The Girl in the Pool

This is a ridiculous and spectacularly schlocky film – but the fact that it (or at the very least some of the actors) knows it’s silly adds a degree of entertainment.

Regardless of whether we’re supposed to chuckle at our hero’s crumbling sanity or empathize with his strife, it’s empty-calorie viewing designed for viewers to either mock or embrace its hijinks.

What could have been a deliciously dark satire, instead remains in the liminal space known as aggressively average.

The red herrings don’t net much of anything, except making us realize that Prinze Jr. and Potter deserve better than this.

Schlock.

Adding in Kevin Pollak for flavour is a definite plus, but just not enough to make The Girl in the Pool more than a dry and by-the-numbers murder mystery.

Too many sub-stories muddy the waters, making The Girl in the Pool a murky, but still entertaining, return for Freddie Prinze Jr.



More a stage play than a film.

The Girl in the Pool is bad, but bad in a fun sort of way. I’m not saying, “It’s so bad it’s good,” but director Dakota Gorman has accidentally found her way into getting something workable.

If ever a film leaned into being so bad it’s good, this is certainly a contender.