Night Swim ending explained

Haunted pool flick Night Swim’s ending is overflowing with scares and payoffs, so here’s a round-up of everything that goes down.

Written and directed by Bryce McGuire, Night Swim chronicles the Waller family’s efforts to fend off the supernatural presence lurking within their backyard watering hole.

It culminates in an action-packed finale complete with ghouls, possessions, and baseball bat beatings. Lives – and quite possibly even souls – are on the line in these closing moments.

With so much going on, you’d be forgiven for getting lost – so read on for a full rundown of Night Swim’s ending. Warning: Major spoilers to follow…

Night Swim ending explained

Night Swim ends with Ray Waller (Wyatt Russell) sacrificing his life to save his son, Elliot (Gavin Warren).

Ironically, this comes after Ray spends most of Night Swim’s climactic set piece helping the malevolent Deep Waters entity kill Elliot. Fully possessed by the Deep Waters, Ray prevents Elliot’s already injured sister, Izzy (Amélie Hoeferle), from going for help after Elliot is lured into the pool.

Fortunately, Elliot’s mother, Eve (Kerry Condon) manages to wrap a hose around herself and dive in after Elliot. Once beneath the surface, she encounters a swarm of ghouls who attempt to drown her. Eve breaks free, but she can’t find the way back.

That’s when Rebecca – a past victim of the Deep Waters, but not corrupted like her fellow apparitions – appears. Rebecca produces a smiley face-inscribed coin that Ray gave Elliot earlier on in Night Swim, using it to guide Eve in the right direction.

Eve makes it back to dry land, however, Elliot isn’t breathing. She tries administering CPR, only for Ray to attack her, hoisting her off the ground one-handed. Husband very nearly kills wife, until Izzy shows up and whales on Ray with one of his old Major League Baseball bats.

This battering breaks the Deep Waters’ hold over Ray, and Elliot starts coming around – and then the pool begins filling with a sinister black substance. Seeing the gross goop, Ray realizes the Deep Waters won’t rest until it claims a life.

He enters the pool and vanishes into the murky cloud spreading within, presumably becoming yet another of the Deep Waters’ wraiths.

What happens to the pool in Night Swim?

With the Wallers’ debt to the Deep Waters paid, the pool reverts to normal, and Eve, Izzy, and Elliot are free from its evil influence. Even so, just before Night Swim’s end credits roll, they fill in the pool.

In doing so, they protect not only themselves but also the house’s future occupants from further Deep Waters attacks. And just to make sure, they opt to stay in the house to keep watch, as well.

There’s another, more personal reason that Eve, Izzy, and Elliot choose to stick around, though: it keeps them close to Ray. Given his spirit is seemingly trapped within the natural spring that once filled the pool, Ray will remain forever bound to the property – as will those who love him.

There you have it: Night Swim’s ending explained. For all the latest TV and movie news and updates, check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.