User Reviews

Benjamin is set to move to LA, for life as a male porn star, on his last night, he and his best friend Dom have a job to do, to get a package of drugs from A to B, but an encounter with a redneck thug at a public toilet changes the course of events.

From the title, you may think you're about to watch a porno, and judging by the amount of full frontline nudity, you may just be closer to that than you think.

Overall, it's better than I expected, and better than some of the scathing review would have you believe.

I think the actual plot, and the ideas in general are fantastic, it's so imaginative, I thought the earlier part of the film was terrific, unfortunately the latter stages didn't quite work as well, when Mark Patton is introduced it gets a little silly.

Not a conventional horror in the sense, but some nice ideas nonetheless, they could have upped the ante in terms of horror, they easily have gone in a few directions.

On the plus side, I'll refer back to an earlier point, female nudity has been synonymous with horror films since the 1970's, so I guess it's good to see them flip the tables somewhat.

Overall, it's a decent watch.

6/10.

What a letdown. I rented this film expecting a horror movie. What I got was a weird drama thriller that barely falls under those categories either.

It's a thin script that's stretched out way too long for how little actually happens. No big twists, no big surprises, and moves like molasses.

Which is a shame because it starts off strong, establishing the characters, their relationship, and the intrigue of the plot set up, but doesn't do much of interest for the rest of it.

It is well acted though. From the two leads who are sympathetic, human, and believable, which gives the thin material more weight, to the female drug dealer who is intimidating while not crossing the line into completely unlikable. The one weak performance comes from Mark Patton, who's all over the place. But it feels like no one involved knew how his character was supposed to be portrayed.

Overall not very good.

'Swallowed' is a very different kind of horror movie. It doesn't rely on blood, guts and gore. But this is as unnerving a film as you're going to get. This was a difficult watch for many reasons.

Cooper Koch stars as Benjamin, a handsome young gay man who is about to move to California to become a porn star. Jose Colon stars as his best (straight) friend, Dom. One night - after an evening of clubbing - Dom has to make "one quick stop" on the way home.

I don't want to do spoilers here, but as you can imagine this quick stop turned out to be a complete nightmare. They soon find themselves in the cruel and unsympathetic world of drug smuggling - but this is by not your average drug trafficking movie! Not knowing what was going to happen to them with the dire circumstances they found themselves in, suspense gnawed at me all the way, and I was on the edge of my seat for most of the movie. I was so nervous for these poor guys!

The performances are very good. I liked Benjamin and rooted for him. Mark Patton stars as the film's main antagonist, Rich (even though he only appears almost at the final act). This final act had quite a few surprises in store!

There's quite a bit of full frontal male nudity here - even glimpses of an erection - but I honestly didn't mind in the least! It was relevant within the context of the film and never sleazy or exploited. 'Swallowed' is an interesting film with a great payoff. I really liked it.

I was thinking this would be a really gross or a horrific body horror film and it wasn't anything that was really great. The body horror was barely there, it wasn't really scary. I would not call this horror. I kept waiting for something to happen, for it to get truly gruesome because I really felt from what people were saying that I would end up profoundly disturbed, but it never happened. Acting was good, I would call this a thriller but not horror, no way. It's a good story but it needed more to be considered a really disturbing body horror movie. I was thinking it might have some elements of Shivers or Rabid, but it never really went for it.

... come out right? Well no pun intended here, but as the title suggests ... well if you only know the title, you may be in for quite the ride, like I was. Just the beginning was quite something - you get the feeling for our two main characters and what they are about.

Of course only as the movie progresses we get to see how deep their friendship goes ... almost literally and no pun intended. There are scenes here that are not easy to watch - even if they are not explicitly shown. On the other hand, this has quite a lot of male nudity in it. If you have issues with that - well you have been "warned" (I too am more fond of the female body, just saying).

On another note, the movie has Mark Patton in it. If you do not know him: he was in one of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. And his character was quite prominent - also in how he changed perception in male leads. Not just for the time this was made.

He really goes all out with his character here. Even more fun when you have met him in real life and know what a sweetheart he is - the character he portrays is anything but. But that is acting - the slow burn on the other hand may not be everyones cup of tea ... suspend your disbelief and go with the flow ...

