Swallowed

Heading off to Los Angeles Benjamin (Cooper Koch) for what he hopes will be a successful career as a gay porn star, he’s having a farewell drink with straight mate Dom (Jose Colon). Thinking he can get some easy money for Benjamin, Dom has got himself involved in what looks like drugs trafficking operation through his cousin.

Meeting up with their contact Alice (Jena Malone) the pair find out that they are to be mules and at gunpoint they swallow the packets. The instructions are clear get through the border and to the meeting point. When it comes to the retrieving the packet there are strict instructions on how to look after them and don’t let them break inside you.

With Dom becoming ill they stop off for a break where their supposedly gay actions annoy a redneck who punches Dom and then slashes their tyres. With Dom now very ill, Benjamin calls Alice and the police. Getting there first Alice says she’ll take them to the hospital but first they have to get the packages out or there’s no money.

On arriving at an isolated cabin Alice at gunpoint instructs Benjamin to get the packets, holding a tub of lube and homophobic language. Matters are complicated when the boss Rich (Mark Patton) turns up looking for his merchandise and taking a fancy to Benjamin.

This low budget horror written and directed by Carter Smith is not bad at all. It holds back on over the top body horror – for which there is plenty of potential – while revelling in the discomfort of both the protagonists and the viewer. There’s not much in the way of character making the viewer to decide quite quickly which side they are on. Though to be fair there’s a change of events towards the middle that may shift sympathies though not towards Rich who is played with camp pleasure by Patton. There’s an unashamedly gay bias throughout the film that dabbles with some stereotypes – positive and not but also that friendship transcends gender politics.