--- title: "The Swimmers: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-swimmers/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-swimmers" critics_score: 64 critics_reviews: 15 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): what the critics said Critics' score 64 from 15 reviews: 6 positive, 7 mixed, 2 negative. 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. ## Time Out — Hanna Flint Rating 4/5. 15 November 2022. The review presents the film as an empowering, heart-filling drama. It singles out the sisters’ journey through conflict as its strength. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-swimmers-2022) ## The Guardian — Wendy Ide Rating B. 12 November 2022. 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 the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/nov/12/the-swimmers-review-powerful-refugee-drama-goes-for-the-happy-ending) ## Screen Daily — Nikki Baughan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2022. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-swimmers-toronto-review/5174246.article) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Michael Rechtshaffen Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2022. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-swimmers-sally-el-hosaini-netflix-tiff-1235214207/) ## Empire — Lou Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 11 November 2022. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-swimmers/) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/tiff-2022-the-inspection-the-swimmers) ## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 23 November 2022. 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 the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/23/movies/the-swimmers-review.html) ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 3/3/3. 25 November 2022. 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 the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-swimmers) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 13 October 2022. 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 the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/swimmers-affecting-if-baggy-true-life-tale-triumph-against-odds) ## IndieWire — Ryan Lattanzio Rating C. 8 September 2022. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-swimmers-review-netflix-syrian-refugee-drama-1234760360/) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2022. Festival review. 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 the review](https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/the-swimmers-review-1235364169/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2022. Festival review. 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 the review](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 Rating 7.5/10. 9 September 2022. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1001163/the-swimmers-review-sally-el-hosaini-tells-remarkable-true-story-with-vibrance-flair-tiff/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 22 November 2022. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-swimmers-film-review/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2022. Festival review. 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 the review](https://theplaylist.net/the-swimmers-review-syrian-refugee-drama-is-an-overly-orchestrated-crowd-pleaser-tiff-20220909/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-swimmers.md