a soundtrack that works too hard to ensure the appropriate response, with the pop songs particularly insistent. Those choices leave less space for what the actors have already conveyed. The emphasis on uplift gradually makes the film feel less personal.

As a survival drama, *The Swimmers* can make us anxious about the simplest prospect of reaching safety. As a sports drama, it settles for conventions that do less justice to these particular women. That unevenness matters, though it does not erase the performances or the fear of the crossing. See it for the sisters, and be prepared for the film to insist on feelings they have already earned.

*Fi1m score 66, published 3 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews of The Swimmers lean towards qualified approval, with praise clustering around the refugee journey, the performances and the scenes at sea. Critics repeatedly single out Nathalie and Manal Issa’s chemistry, finding the sisters’ bond convincing even when the storytelling becomes conventional. The perilous crossing earns particular praise for its suspense and emotional force, while several reviews also admire the camerawork, editing and images of ordinary pleasures interrupted by violence.

Reservations centre on the length, uneven pacing and a shift towards familiar sporting uplift, with some critics finding the character development too shallow for the story. The spread is wide: Deadline finds the film stirring and suspenseful, praising the performances and direction. Variety also values the sisters’ chemistry but argues that the running time and feel-good flourishes weaken their compelling story. Across the reviews, the main divide is over how much those conventional choices diminish the film’s emotional impact.

## Straight answers

**Is The Swimmers worth watching?**

*The Swimmers* is worth watching for those interested in the sisters’ refugee journey, though its sporting uplift is less convincing; we score it 66 out of 100. Nathalie Issa and Manal Issa make their closeness persuasive, and the sea crossing frightens us because safety feels so uncertain, but the insistent soundtrack and slackening pace weaken an affecting drama.

**How long is The Swimmers, and what is it rated?**

*The Swimmers* runs 2h 14m. It is a drama and history film.

**Where can I watch The Swimmers in Denmark?**

*The Swimmers* is streaming on Netflix in Denmark. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is The Swimmers, and is it suitable for children?**

*The Swimmers* carries a UK 15 certificate and is not suitable for younger children, with surrounding conflict and a frightening sea crossing central to its refugee story. We find the boat sequence particularly unsettling because its confusion makes safety feel remote; for viewers aged 15 and over, the immediate concern is sustained fear for the sisters.

**How does The Swimmers compare to Wadjda?**

*The Swimmers* offers a more frightening survival story than [*Wadjda*](https://film.one/film/wadjda), but we recommend *Wadjda* more readily for its plain, funny approach to a determined girl facing restrictions. Both centre on an ambition that meets obstacles: swimming here, cycling in *Wadjda*. The sisters’ performances give *The Swimmers* warmth, though its emphatic music and sporting conventions make it the less restrained choice.