Totally disappointing and misleading. The only body horror in the entire film is a prolonged erection. I'm a fan of jenna malone, and i think the male leads in the film did a pretty solid job as well, but the movie was a waste of time.

I am all the way here for the representation, and the romantic aspects were cute at first, but were thrown away like every other interesting premise this film had. There was no reason to even present this as a sci fi, because if the worms were replaced by drugs, the plot would not have changed in the slightest.

To say "bugs designed by ____" in big brazen letters before the rest of the credits was insulting to the audience, because the main thing promised by the trailer, the cover, and the synopsis was body horror. Where is the cronenberg???? Unless you are mortified by the sight of a small grub, there's nothing scary about this movie.

For the past few years horror films have become incredibly stagnant as a result of the continual rehashing of the same old tired genres: we constantly see endless zombie films, as well as countless vampire and "demonic possession" plotlines that have become increasingly derivative. Last night I saw "Swallowed," and it was refreshing to see director and writer Carter Stevens actually make an attempt to step out of the box and create something different for a change. In 2006 I saw an earlier short by Stevens called "Bugcrush" that dealt with a similar idea, but "Swallowed" has obviously expanded and reworked it.

"Swallowed's" storyline begins with two best friends, Benjamin (Cooper Koch) and Dom (Jose Colon) who reside in a small Maine town and are celebrating in a local bar. A clearly naive Benjamin has plans to move to Los Angeles, where he's convinced he'll become a successful porn star. Unbeknownst to him, Dom has arranged to supply his buddy with extra cash before he leaves by agreeing to become a drug runner as they drive across the border that night.

The film progresses and its mood becomes more intense and claustrophobic as the two young men are forced at gunpoint into swallowing the unknown, condom-encased drugs Dom agreed to smuggle by a demanding young woman (Jena Malone) who wants them delivered to her dealer by any means possible. Eventually things become more nightmarish when they realize not only the results of what they've actually swallowed, but that the drug dealer they finally encounter (Mark Patton) turns out to be an emotionally disturbed, perverse old queen intent on preying on Benjamin. I've left quite a few details out here, but that's as far as I'll go in revealing any more of the film's plot in order to avoid spoilers.

Unlike another reviewer here, I'm not sure I agree that this film necessarily falls into anything that resembles Cronenberg's "body horror" category, but I'll agree it comes close. For a low-budget production, both Carter Stevens' script and direction are tight, suspenseful, and never become predictable. The film is also beautifully photographed. What did stand out the most for me were the calibre of the performances, which I felt were unusually powerful for an independent horror film. Both Koch and Colon (the latter who has apparently never been in a film before, at least according to IMDB) are excellent. Mark Patton is grotesquely effective and believable and as the mannered, psychopathic drug dealer. Jena Malone is also very strong, although I thought at times her character was drawn a little too one-dimensionally.

Like just about any horror film, I did think there were some weaknesses in "Swallowed." Despite a considerable buildup emphasizing how important it was for the characters to hide the drugs in order to travel past the border, the resulting border scene itself only consisted of a very brief conversation with a patrol officer and then it was over. The quick, painless conversation provided no suspense or explanation as to why the character needed to swallow the drugs in the first place, other than to advance the film's plot. Secondly, "Swallowed" (certainly emphasized by Mark Patton's very strong performance) once again portrays the tired stereotype of the older gay man preying on the younger. Lastly, there is a cheery and strangely pat "epilogue" that felt tacked on to the end credits. Not only did it seem somewhat jarring to the film's earlier tone, but it also seemed totally unfeasible. Again, giving more details would only reveal more of "Swallowed's plot.

These are small elements. "Swallowed" is worth seeing, especially compared to the anemic offerings we're being offered from the current horror genre. There's enough tension and suspense in this feature to make it worthwhile viewing.

It's a shame when a movie makers have a fantastic story, actors, and setting to create something wonderful, and they throw it all away.

I'm not even upset with the amount of suspended belief I allowed to get into this story, it's the constant change in the narrative that made me want to stop watching,

The build up was good, and then when you get to final half of the movie, it feels so disconnected from everything they set up. It felt as if they had a bunch of wild ideas and they just went with it without ever thinking about the time of the of the first half of the movie.

