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The Swirl

2022Movie23 min

Documentary
50
MediocreGoodWatch score

A deeply unsettling, slow-burning documentary movie about the mind, with standout visual style.

Good for friends night · teens · thought-provoking

Skip it if you want fast pacing · graphic violence bothers you

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Not for warmth, comfort or uplift.

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Story

The Swirl is starkly beautiful images in soft pastel pink and twitchily advancing stop-motion. It begins when a primary school teacher invites a student on holiday. “In sixth grade, some say that the teacher isn’t so nice.”

Feels like

  • Stop-Motion Animation
  • Psychological Horror
  • Visually Striking
  • Unsettling Atmosphere
  • Dark & Disturbing
  • Surreal Nightmare
  • Social Commentary
  • Finnish Cinema
  • Arthouse

Crew

Directed by
Helka Heinonen
Written by
Helka Heinonen
Produced by
Teemu Lehmusruusu
Music by
Lau Nau

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

February 1, 2022 · 23 min · Disturbing Imagery

Released
February 1, 2022
Runtime
23 min
Content
Disturbing Imagery
Genres
Documentary
Original language
Finnish
Made in
Finland
Available in
75 countries

Q&A

5 questions, like "Where can I stream The Swirl?"

Questions about The Swirl

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Swirl?

DocAlliance Films

In the United States, The Swirl streams on DocAlliance Films. You can rent or buy it from DocAlliance Films. It also streams in 74 other countries.

Is The Swirl worth watching?

50
MediocreGoodWatch score

Opinions are mixed, with a GoodWatch score of 50.

Will I feel good after watching The Swirl?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 8 of 10 for melancholy and 7 for bleakness, against 2 for hopefulness.

Will The Swirl scare me?

Not scaryTerrifying

At times: scares are rated 7 of 10, and some images are gruesome (grotesque 8 of 10).

Is The Swirl in English?

Finnish

No, it was made in Finnish.