SummaryIn the near future, Cameron Turner (Mahershala Ali), a loving husband and father diagnosed with a terminal illness, is presented with an alternative solution by his doctor (Glenn Close) to shield his family from grief. As Cam grapples with whether or not to alter his family’s fate, he learns more about life and love than he ever imagined.
Directed By:Benjamin Cleary
Written By:Benjamin Cleary
Swan Song
Metascore
Generally Favorable
66
User score
Generally Favorable
7.0
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
66
70% Positive
19 Reviews
19 Reviews
26% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
4% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Dec 17, 2021
100
Swan Song, of course, belongs to Ali. He conveys Cameron’s vise grip of moral dilemma, fear of dying and concern for his family visually, often wordlessly, and it is a complex, layered performance. Let’s just say this is an unusual way to confront your inner demons.
Dec 21, 2021
80
Swan Song is a beautifully acted near-future exploration of self, technology, and the soul.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.0
58% Positive
29 Ratings
29 Ratings
34% Mixed
17 Ratings
17 Ratings
8% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
Dec 28, 2021
9
Swan Song, a film that unfortunately doesn't seem to be getting the buzz it deserves, poses ethical quandaries that are important to consider as technology continues to evolve. The main character, played be Mahershala Ali, is faced with many of these questions as he tries to make an impossible decision. While all of the acting is wonderful, the standout performance is easily that of Ali, who brings the character of Cameron Turner to life and makes all of the key moments extremely emotional. This is especially true of the climax, which brought me to tears. I do think that this event could have worked even better if Cameron hadn't yet made up his mind, but it was still one of the most impactful scenes I've seen in a movie this year. Swan Song is also beautifully shot as it showcases natural landscapes as well as futuristic technology. My only major flaw with the film is that there was one character whose inclusion to the story felt unnecessary and didn't exactly match the tone, but this character's presence was minor, so it wasn't too big **** changer for me.
Swan Song is an emotional character study that will leave viewers asking themselves questions about what they would do if they found themself in Cameron's position.
Dec 19, 2021
9
"Swan Song" é o meu tipo favorito de filme. Aquele que nos faz pensar a respeito de uma realidade diferente e distante, mesmo que ela seja dolorosa. Mahershala Ali está fenomenal. É difícil assistir a um de seus filmes e conseguir imaginar outra pessoa para interpretar seu papel. Ele o agarra e ninguém tira. Durante os momentos de dúvida do personagem o filme se estica mais do que necessário. Enquanto sua parte final conta com duas cenas que cairiam como uma luva para encerrar o filme. Eu teria deixado apenas uma. Mas os pontos supracitados não borram a boa experiência que a trama nos deixa. E Glenn Close... você é a maior. Entenda.
Dec 14, 2021
80
Exceptional near-future production design and a strong dual performance from Mahershala Ali as a man and his clone fuel Benjamin Cleary’s impressive, thoughtful sci-fi debut.
Dec 22, 2021
70
Swan Song is a respectable science-fiction drama. While it may feel overwrought and overly sentimental in parts, the film is immersive and engaging. Ali is magnetic and his natural onscreen charisma, paired with a terrific performance, make Swan Song an absolute must-see.
Dec 20, 2021
67
Cameron’s journey is a complicated and poignant one, though the muted aura that maintains a rigid hush over scenes keeps the viewer at something of an emotional detachment.
Dec 3, 2021
50
Writer-director Benjamin Cleary’s debut feature does neither Ali nor himself any favors. The movie’s so low-key and low-heat that it’s slow. And with that lack of pace we’re forced to confront, often, how over-familiar this story, this version of “the future” and this film are.
Dec 27, 2021
38
Ali, in his first lead role, is let down with a hollow script and sanitized surroundings that his character barely struggles against.
Feb 6, 2022
8
Exceptional orchestration of story, cinematography, musical score, sound, directing, and acting. The Cast - represents the origins of Africa, Europe, Asia, and the First American Nations. Poignant, soothing, warm, funny, and awe-inspiring Lovely locations for filming.
Jan 26, 2022
6
Decent performances and interesting concept, but the plot choices rob it out of anything memorable.
Dec 21, 2021
6
The issues this film raises when you have a theme that proposes the power to negotiate with death and your acceptance of it, you really need to have convincing arguments so that the plot doesn't feel like a sloppy attempt at science fiction. Swan Song confronts rather complex existential questions ranging from identity, integrity, grief, guilt and lying.
The latter is handled with the idea that it's for a good, and yet it also provokes many questions about trust between the ones you love. Its handling, ultimately, is not the best. At one point, after the second act, the film stalls in its inability to deliver a more agile narrative, but good performances keep it sufficiently focused. Naomie Harris and even Awkwafina herself stand out, but the star is Mahershala Ali, as it is his character who goes through all the dramatic ups and downs the story has to offer. Swan Song is nothing exceptional, but it was much better than I initially expected.
Dec 24, 2021
5
At first, 'Swan Song' looks like an Apple concept products ad, and then it turns into the usual derivative sci-fi film with a "profound" moral dilemma. Mahershala Ali — who finally shines in a leading role — plays Cameron, a terminally ill man that contemplates the possibility of leaving a clone to live with his family when he's gone. The premise is cool and all, but the execution is poor. The philosophical, ethical, and moral questions that the protagonist's decision convey are far from being explored here. Apart from Ali, the only other interesting character is his wife, played by Naomie Harris. Glenn Close and Awkwafina are completely irrelevant. The film tries to go into 'Blade Runner' — there's even an origami moment! — and 'Ex-Machina' territory, but it all just stays on the surface. Like 'Finch' and 'Foundation', the recent sci-fi Apple projects pretend to ask difficult questions about being human, but almost everything in them looks fake and very calculated. Hope they would take more risks in the future.
Dec 19, 2021
3
(Mauro Lanari)
A scifi moral dilemma cannot be a thought-provoking drama, precisely because it belongs to a too distant future that most likely none of us will have the opportunity to live. So it's a functional film to redirect our attention away from the real problems here and now, or here and since ever, and that's one of the primary purposes of the multinationals (in this case Apple) that produce such diversions. And the extent of their appreciation indicates the degree of effectiveness of this strategy. By the way: if I really had a clone, I would try to see if we can be useful to understand each other better, "Swang Song" has some moments like that and they are the only exciting ones. Ps: Radiohead once again in the score and always with the same two tracks?
Production Company:
- Anonymous Content
- Apple
- Concordia Studio
- Know Wonder
Release Date:Dec 17, 2021
Duration:1 h 56 m
Rating:R
Awards
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Nomination
Irish Film and Television Awards
• 1 Win & 6 Nominations
Critics Choice Super Awards
• 2 Nominations
