Movie review
September 8, 2022 · 134 min · PG-13
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Biographical drama following two Syrian sisters, Yusra and Sara Mardini, who flee civil war in Damascus, survive a perilous refugee journey across the Mediterranean using their swimming skills, and reach Germany where Yusra pursues her Olympic dream with the Refugee Team. The narrative focuses on their sisterhood, determination, and survival amid hardship. Refugee perseverance and female ambition recur as visible themes in the personal story.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Swimmers.
Woke representation / casting
Natural casting of Arab actresses as Syrian sisters with no mismatch to the story world.
Woke political dialogue
No explicit activist or ideological speeches; narrative stays personal and event-driven.
Identity-driven story themes
Refugee sisters' perseverance and female ambition recur visibly in the narrative.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Factual depiction of Syrian war and refugee hardships with no modern activist framing of Western systems, patriarchy, or identity politics.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant
Production
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No major backlash claiming the title is too woke; fringe mentions only.
Creator track record context
Director and writer have pattern of identity, marginalization, and pro-refugee advocacy work aligning with the film's themes.
