Swallow

Haunted by a strange compulsion, a young pregnant wife named Hunter discovers she cannot resist swallowing objects no matter how dangerous. The urge arrives with a quiet intensity, turning everyday rhythms into rituals she hides from her husband and his family. As the pressure from her in laws grows and the family atmosphere tightens, Hunter must confront a troubling truth behind the craving that seems to control her body. The story unfolds in a sterile kitchen, a quiet bedroom, and other familiar spaces, where small details become ominous signals. The film builds tension through restraint rather than spectacle, probing autonomy under mounting secrecy and the cost of keeping a dangerous secret hidden. Its source is a study of constraint, choice.

Directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis, Swallow arrives as an original screenplay from its writer director. It premiered at festivals in 2020 and later received a limited theatrical release, highlighting a compact, unnerving study of a woman's secret craving and isolation worldwide.

Box office performance was modest, with Swallow earning $274,674 worldwide after a brief theatrical run and festival exposure. The numbers underscore how the film found its audience through word of mouth and streaming in niche markets today for niche audiences.

The movie sparked conversations about maternal autonomy and the pressures of domestic life, with viewers praising Bennett's restrained, unnerving performance and the film's calm yet creeping atmosphere. Its tone has influenced talk of quiet horror on streaming platforms and in indie circuits, expanding conversations about body autonomy across audiences worldwide.

Critics highlighted the film's quiet, unsettling mood and the exploration of control and identity under patriarchal expectations. The tension builds through everyday settings rather than jump scares, inviting reflection on consent, motherhood, and the costs of keeping secrets in a claustrophobic world for its characters and viewers alike. Today too.