“Swallowed” follows two best friends on their final night together, with a nightmare of drugs, bugs, and horrific intimacy.
The famous debate about “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” was what you saw versus what you imagined. Google any article about the film, and they’ll eventually get around to bringing up the meathook scene. Carter Smith shows a lot in “The Ruins,” his 2008 adaptation of Scott Smith’s gruesome novel. At the time, it caused a backlash, with some critics already overwhelmed with the torture porn era, lumping it into that genre. He doesn’t show as much gore (full frontal nudity, though) in “Swallowed,” his latest microbudget queer horror, but it’s far more grotesque. And that’s a good thing.
”Swallowed” is more horrific precisely because of the more intimate relationship between the two leads. Benjamin (Cooper Koch) and Dom (Jose Colon) are just friends with different sexual preferences, but there’s no question there’s an intense bond between the two. Thanks, both to the performances as well as the writing, it feels genuine. As we meet them, Benjamin is on his way to L.A. to pursue a gay porn career, and the allegedly straight Dom wants to ensure his friend doesn’t wind up on the streets. So Dom has set up a little drug deal with Alice (Jena Malone) to secure some quick cash. Things go awry when they’re forced to swallow the drugs to get them across the border, and worse when they learn they aren’t Exactly drugs.
Anyone familiar with Smith’s short film “Bugcrush” will feel a sense of familiarity once they’re revealed. Before that, however, Smith delights in switching tones between intense, grueling body horror – particularly once removal of the packages becomes critical – gritty crime and over-the-top camp. The body horror is restricted primarily to sound design and facial expressions, using a 4:3 frame more effectively than any recent horror film that comes to mind.
The camp is delivered mainly by “A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge” star Mark Patton, showing up late to offer a bit of levity after a brutal first half. Patton, in his most accomplished performance since the release of the excellent documentary “Scream Queen: My Nightmare on Elm Street,” is equal parts seedy and campy. He’s also more than a little terrifying as a sexual predator.
The grotesqueness on display is undoubtedly stomach-churning, further illustrating Smith’s twisted sense of humor and artistry. Still, not every tonal shift works, and though the bugs have a terrific low-budget design, they feel a bit thematically light. While it may not be the most potent queer horror out there, it’s unquestionably personal.
“Swallowed” recently had its International Premiere at the 2022 Fantasia International Film Festival
