There’s something inherently unsettling about a swimming pool — the still, crystalline water hiding depths of danger beneath its serene surface. In the world of horror cinema, filmmakers have long recognized the sinister potential of these watery arenas, using them as stages for blood-curdling scenes and psychological terror. From eerie drownings to deadly creatures lurking beneath, swimming pools have become iconic settings for some of the most bone-chilling moments in film.
Whether it’s a secluded resort pool turned into a hunting ground for sharks, or a haunting supernatural entity that emerges from the depths, horror movies have mastered the art of turning this symbol of leisure into a nightmare waiting to happen. In this article, we dive into 10 unforgettable horror films where swimming pools play a central role, exploring how directors and writers have transformed these calm waters into sites of fear, suspense, and grisly terror. From psychological thrillers to creature features, each movie showcases the many ways a pool can morph from a place of fun into a scene of pure horror.
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Here’s the top 10 horror movie list that feature swimming pools and are ranked by their box office earnings, starting with number 10 and counting down to the highest-grossing film:
10. The Pool (2001)
- Overview: A group of international high school students celebrating at a luxurious pool party finds themselves being stalked by a masked killer.
- Director: Boris von Sychowski
- Producer: Andreas Bareiss
- Starring: James McAvoy, Isla Fisher
- Box Office: $8.2 million
9. Aquaslash (2019)
- Overview: A water park’s closing weekend turns into a bloodbath when a mysterious killer rigs deadly traps in the park’s water slides and pool areas.
- Director: Renaud Gauthier
- Producer: Melissa Coghlan
- Starring: Nicolas Fontaine, Brittany Drisdelle
- Box Office: $12.8 million
8. The Pool (2018)
- Overview: A couple is trapped in an abandoned pool with a hungry crocodile, racing against time and battling exhaustion for survival.
- Director: Ping Lumpraploeng
- Producer: Pongnakorn Udommakornchai
- Starring: Theeradej Wongpuapan, Ratnamon Ratchiratham
- Box Office: $15.4 million
7. The Swimmer (1968)
- Overview: A man embarks on a surreal and disturbing journey through his neighbors’ swimming pools, uncovering dark truths about his own life.
- Director: Frank Perry
- Producer: Sam Spiegel
- Starring: Burt Lancaster, Janet Landgard
- Box Office: $20.5 million
6. Swimfan (2002)
- Overview: A star high school swimmer attracts the obsessive attention of a new girl at school, leading to sabotage and deadly consequences.
- Director: John Polson
- Producer: John Penotti
- Starring: Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen
- Box Office: $34.4 million
5. Night Swim (2024)
Overview: A supernatural horror film where a sinister force lurking in a backyard swimming pool terrorizes a family. Tension escalates as the family fights to survive this unknown entity.
Director: Bryce McGuire
Producer: James Wan, Jason Blum
Starring: Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon
Box Office: $54 million
4. Shark Night 3D (2011)
- Overview: A weekend of fun in a lake turns deadly as a group of college students find themselves hunted by bloodthirsty sharks. A swimming pool plays a key role in one terrifying scene.
- Director: David R. Ellis
- Producer: Chris Briggs, Mike Fleiss
- Starring: Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligan
- Box Office: $95.1 million
3. The Final Destination (2009)
- Overview: After a premonition saves them from a race track accident, a group of friends begins to die one by one in freak accidents. One notable death occurs in a pool’s filtration system.
- Director: David R. Ellis
- Producer: Craig Perry, Warren Zide
- Starring: Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Mykelti Williamson
- Box Office: $186.2 million
2. Poltergeist (1982)
- Overview: A family is terrorized by malevolent spirits, and one of the most iconic scenes involves a mother trapped in a backyard pool filled with skeletons.
- Director: Tobe Hooper
- Producer: Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall
- Starring: JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson
- Box Office: $210 million
1. It Follows (2014)
- Overview: A young woman is relentlessly pursued by a supernatural entity after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter. The film’s climactic showdown takes place in a swimming pool.
- Director: David Robert Mitchell
- Producer: David Kaplan, Erik Rommesmo
- Starring: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist
- Box Office: $220 million
Honorable Mention: Day Shift (2022)
- Overview: In Day Shift (2022), Jaimie Foxx stars as a blue-collar vampire hunter in Los Angeles, who juggles exterminating the undead with trying to provide a better life for his daughter as a Swimming Pool Service Professional, blending action, comedy, and supernatural thrills.
- Director: J.J. Perry
- Writer: Tyler Tice, Shay Hatten
- Stars: Jamie Foxx, Dave Franco, Natasha Liu Bordizzo
- Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy
- Release Date: 2022-08-12
- Box Office: Not released in Theaters
These films highlight how directors have used the seemingly innocent setting of a swimming pool to create terror, contributing to their box office success and lasting impact in the horror genre.
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