### Reviews we read (15)

- **Time Out**, Hanna Flint (4/5): The review presents the film as an empowering, heart-filling drama. It singles out the sisters’ journey through conflict as its strength. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-swimmers-2022)
- **The Guardian**, Wendy Ide (B): Ide finds the refugee journey strikingly powerful, but says the film becomes a conventional underdog sports drama. She praises the immersive camerawork and editing while faulting the feel-good ending. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/nov/12/the-swimmers-review-powerful-refugee-drama-goes-for-the-happy-ending)
- **Screen Daily**, Nikki Baughan (70/100, inferred): Baughan presents the film as a striking real-life drama. The accessible standfirst singles out its true story, while the paywall hides the fuller assessment. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-swimmers-toronto-review/5174246.article)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Michael Rechtshaffen (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film potent but uneven, with the sisters’ survival story more rewarding than its conventional Olympic finale. He praises the tender performances and enduring bond between the sisters, while faulting the overuse of Western pop music. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-swimmers-sally-el-hosaini-netflix-tiff-1235214207/)
- **Empire**, Lou Thomas (65/100, inferred): Thomas finds the film fascinating and important, though sometimes baggy and overly long. He praises the sisters’ strong performances and the thrilling, suspenseful sequence at sea. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-swimmers/)
- **RogerEbert.com** (65/100, inferred): The URL indicates a TIFF 2022 review that includes The Swimmers, but the page content is unavailable. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/tiff-2022-the-inspection-the-swimmers)
- **The New York Times**, Jeannette Catsoulis (65/100, inferred): The article text is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. The URL identifies it as a review of the 2022 film, but provides no review content to summarize. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/23/movies/the-swimmers-review.html)
- **Little White Lies**, David Jenkins (3/3/3): Jenkins finds the film affecting and effective, but generic and overburdened by its earnest messaging. He singles out the perilous boat-crossing sequence as especially powerful, while noting the film struggles to regain its emotional force. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-swimmers)
- **Sight and Sound** (60/100, inferred): The critic finds the film mostly pleasurable and affecting, but says its pacing makes it baggy and emotionally muted. They praise the Issa sisters’ chemistry and single out the haunting image of littered life jackets and shoes along the coast. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/swimmers-affecting-if-baggy-true-life-tale-triumph-against-odds)
- **IndieWire**, Ryan Lattanzio (C): The critic finds the film an uninspiring, predictable attempt at a feel-good refugee story. They praise several striking visual images but fault the shallow character development and unexamined realities of the crisis. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-swimmers-review-netflix-syrian-refugee-drama-1234760360/)
- **Variety**, Peter Debruge (30/100, inferred): Debruge finds the refugee sisters’ story compelling but says the film’s 134-minute length and feel-good flourishes weaken it. He praises Nathalie and Manal Issa’s chemistry and performances, especially during the perilous sea crossing. [Read](https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/the-swimmers-review-1235364169/)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (90/100, inferred): Hammond calls the film a stirring, suspenseful refugee story and says it may be a surprise winner for Netflix. He praises the Issa sisters’ convincing performances and El Hosaini’s command behind the camera. [Read](https://deadline.com/2022/09/the-swimmers-toronto-review-remarkable-true-story-of-syrian-sisters-on-a-harrowing-journey-to-compete-at-the-rio-olympics-1235109802/)
- **/Film**, Sarah Milner (7.5/10): Milner finds the film emotionally powerful and ultimately satisfying, though overlong and uneven in tone. She praises its striking visual moments, especially the contrast between the sisters’ joyful rooftop dancing and the violence around them. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/1001163/the-swimmers-review-sally-el-hosaini-tells-remarkable-true-story-with-vibrance-flair-tiff/)
- **The Wrap** (65/100, inferred): The critic finds the film awkwardly melodramatic but ultimately effective and moving. The harrowing refugee crossing at sea stands out for its tense, disorienting portrayal. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/the-swimmers-film-review/)
- **The Playlist** (40/100, inferred): The headline characterizes the film as an overly orchestrated crowd-pleaser, suggesting a qualified or negative verdict. It singles out the film’s orchestration as the main flaw. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/the-swimmers-review-syrian-refugee-drama-is-an-overly-orchestrated-crowd-pleaser-tiff-20220909/)

## Details

- **Director:** Sally El Hosaini
- **Director:** Sally El Hosaini
- **Writer:** Jack Thorne
- **Cinematography:** Christopher Ross
- **Editor:** Iain Kitching
- **Music:** Steven Price
- **Production design:** Patrick Rolfe
- **Costume design:** Molly Emma Rowe
- **Producer:** Eric Fellner, Ali Jaafar, Tim Bevan
- **Cast:** Nathalie Issa as Yusra Mardini; Manal Issa as Sarah Mardini; Matthias Schweighöfer as Sven; Ahmed Malek as Nizar; James Floyd as Emad; Nahel Tzegai as Shada; Akuc Bol as Onnab; Elmi Rashid Elmi as Bilal
- **Runtime:** 2h 14m
- **Release (Denmark):** 23 November 2022
- **Genres:** Drama, History
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObN4krVV20Y

## Where to watch in Denmark

- Netflix: streaming

*Checked 2026-10-03.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Limbo* (2020): For another refugee story that gives its displaced characters room to be funny.
- *Le Havre* (2011): For a gentler refugee story, with practical kindness and an agreeably dry manner.
- *Wadjda* (2012), Fi1m 80: For a determined girl whose wish to cycle meets restrictions she refuses to accept. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/wadjda.md)
- *Bend It Like Beckham* (2002): For sporting ambition, family friction and female friendship with a lighter touch.
- *The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner* (1962): For a sharper view of what institutions expect from a gifted young athlete.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-swimmers