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The Swimmers

The Swimmers

2022

Sally El Hosaini

Manal Issa, Nathalie Issa, Matthias Schweighöfer, Ali Suliman ...

6.6

3,617

Drama A story of the miraculous journey made by swimming sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini who fled as refugees from war-torn Syria all the way to the 2016 Rio Olympics.

	Media	Author	Review
		Sarah Bea Milner SlashFilm	"'The Swimmers' is satisfying and proves once and for all that filmmaker Sally El Hosaini is creative force to be reckoned with"
		Greg Wheeler The Review Geek	"A thought provoking and harrowing tale [that] is worth watching"
		Benjamin Lee The Guardian	"There’s an extraordinary story to be told here. It’s just a shame it had to be told in such an ordinary way (...) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"
		Tim Robey Telegraph	"Unashamedly rousing and immaculately crafted, 'The Swimmers' is a sports drama with more at stake than individual glory –a global-humanist purview to which it ascends without getting the slightest bit preachy (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Steve Pond The Wrap	"It makes for an awkward fit at times, and El Hosaini lays the melodrama on thicker than the nuance, but there’s no denying that the story packs a punch"
		Pete Hammond Deadline	"'The Swimmers' is really a moving and suspenseful story of the plight of refugees looking for a better life against all odds"
		Ryan Lattanzio IndieWire	"'The Swimmers' gets too caught up in the waves of telling a feel-good story about our inner strength, but the audience ultimately can't share in the enthusiasm"
		Brian Tallerico rogerebert.com	"It's too moving not to connect with most viewers, anchored by incredibly nuanced and charismatic performances from its two stars"
		Marya E. Gates The Playlist	"A [film] with an important message about the growing refugee crisis worldwide, and Yusra's story is one worth telling. It's a pity the filmmakers couldn't take the time to see her life as more than just a vessel for this message"
		Nikki Baughan Screendaily	"Its impact comes not only from the real-life events it’s depicting, but also the way in which it frames this now-familiar tale"
		Marshall Shaffer Decider	"The film slowly goes from being something quite special to something quite ordinary"
		Wendy Ide The Guardian	"Powerful refugee drama (...) The true story of two sporting sisters is strikingly told, at first, in Sally El Hosaini’s immersive Netflix film (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		Michael Rechtshaffen The Hollywood Reporter	"A potent if uneven refugee drama"
		Lou Thomas Empire	"A long, sometimes broad film, but one that tackles an important and prescient subject (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		Ross Bonaime Collider	"Yusra and Sara’s story could’ve been an extraordinary documentary, but instead, their story has been turned into a lackluster story that can’t tell this journey the way it deserves to be told"
		Hanna Flint Time Out	"It's an underdog story filled with love, humour and authenticity (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Peter Debruge Variety	"At a bloated 134 minutes your brain may well start to prune, the way fingers do when they spend too much time in water (...) A human-interest story in sports movie drag"
		Ferdosa Abdi Screen Rant	"[It] is a triumph in many ways. It is beautiful, heartbreaking, and profoundly moving, with stellar leading performances from the Issa sisters (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Romey Norton Ready Steady Cut	"This story is a powerful one filled with tragedy and triumph. An emotional journey which had my heart in my throat throughout"
		Alex Maidy JoBlo	"Sally El Hosaini has created a beautiful ode to the Mardini sisters"

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