THE SWARM on Netflix is a horror movie from France about locusts that get a taste for blood. However, it doesn’t have the action you might expect. It’s more of a slow-burn horror drama. Read our full The Swarm movie review here!

THE SWARM is a new Netflix horror movie from France. If you’ve watched the trailer, then you’ll probably expect a classic horror movie with action and intensity. This is not that kind of horror movie. To be blunt, the trailer sells a very different movie than what you have in store.

Sure, it’s about locusts that get a taste for blood. The main story is more of a social realism drama about a family struggling in the aftermath of losing a family member. Overall, the “locust horror” doesn’t really start to come into play until a good hour in. Even then, it’s briefly and only returns at the very end.

Continue reading our The Swarm movie review below and find it on Netflix.

A horror drama with locusts

Even though The Swarm is far from what I expected (which was a sort of Arachnophobia but with locusts), it’s still very interesting. During its 101-minute runtime, I found myself thinking that the mother was the monster and not the locusts.

She’s the one spending all her time on breeding locusts and doing whatever it takes to keep increasing the volume. All while leaving her kids to their own devices. Or rather, leaving her teenage daughter to care for her younger brother. Meanwhile, she’s tormented in school for her mom’s failing (at first) locust farm.

Still, the daughter (and son) are very likable characters throughout. Much like the locusts, they do only what comes naturally for them. In the case of the kids, it’s caring and nurturing for one another while trying to be happy. For the locusts, it’s to eat and procreate.

The mom is focused on “not failing” while claiming it’s all “for the kids”. This is straight-up BS and the daughter calls her out on it several times. The actors all deliver wonderful and natural portrayals of their characters, which is another huge plus. It just isn’t scary in the classic horror genre sense.

The Swarm – Netflix Review

Watch The Swarm on Netflix

The Swarm (org. title La nuée) was directed by Just Philippot who previously directed several short films. This is his feature film debut and a very good one in terms of telling the story and setting the tone. The screenplay is written by Franck Victor and is based on an original idea by Jérôme Genevray.

A good comparison could be Raw which I loved. The Swarm isn’t nearly on the same level, but in terms of slow-burn and as a genre hybrid, it’s a valid reference.

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Our review of the brilliant horror-drama Raw here >

As a horror drama with social realism and commentary, I enjoyed The Swarm. It just was not the movie advertised in the trailer, so consider yourself warned. Again, the locusts do turn quite scary at two moments during this movie. However, it’s more of a slow-burn horror drama, so watch it as such and enjoy!

The Swarm is out on Netflix from August 6, 2021.

Details

Director: Just Philippot
Writers: Jérôme Genevray, Franck Victor
Stars: Suliane Brahim, Sofian Khammes, Marie Narbonne, Raphael Romand, Renan Prévot, Christian Bouillette

Plot

Virginie lives on a farm with her children Laura (15) and Gaston (7) and raises locusts as a high-protein crop. Life is hard: money worries and practical problems are piling up, tensions with her kids and neighbors are running high. But everything changes when she discovers the locusts have a taste for blood.

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!
Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard
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