All the love for indie makers, but for the love, make something that make sense rather than just trying to be different.

Cooper Koch, Jose Colon, Jenna Malone, and Mark Patton star in this horror thriller about a "drug" trafficking incident gone terribly wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I found the friendship between the lead characters, Benjamin (Cooper Koch) and Dom (Jose Colon) to be very sweet in the midst of an ugly situation. The unrequited love they had for each other is evident and I ended up rooting for the relationship that could be. Jenna Malone's Alice as the no nonsense, gun wielding trafficker was a surprise because these sorts of archetypes are usually played by men. I was totally convinced that she'd put a bullet in someone without a second thought. Nightmare On Elm Street 2 "final boy", Mark Patton as Rich, Alice's boss was overtly sadistic yet subtly unhinged, which was interesting to see. The film itself is more of a horrific thriller. It doesn't use the usual gory special effects crutch to tell the story, but what unfolds is quite horrifying. For me, that was a pleasant change of pace.

I really like the movie for its acting and unpredictable story. Very strong and believable performances. The storyline is very simple, but disturbing. Mark Patton gives us a hilarious over the top character. I think the real horror is in the uncertainty and not knowing what is going to happen once the drugs are swallowed... There was definitely more room for a background story of the main characters to get more attached to them. But Colon (no pun intended) and Koch feel very believable in their stressful situations. Some funny and uncomfortable scenes aside the movie gets its tension across be it not in slasher/gore/bloodbath style. So not your average Saturday night movie, but worth the watch.

"Disappointing, underwhelming, and forgettable" are just a few words that come to mind when attempting to describe the film I just endured. From the very beginning, it was clear that this movie was going to be a rough ride, as the storyline was choppy and poorly written, leaving me feeling completely disconnected from the characters and their motivations.

This movie was a total disappointment. From the poor script to the lackluster performances, there was nothing about this film that I found redeeming or worthwhile. If you're looking for a good movie to watch, I would definitely suggest looking elsewhere.

The acting wasn't bad but the subject matter and heavy push for gay sexual situations ruined the movie for me. Scenes like fisting another man and fishing around in his rear end fo pull out stuff. Just beware if you aren't into that type of subject matter. I think most people will be turned off by the subject matter and won't find in enteraining. So i am posting this review so you know what you are getting in to. If you are looking for a great horror movie, try Session 9, Final Prayer, Honeymoon, the pact. These are all smaller budget movies that are very entertaining. I would recommend any one of those over this movie.

"Another delicate and deliciously unfolded masculine interconnection is between Benjamin and Rich, an old queer who smacks his lips all over the former's Adonis physique (full-front nudity is a must). The gamesmanship between a predator and his prey, and how the table is eventually turned. SWALLOWED is awash with such racy innuendos, like Dom's prolonged erection as a side effect of the leaking drug (a close-up of Benjamin swallowing his saliva is a nifty tease), or Benjamin's fist work to extract the condoms from Dom's anus (thankfully, the film's coprophiliac predilection doesn't really aim for verisimilitude), all play up to salve the thirst of the film's demographic. Koch makes a good introduction as a new queer leading man, but Malone's Alice getting fridged unceremoniously is a letdown. She is tough-as-nail, her maternal solicitude only gets exuded gradually, and should be given more agency to operate."

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I'm amazed with myself for watching this right to the end. And I'm kicking myself too. That's why it gets two stars instead of the one it actually deserves.

The storyline was weak and full of holes - if I can see them, why can't the people giving ten-star reviews? Then the acting, lol. Mark Patton playing demented fairy queen Rich was a hoot. He was the opposite of menacing. One could have found better in an amateur dramatics club. Jena Malone was pitiful as the hardnut dope runner.

Cooper Koch and Jose Colon playing Ben and Dom respectively were better and seemed to have some rapport between them. I get why Koch was chosen as the one to be the one breaking into adult films, but for me, Colon was far sexier.

As for the action, whole segments were lost in boringness where attempts to raise tension laughably failed.

Regarding the ingested substance which gives rise to the name of the film, the premiss is so far away from reality that it loses the viewer.

