Swan Song (2021 Benjamin Cleary film)

Last updated
Swan Song
Swan Song (2021 Benjamin Cleary film).jpg
Release poster
Directed by Benjamin Cleary
Written byBenjamin Cleary
Produced by
  • Mahershala Ali
  • Rebecca Bourke
  • Jonathan King
  • Jacob Perlin
  • Adam Shulman
  • Mimi Valdés
Starring
Cinematography Masanobu Takayanagi
Edited by Nathan Nugent
Music byJay Wadley
Production
companies
Distributed by Apple TV+
Release date
  • December 17, 2021 (2021-12-17)
Running time
112 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Swan Song is a 2021 American science fiction romantic drama film written and directed by Benjamin Cleary. The film stars Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Awkwafina, Glenn Close, and Adam Beach.

Contents

Swan Song was released in select theaters and on Apple TV+ on December 17, 2021. The film received generally positive reviews from critics.

Plot

When a loving husband and father Cameron Turner is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he is presented with the option of sparing his family grief by having him replaced with a clone. Turner is torn about whether to discuss the option with his wife.

Cast

Production

In February 2020, Apple TV+ announced it had acquired the rights to the film, to be written and directed by Benjamin Cleary and star Mahershala Ali. [1] In September, Naomie Harris joined the cast, [2] and Awkwafina and Glenn Close signed on in November. [3] [4] Adam Beach announced he was added to the cast in December. [5]

Principal photography began on November 9, 2020 in Vancouver, Canada [6] [7] and concluded on February 6, 2021. [8] The film was released on December 17, 2021. [9]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 79% of 100 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.5/10.The website's consensus reads: "Swan Song occasionally strays on the wrong side of maudlin, but Mahershala Ali's work in dual roles lends this sci-fi drama genuine heart." [10] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [11]

Accolades

CeremonyCategoryRecipient(s)/Nominee(s)ResultsRef.
22nd Black Reel Awards Outstanding Actor Mahershala Ali Nominated [12] [13]
75th British Academy Film Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated
2nd Critics' Choice Super Awards Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy MovieNominated
Best Science Fiction/Fantasy MovieNominated
79th Golden Globe Awards Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Mahershala AliNominated [12] [13]
18th Irish Film & Television Awards Best FilmNominated [14]
Best Director Benjamin Cleary Nominated
Best ScriptNominated
Best Editing Nathan Nugent Nominated
Best SoundSteve FanaganWon
Best VFXEd Bruce & Manuel MartinezNominated
Rising StarBenjamin ClearyNominated [15]
53rd NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Mahershala AliNominated [12] [13]

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References

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  2. "Naomie Harris Joins Mahershala Ali In Apple Original Film 'Swan Song'". Archived from the original on 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  3. Kroll, Justin (November 18, 2020). "Awkwafina Joins Mahershala Ali And Naomie Harris In Apple Pic 'Swan Song'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  4. Welk, Brian (November 19, 2020). "Glenn Close Joins Mahershala Ali in 'Swan Song' for Apple TV+". TheWrap . Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  5. Beach, Adam [@adamruebenbeach] (December 1, 2020). "Honored to be in this one 🎬 t.co/sSvEn3dcug" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021 via Twitter.
  6. "Swan Song Production Start Date". Archived from the original on 2020-10-31. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  7. Hollywood North Buzz - YVRShoots [@yvrshoots] (November 26, 2020). "It's Apple original movie #SwanSong with Mahershala Ali filming in an East Vancouver neighbourhood. Thanks @viidub, @R_Aravern & @wiebeypie. t.co/SmBcQnZpCT" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021 via Twitter.
  8. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-04-09. Retrieved 2021-01-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 13, 2021). "Apple Bites Into Oscar Season December 17: Here's First Images Of Swan Song With Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Glenn Close & Awkwafina". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 17, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  10. "Swan Song". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  11. "Swan Song". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  12. 1 2 3 Lattanzio, Ryan (13 December 2021). "2022 Golden Globe Nominations: 'Licorice Pizza,' 'Squid Game,' 'West Side Story,' and More". IndieWire . Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
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