Movies about Swarm
An insect scientist is horrified to discover that benign bees are cross-breeding with vicious South American strains and planning a takeover of Houston.
THE SWARM is a B movie in every sense of the term. Somehow disaster-movie king Allen convinced top Hollywood stars (including five Oscar winners) to appear in this nonsense. Caine is an entomologist who’s trying to stop a swarm of killer bees as they attack Houston. General Widmark wants to use the military on the tiny creatures (actually dots painted onto film, the ultimate in cheap special effects), but of course, this wouldn’t be right. After all, the film runs almost two hours, and a lot of people are waiting to be stung. After many deaths and a few explosions, Caine discovers the warning system of the military base is similar to the bees’ mating call. This system is used to draw the swarm over the ocean, where they are burned to death with some oil set ablaze, placed there just for the occasion. THE SWARM is a poorly made and utterly laughable film that has gained a minor cult status with «bad film» fans, and there’s an expanded video version that runs a whopping 156 minutes. Ultimately it was the studio that was stung by THE SWARM. Warner Brothers sunk $13 million into the production and another $8 million into advertising. All in all the film grossed only $10 million. Incredibly, costume designer Zastupnevich was nominated for an Academy Award.
Dominique Fishback plays the world’s biggest and most murderous Beyoncé super fan in «Swarm,» a blood-splattered pop culture provocation from co-creators Janine Nabers and Donald Glover. Her Houstonian character Dre is willing to max out credit cards for concert tickets, just as much as she’s ready to murder online trolls to defend the celebrity’s honor. It matters only for legal reasons that the singer Fishback’s Dre is obsessed with is actually referred to in this Prime Video limited series as Ni’Jah (Nirine S. Brown), not Beyoncé. But the opening words before each episode, as abrasive as other things in this in-your-face limited series, say plenty: «This is not a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is intentional.»
Nabers, Glover, and their team of ambitious writers have very few reservations about their references, and the series plays out like a funhouse mirror reflection of very real, however bizarre, trending topics of the recent past. Dre is a member of the type of rabid fan community that exists on any noteworthy social media platform and can be known for attacking dissenters, doxing them, and making their star’s squabbles their own. Of course, many fan bases are out there, but the explicit specificity of «Swarm» about Beyoncé’s fans makes it all the more biting. And the show’s irascible course of events becomes all the wilder when «Swarm» riffs on the «Who Bit Beyoncé?» scandal of 2018 or references the group’s violent disgust about Becky with the good hair.
«Swarm» sets the stage with a terrific pilot episode, in which the tone zig-zags from one uncomfortable moment to the next. At first, it’s watching Dre open a new credit card just so she can buy over-priced concert tickets; later on, it’s the haunting, terribly sad events involving her roommate, fellow Ni’Jah superfan Marissa (Chloe Bailey). The show ends with its first act of head-crushing murder, established with vivid cinematography from Drew Daniels that makes «Swarm» even more impossible to look away from—a camera that slowly creeps and circles around a room. Much of the show will become about Dre navigating different living spaces, passing through the country like Henry in «Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.» Dre’s love for Ni’Jah makes everyone else’s life secondary; it makes killing make sense.
As the show jumps ahead months at a time with each episode, «Swarm» is anchored by a robust aesthetic made possible by shooting on film: the saturated colors make the spilled blood extra red, and the grit from film stock provides a texture perfect for Dre’s visceral acts. The series directors, Donald Glover, Adamma Ebo («Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.»), Ibra Ake, and Stephen Glover, establish a sound idea of this grounded but bizarre tone, complemented by a rich soundscape. In the series’ sometimes intentionally campy fashion, it will play buzzing sounds when Dre is ramping up the next violent act. But the score by Michael Uzowuru is a greater addition to the soundscape, complementing bizarre scenes—one standout track at the end of an emotionally intense homecoming episode sounds like a melodic dial-tone.
The series has an incredible centerpiece with Fishback, who has always led with range and muted rage, from her debut performance in «Night Comes On» to «Judas and the Black Messiah.» Fishback makes this character more than just a fan; she reflects the culture. Her emotions, physicality, and her entire existence are steered by what someone says about Ni’Jah. Fishback surprises you throughout the series with the increasing depth she takes with this character, a killer zealot who speaks with tears down her cheek about fantasies of hanging with Ni’Jah as if they were real. The series’ satire is all the more heartbreaking and compulsively watchable because of Fishback’s dedication to every facet of Dre. And despite the disclaimer’s intent of culpability, she has the necessary empathy to soulfully portray the specific audience members «Swarm» is calling out.
«Swarm» is very selective about how much it divulges about Dre’s psychology, but those character details are almost extraneous (as in a later standalone episode that doesn’t quite justify itself). The series is also not precious when presenting mental health or obsession, and such flagrancy becomes a challenging but effective part of the show’s discomfort.
