Swallowed – Fantasia 2022
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July 14 to August 3, 2022
Content Advisory: Depiction of pornography
A drug-smuggling job goes awry in Swallowed. Benjamin (Cooper Koch) and Dom (Jose Colon) are out dancing before Benjamin travels to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a porn star. However, on the way, Dom stops off and meets Alice (Jena Malone) for a job smuggling drugs over the US/Canada border, with the main caveat being that both would have to swallow the merchandise. However, while waiting at the rest stop rendezvous, Dom ends up having a fight with a redneck, who punches him in the stomach, causing one of the packages to rupture. They call Alice for help, who brings them to a cabin where they meet her boss Rich (Mark Patton), who is not at all happy about what has transpired.
Swallowed is a queer body horror film written and directed by Carter Smith. The film tells the story of two friends, Benjamin and Dom, who take what’s supposed to be a simple drug smuggling job to earn some extra money before Benjamin moves to Los Angeles. However, the two find out the hard way that the drugs are psychedelic bugs that paralyzes those it bites. However, this ends up being the least of Benjamin and Dom’s problems when they meet Rich, who wants his merchandise back by any means necessary.
Swallowed is one very messed up body horror film with a cast that includes Cooper Koch (also appearing in the upcoming queer slasher They/Them), Jenna Malone (Donnie Darko, Neon Demon), and Mark Patton (Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge). The latter ends up stealing the film as the antagonist Rich, who exchanges passive-aggressive flirtations with Benjamin while waiting for him to evacuate the bug Ben swallowed. Altogether, Swallowed stands as a seminal piece of queer body horror.
Trailer for Swallowed – Fantasia 2022
