Swallow The Universe (2022) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)

Swallow The Universe is pure “What The F***” as it tells the story about a young person fighting off gods and animals who want their face.

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Director(s)	Nieto
Screenplay By	Nieto
Date Released	1/20/2022
Where To Watch	Film Festival (Sundance Film festival)
Genre(s)	Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Horror, Animation, Non-English (Japanese)
Duration	12 Minutes
Content Rating	Not Rated

Film Summary

After a tragic accident that led to their father’s death, Emiko finds themselves capable of immense powers due to two of their teeth and finds themselves hunted by a litany of animals for their face.

Other Noteworthy Information

• Reason(s) for Film Rating: Graphic imagery, cursing, sexual content (Potential forced sodomy)

Review

Highlights

If You Enjoy Intense, Borderline Gross Anime, You’ll Love This

The visuals of Swallow The Universe are mesmerizing to the point of being so drawn in by what’s happening, the story will become secondary to you. For as faces are ripped apart, you see battle scenes, a weird frog, and an evil tortoise and are likely to get so lost in the visuals that the tiny subtitles will feel like a distraction. Especially as you watch a multitude of moments that you simply can’t take your eyes off of.

On The Fence

You May Have To Double Back To Follow The Story

But, even if you do read the subtitles, you may feel like the story doesn’t match the energy of the visuals. In fact, if you miss the first few minutes, it is easy to feel like you are completely lost about why this is happening and what’s going on. I’d even say, even with seeing the first few minutes, Swallow The Universe treats its story almost as an obligation more than a vehicle. Similar to how an action movie has dialog to fill in the gaps between grandeur sequences.

Overall

Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive)

While overstimulating at times, Swallow The Universe is a strange example of the story in an animated production being secondary. Which might be fine for some as you watch Emiko go through one battle after another. However, once the high of seeing such gruesome and sometimes gross scenes fade away, you’re not left with much, or anything at all really, to remember about this shot.

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