swallow movie explained

Swallow Movie Explained: What Is The Movie About?

You’re probably wondering what the movie was about, yeah? Swallow is a 2019 psychological drama directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis. The plot is centred on Hunter, a young pregnant wife, who develops a disorder which tempts her to swallow random objects. As the story unfolds, we get to know her past and how it is going to affect her future. Swallow is a film about control and breaking out of the vicious loop. This is Barry, welcome to my site, here’s the 2019 movie Swallow explained, spoilers ahead.

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Contents

Here are links to the key aspects of the movie:

The Swallowing Disorder: What is it?

Repeat foreign body swallowing may be part of a syndrome of self-mutilation and/or attention-seeking behaviour. These patients are often diagnosed with psychiatric symptoms of factitious disorder or Munchausen syndrome. Munchausen syndrome is a mental disorder in which a person deliberately acts as if they have a physical or mental illness when they are not really sick.

Swallow Movie Plot Explained

Why does Hunter develop this disorder of consuming odd objects?

Hunter’s mother was raped by a man named William Erwin; Hunter was born as a result. Her mother’s family didn’t believe in abortion even in the cases of incest or rape; hence Hunter was not aborted. Considering she was the result of a terrible crime, Hunter seems to have struggled most of her life coping with that fact. While Hunter claims her relationship with her mother has been great, it’s far from the truth. She even carries a photo of William with her all the time. There’s clearly heavy baggage there, and unfinished business.

Hunter grows up with a shallow sense of self-worth and has resigned to the fact that she is not good at anything. While in a job selling toiletries in a shop, Hunter happens to meet and fall in love with Richie and marries him. The marriage is a classic case of a super-rich man marrying a girl he thinks is the love of his life. While on the surface Richie’s family is sweet to Hunter, they don’t think much of her.

Eventually, Hunter’s pregnancy triggers something inside her. When she gets to know that she has conceived, Hunter doesn’t jump for joy but is concerned; it appears she isn’t ready to become a mother yet. I believe Hunter slowly realizes that she’s crawling deeper into a crevice where everyone around considers her to be worthless. The chances are that her child would grow up under the influence of Richie’s family and resent her too. She gives into her first urge for control – a small object that she devours whole. However, odd the action is, Hunter, for the first time in her life, feels empowered.

Hunter Swallow

Hunter slowly takes control

For a while, Hunter finds solace in swallowing a variety of items, some of them quite dangerous. Eventually, during sonography, her secret is out. This makes her already miserable existence even worse. Richie’s family hires a guard, Luay, to watch over her 24/7 to ensure there is no more swallowing episode. After getting to know that Richie has told literally everyone he knows about Hunter’s condition, at night, she takes the power position both during sex, and the conversation after, and demands an apology from Richie.

When Hunter is unable to stop herself from swallowing dangerous items, things spiral to a new low when Richie’s family wants to send Hunter away to a psychiatric facility for 7 months, not to ensure she gets better, but only for the sake of the child. Richie states, its either this or a divorce. With seemingly no other choice, Hunter signs the forms. However, the next day, before they head to the facility, Luay takes pity on her and helps her escape. After checking into a remote motel, Hunter calls Richie one last time, to say that she still loves him, but rushed into some things to make him happy – like where they live and the baby. Richie initially tries to put on a caring voice, but soon begins showing hunter her place by reminding her that she’s not good at anything, and finally drops the act and threatens her saying he’ll hunt her down.

swallow ending scene

Swallow Movie Ending Explained: What is the movie about?

Swallow is the story of a woman on the precipice of change. She’s led a life where everyone, including herself, has attributed no merits to her. She is ready to burst out of her cocoon. She has come to realize that everything she has defined as happiness, isn’t what she wants at all. Hunter checks if she can stay at her mom’s place, but gets turned down because there isn’t any room given Hunter’s sister is there with her baby.

The sequence of disastrous events finally drives Hunter to face the one thing that has nullified her entire life, William Erwin, the man who raped her mother. Once again, we see Hunter taken on the power position commanding William to say out loud that Hunter was in control. She makes her peace with him after hearing him being sincerely apologetic about what he did to her mother. He also assures that Hunter is nothing like him and that it is not her fault.

The ending of the movie Swallow shows us that Hunter has emerged out of her cocoon as an entirely different individual. She decides that she is not going to do what her mother did and terminates her pregnancy. Adorning a new look, and perspective, she ventures out into her new life with a newfound sense of confidence and direction.