The Swimmers

Play trailer

1:21

The Swimmers

PG-13

2022

2h 14m

Drama

Biography

Sports

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

62 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Based on a true story, THE SWIMMERS follows the journey from war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics. Two young sisters embark on a harrowing journey as refugees, putting both their hearts and champion swimming skills to heroic use.

Watch on Netflix

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

The Swimmers can be heavy-handed and it's arguably too long, but it handles a worthy topic with generally uplifting results.

Read Critics Reviews

Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (LAist)

11/30/2022

Inspiring, somewhat episodic, and definitely a crowd-pleaser.

Go to Full Review

David Jenkins

Little White Lies

11/25/2022

3/5

Yusra Mardini’s story is one worth telling through film – and this does a solid job of that.

Go to Full Review

Kimber Myers

Crooked Marquee

11/24/2022

B

Directed by Sally El Hosaini (My Brother the Devil), The Swimmers combines two of cinema’s most inspirational genres — the sports movie and the survival drama — into a single moving film.

Go to Full Review

Yasmine El Rashidi

The New York Review of Books

05/12/2023

The effect is emotionally gripping (the film does provoke tears), but the inner lives and anguish, the ongoing sorrow at losing a homeland, are somehow overlooked.

Go to Full Review

Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

03/24/2023

The Swimmers indelibly depicts the horrors of the refugee crisis. ... The film makes no attempt, however, to explore why millions of Syrians, for example, have been forced to flee their homeland or to name those responsible.

Go to Full Review

Grace Han

Asian Movie Pulse

02/21/2023

3/5

It is just a shame that the human should be so easily translated into Euro-American codes of filmic legibility. “The Swimmers” ends up – strangely enough – as a feel-good refugee movie.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Calvin O

@Caltus Sep 9

It's really a great movie, but I just don't like it enough. If u r an action lover I don't recommend this movie to you.

See more

Alexander F

Jun 26

It's a good movie to watch, but it's lacking and very one sided sorry telling.

See more

Sharang L

@Scribe187 11/10/2024

Doesn't quite hit the spot. This true story deserved a better telling.

See more

aaini a

07/28/2024

Well.. its a worth to watch. Definitely a big yes for it. U can experience many emotions while watching it. It also reveals one part of the world that is unknown to most of us.

See more

Robert S

05/04/2024

It's a very good movie, and worthwhile to watch. I was skeptical for a while, but it grew on me. It's a great feel-good story. The acting and direction are good. It's believable because it's true. They didn't overdramatize or sensationalize the story. Two thumbs up!

See more

Rosana B

04/14/2024

Estou assistindo alternadamente dois filmes baseados em fatos reais sobre três nadadores excepcionais e especiais, "As Nadadoras" e "Nayd" e completamente encantada e apaixonada por ambos, impossível escolher melhor... Todas elas desafiaram a morte e seus próprios limites, e as irmãs Martini São heroínas porque fizeram isso em prol de outras vidas crianças homens e mulheres, puro altruísmo... Como não amá-las, respeitá-las e exaltá-las… Trilha sonora "Firework". Dolorido... Yusra atualmente estuda cinema na University of Southern California, continuou nadando e foi para Toqui 2020, além de ser Embaixadora da boa vontade da ACNUR. Enquanto Sarah, abandonou a carreira esportiva logo que escapou da Síria, em 2018 foi presa por 100 dias na Grécia e segue ativa na defesa dos refugiados vivendo na Europa.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Sally El Hosaini

Director

Nathalie Issa

Yusra Mardini

Manal Issa

Sarah Mardini

Matthias Schweighöfer

Actor

Ahmed Malek

Actor

James Krishna Floyd

Actor

Shayda

97%

57%

Shayda

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Shayda

Thirteen Lives

85%

93%

Thirteen Lives

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Thirteen Lives

Heart of Champions

31%

71%

Heart of Champions

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Heart of Champions

Hard Miles

90%

95%

Hard Miles

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Hard Miles

White Bird

76%

99%

White Bird

Watchlist

TRAILER

for White Bird

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

All Quiet on the Western Front Wins Big at BAFTA Awards

2023 BAFTA Nominations: All Quiet on the Western Front Dominates with 14 Nominations

The Swimmers: Teaser Trailer

1:21

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Based on a true story, THE SWIMMERS follows the journey from war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics. Two young sisters embark on a harrowing journey as refugees, putting both their hearts and champion swimming skills to heroic use.

Director: Sally El Hosaini
Producer: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Tim Cole, Ali Jaafar
Screenwriter: Jack Thorne, Sally El Hosaini
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Working Title Films, AZ Celtic Films
Rating: PG-13 (Some Violence|Sexual Assault|Language|Thematic Material)
Genre: Drama, Biography, Sports
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 11, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 23, 2022
Runtime: 2h 14m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

Most Popular at Home Now