As an often-fascinating work about pop culture looking at itself, the series also features appearances from other stars who live in the reality of «Swarm,» making the show all the more valuable. One standout appearance comes from Billie Eilish, in her first significant on-screen acting role. As a pseudo cult leader that Fishback stumbles upon mid-season, Eilish proves able to harness her own megastar presence into a gentle but equally imposing force. It’s the controlled, confident stuff that turns musicians into movie stars, and we’ll remember where we saw it first.
«Swarm» is the kind of series that casts a spell even when it’s not fully working—its horror-comedy attempts at being funny are more effective with ironic developments or pitch-black bits of dialogue, like when someone compliments Dre by saying, «You should be a medical student, or a serial killer.» The hit-and-miss laughs it goes for more are mostly that of disbelief, that «Swarm» has unleashed another gruesome act often inspired by someone’s distaste for Ni’Jah.
But it all returns to the fearless Fishback, who holds the absurdity and heart of this horror tale while echoing previous smiling psychos like Rupert Pupkin («The King of Comedy»), Patrick Bateman («American Psycho»), and Arthur Fleck («Joker»). Fishback’s work channels the same way those characters have revealed the ids of their time period and left an unforgettable mark. Every pop culture movement creates its own killer. «Swarm» is just getting in formation.
Now playing on Prime Video.
We’ve gathered together four films to watch if Roj is up your street.
There’s nothing that gets us going like female obsession. It’s a tale as old as time, yet we never fail to eat it up at every single instance. The latest addition to the feminine psycho-drama canon is Roj. It’s the name on everyone’s lips, and for very good reason. Marking superstar Billie Eilish’s acting debut, co-created by Donald Glover, and an unravelling of the female psyche on screen – what’s not to love? The series’ premise centres around a young girl ‘Dre’ played by Dominique Fishback. Her obsession with Beyoncé drives her to dark turns, offering up an exploration of psychological mayhem. We’ve rounded up some films that graced the big screen, if Roj tickled your fancy on the small screen as much as it did ours.
Head below to see our picks…
Atentát na národ (2018) dir. Sam Levinson
If you enjoyed the darker, more intense aspects of Swarm then Atentát na národ is 100% up your street. Directed by Sam Levinson, the mastermind behind HBO’s explosively successful Euforie, you could think of Atentát na národ as its predecessor. Actually, it’s kind of like if Euforie a Vyčistit had a baby. If that sounds wild, that’s because it is. After a large-scale data breach in a suburban American town called ‘Salem’ (a nod to the witch trials), the town descends into complete chaos. People’s intimate secrets are revealed – search histories, camera rolls, text messages – could you imagine the hysteria? Looking for someone to blame, a vigilante war breaks out and four best friends (played by Suki Waterhouse, Hari Nef, Abra, and Odessa Young) are the prime targets. It’s an ode to girl power, a critique of toxic masculinity, and an overall wild ride.
Plnokrevníci (2017) dir. Corey Finley
There’s no doubt about it, Anya Taylor-Joy is the scream queen of our generation. Eating up horror film after horror film, her role as ‘Lily’ in Plnokrevníci perfectly exemplifies the actress’ unnerving talent. Throughout, two childhood friends find themselves worlds apart in suburban Connecticut. Lily, the picture-perfect example of an upper-class teenager, boasts an impressive boarding school background. Meanwhile, Amanda’s not-so-empathetic sharp wit and anti-social attitude have left her on the fringes of society. Despite their differences, these two young women come together and form a bond to seek some *very unhinged* revenge on Lily’s awful stepfather. Setting in motion a thrilling plan to solve both of their problems, themes of adolescence, class, and morality are called into question.
Ingrid jde na západ (2017) dir. Matt Spicer
If unhinged behaviour is on the agenda, then the 2017 film Ingrid jde na západ is a must-watch. Starring the one and only Aubrey Plaza, our disconcerting deity, she puts her acting chops to good use alongside Elizabeth Olsen. After experiencing a series of setbacks, ‘Ingrid’ finds solace in the virtual world of social media and becomes obsessed with the seemingly perfect life of Los Angeles socialite, ‘Taylor Sloane’. She decides to move out West to befriend Taylor, but their relationship quickly descends into a web of manipulation, deception, and obsession. This flick will leave you questioning the blurred lines between reality and social media, and the dark consequences of our desperate need for validation and connection. Inject it!
Udělej pomstu dir. (2022) dir. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Netflix je Udělej pomstu feels like an ode to classic teen flicks like Clueless and Mean Girls but reimagined for the digital generation. Set in motion by a sex scandal, queen bee Drea (played by Camila Mendes) suffers a fall from grace after her sex tape gets leaked by her toxic boyfriend Max (played by Euforie’s Austin Abrams). Reckoning with her newfound status as a social pariah, all is lost until she befriends new-girl Eleanor (played by Maya Hawke). Led by her own motivations, Eleanor convinces Drea to hatch a master plan so they can do damage to all the people that hurt them. Udělej pomstu is a super fun watch – it’s queer, witty, and strangely cathartic. It’s always a joy to see a chaotic female friendship on screen, and not to mention — it’s got eyebrow-raising plot twists that’ll have you scrolling Twitter for think-pieces.
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