Blank Narcissus (Passion of the Swamp)

Blank Narcissus (Passion of the Swamp) centers on an aging filmmaker who sits before a camera to recount a porno he directed five decades earlier. He narrates the shoot with cool, precise language, weaving together memories of the set, his creative choices, and the complicated bond with the lead actor. The past and present mingle as he reevaluates what the project meant to his career and how power on screen can blur boundaries between art and exploitation. The actor is a constant echo through the reel of recollection, appearing as memory in the room and as a voice in the present. The filmmaker refuses to reveal twists, inviting the audience to form judgments from what is inferred and remembered together.

Directed by Peter Strickland, Blank Narcissus was released in 2022 as a drama that revisits a late era of adult cinema. Sebastien Kapps stars as Wade Paradise and Michael Brandon voices Troy de Ward. Source material not publicly disclosed yet. The project sits beside Strickland's tactile, textural approach and a lean, intimate setup.

Box office figures for Blank Narcissus are not publicly disclosed and there is no widely reported worldwide gross. As a niche festival and streaming title, it attracted modest attention within specialist circles rather than driving blockbuster numbers in limited markets.

No major nominations or awards are listed for Blank Narcissus in the major awards databases. The film did not receive Oscar, Golden Globes, or Emmy nods, and there are no widely reported wins tied to it in limited art circles.

Reception so far is mixed, reflected by a modest 5.3 out of 10 from 32 votes. The film examines memory as a fragile mirror, raises ethical questions about the line between art and exploitation, and shows how power on set can distort recollection and meaning, inviting viewers to question illusion.