Review | Netflix movie review: The Swarm – French fantasy horror about bloodsucking locusts fails to fulfil its true potential
- A woman discovers the locusts she is raising as a protein supplement have bloodthirsty tendencies in this French-language horror movie by Just Philippot
- There are some gnarly moments of body horror that will make your skin crawl if you have an insect phobia, but the promise of true horror is not fulfilled
2.5/5 stars
Just Philippot’s French-language horror movie The Swarm is not a remake of Irwin Allen’s much-derided 1978 disaster film, as its title might suggest, but a self-contained character study about a recently widowed mother of two, and the sacrifices she makes to support her family. Originally selected for the cancelled 2020 Cannes Film Festival, The Swarm is now available to stream on Netflix.
While in the locust enclosure, Virginie takes a tumble and awakens to discover the insects feasting on her bleeding wounds. Overnight, the swarm is revitalised and Virginie determines in secret to mix blood in with their feed. Business is soon booming, and she is forced to erect new enclosures that dominate her farmland. But when her blood supply runs dry, Virginie is forced to seek out new sources closer to home.
Philippot does his best to approach the material with a grounded sense of realism, but audiences will be aware from very early on that events can only unfold in one direction.
The Swarm seems reluctant to acknowledge its roots in either the mad-scientist or animal-attack genres, choosing to handle the narrative with a level of restraint – likely dictated by budget rather than choice – that prevents the film from fulfilling its true potential.
Even after the bloodthirsty locusts inevitably escape their enclosures, we are starved of large-scale scenes of communities ravaged by apocalyptic pestilence. Philippot is far more concerned with Virginie’s personal conundrum, and the series of toe-curling choices she is willing to make.
Sequences of the locusts themselves are staged effectively, employing a seamless combination of practical and computer-generated effects with actual insect footage. This results in a few gnarly moments of explicit body horror certain to make the skin of those least squeamish about insects crawl, but they are little more than an amuse-bouche for an entrée that is never served.
Unfortunately, The Swarm lacks a discernible third act, coming to a close just as events are escalating into a genuine state of crisis, and a number of lingering conflicts are left unresolved. This abrupt conclusion may leave viewers speculating as to what might have been had Philippot been willing to sacrifice as much as his heroine does.
The Swarm is streaming on Netflix.
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