‘Night Swim’ can’t stay afloat amid derivative story elements and lackluster frights

“Night Swim” feels a bit like the worst game of Marco Polo you’ve ever played: No one’s following the rules, and then the pool tries to kill you when you don’t win. It doesn’t make for a fun time — much like “Night Swim” itself. 

At this point, we’re used to houses and dolls and cars being haunted by all manner of evil entities. But a pool? That’s the premise of “Night Swim,” written and directed by Bryce McGuire, based on a 2014 short film of the same name by McGuire and Rod Blackhurst. In a neighborhood where a pool party is major summer soirée, this particular pool has some deeper secrets — even if the story itself lacks such depth. 

The Wallers — father Ray (Wyatt Russell), who’s been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease; mother Eve (Kerry Condon), who wants to settle in a home of their own; older daughter Izzy (Amélie Hoeferle), who wants to make friends; and younger son Elliot (Gavin Warren), who just wants to impress his father — are the new owners of this in-ground basin of malevolence and hair-clogged drains. (Honestly, it’s disgusting and probably the scariest part of this entire film.) They’ve constantly moved around, thanks to their father’s profession, and are happy to put down some roots.

(Ugh, just thought of those drains again.) 

Aside from some odd parental favoritism, the film plays out much like “The Amityville Horror” (2005 or 1979; take your pick) with some obvious riffs from “IT” and “Fatal Destination,” among other horror films. The (geothermal heated!) pool is the film’s only truly distinctive element, but even then the murky depths don’t offer much scare factor. There’s little in “Night Swim” that does.

But to give credit where it’s due: While the film’s plot is fairly cookie-cutter, a couple of twists and reveals in the film’s final third offer some much-needed bursts of creativity. (And then the film proceeds to ignore its own internal logic with its ending, because why not.)

The few worthwhile cinematic touches — water tends to be visually interesting — are marred by utterly incoherent camera work. (You would think the way the film focuses on a pair of bunny slippers that we were about to encounter a satanic Easter bunny. Spoiler: We don’t.)

In the end, “Night Swim” does little to stand out on its own. The horror is generally uninspired (most likely owing to its PG-13 rating), and the supernatural elements weren’t particularly coherent. It’s hardly the worst horror movie out there; it just never leaves the shallow end of the pool.

Two “Just clean your pool!” stars out of five.