A low budget failure that I wasted time on so you don't have to now that I wrote a review.

Intense that was really intense.

Things quickly began to evolve it wasnt boring at all it was really riveting for me I really liked the concept although I thought from the trailer that it would be a body horror type movie but it wasnt.

Anyway if we take off a scene from the movie that didn't make any sense because the human body doesn't work like that and it was really the only thing that I didnt like from the movie everything else worked for me The movie was solid a solid drama with the last scene being one of the saddest I've ever seen it was also really disterbing.

I will recommend it to someone who likes to see weird films.

Holy crow. Two"best friends" -- nod, nod, wink, wink -- are coerced at gunpoint to swallow a bunch of condoms and deliver them at another location when they comeout for money.

We sit and watch them swallow for 12 minutes.

And that's the way the rest of the movie goes. Slow. Tedious.

Even a border stop takes about 4minutes for no payoff. Was the writing so thin they needed filler?

This movie is David Lynch slow with none of the interesting bits.

The movie proceeds with more meaningless filler. And then something does happen, only it really doesnt. It's just music telling you something ominous just occurred.

Then nothing happens again for an absurb amount of time. We're nearly half way thru the movie at this point!

They get to a cabin and a new leather-faced character, who can't act to save his life, is introduced. He's ridiculously bad. You can't imagine how bad he is. His acting is actually laughable. I thought I was watching a parody.

Man this was just plain stoopid. The basic story is interesting and at at the hands of a far more capable writer/director it could have been a solid flick. Unfortunately we wait too long for the payoff and it really never comes.

"Swallowed" is a new release that had the potential to be a horror movie, but it falls short of expectations. The film was decently acted, but the plot is more of a thriller than a horror movie, and it lacks the blood, gore, and jump scares that we expect from a horror film.

While the movie has some intriguing ideas, it fails to explore them in depth. The bugs that appear in the movie are not explained, and we never really find out what they do to the human brain. Additionally, the lack of any real insight into the trip that they induce makes the plot seem rushed and underdeveloped.

One thing that stands out about the movie is the excessive full frontal male nudity, which may make some viewers uncomfortable. While it is not unusual for horror movies to include some nudity, it is overdone in "Swallowed" and seems unnecessary to the plot.

Overall, I would not recommend this movie to fans of the horror genre. It fails to deliver on its potential, and the lack of character development and plot twists makes it a dull and forgettable watch. I would give "Swallowed" a 4/10 rating for its decent acting but failure to deliver on its potential.

This film is creepy as all hell.

Swallowed elevates the body horror genre - oscillating between excruciatingly tense sequences (which are just the right amount of gruesome), and deeply felt emotional scenes between the two leads. Performances by the leading actors - Cooper Coch & Jose Colon - were brilliant, and as expected Jena Malone and Mark Patton do not disappoint. Beautifully photographed on location in Maine, matched with a powerful score, and punctuated by one hell of an ending. Still with me days after seeing it at this year's Screamfest, and definitely a major highlight for 2022.

10/10.

This is essentially a pointless piece of soft gay porn - even as a gay man, I did not find this compelling or entertaining at all! It just seemed like an excuse to show some young actors naked unnecessarily.

There was so much potential when exploring the 2 main characters relationship or the body horror aspect, but neither were explored in any depth, leaving the movie with nothing.

As soon as the villain turns up, the plot disappears and the whole thing turns to tedious drawn out scenes which are supposed to be chilling but are really quite laughable.

There's no way this movie deserves a high rating - there are so much better movies that explore either body horror or gay relationships out there!

I was very impressed by this film. The budget was small but it was unnerving and downright creepy. It was also great to see lgbt horror that wasn't formulaic and showed smart characters. This film is a fight for survival and you feel it from the beginning of the film.

The overall film is somewhat predictable but it still carries you through the story and makes you unable to stop watching. I have to say that the supporting cast was a pleasant surprise and they add a lot to the film. I think the staring roles were ably acted, especially for a first film.

The best part about this film was that it was original! It wasn't a remake. It wasn't a reimagining. This was a raw body horror film and it did what it promised. I wish we saw more of that!