The Girl in the Pool

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The Girl in the Pool
The Girl in the Pool.jpg
Poster
Directed byDakota Gorman
Written byJackson Reid Williams
Produced byLarry Greenberg
German Michael Torres
RJ Collins
Eric Brenner
Starring Freddie Prinze Jr.
Monica Potter
Kevin Pollak
CinematographyAlonso Homs
Edited byRob Bonz
Music byAdam Bosarge
Distributed by Quiver Distribution
Release date
  • July 26, 2024 (2024-07-26)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Girl in the Pool is a 2024 American mystery thriller drama film written by Jackson Reid Williams, directed by Dakota Gorman and starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Monica Potter and Kevin Pollak. [1]

Contents

Plot

Thomas (Freddie Prinze Jr.) is a suburban husband and father living a seemingly perfect life with his wife Kristen (Monica Potter) and their two adult children, Alex and Rose. On his birthday, Thomas invites his much younger mistress, Hannah (Gabrielle Haugh), to his home while his family is away.

During their time by the pool, Thomas is momentarily distracted by a neighbor’s drone hovering nearby. When he returns his attention to the pool, he finds Hannah floating lifeless in the water. In a panic, he pulls her body from the pool and hides it in a storage bin near the deck.

Moments later, Kristen and the children arrive to throw Thomas a surprise birthday party. As guests begin to gather, including Thomas’s father-in-law William (Kevin Pollak) and Hannah’s husband Kevin, Thomas struggles to maintain his composure and keep the body hidden.

Throughout the party, flashbacks gradually reveal that it was Alex who killed Hannah. He had returned home unexpectedly, discovered the affair, and, overwhelmed with rage, struck Hannah with a blunt object. Thomas discovered the body and decided to cover up the crime to protect his son.

As tensions rise and suspicions grow—especially from William—Thomas is forced to confront the consequences of his actions. In the end, Alex confesses, but Thomas takes responsibility, choosing to shield his son from the fallout. The film ends with Thomas being taken away by the police, leaving the family to deal with the emotional aftermath.

Cast

Release

The film was released on July 26, 2024. [2] [3] [4] [5]  

Reception

The film has a 43% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on seven reviews. [6] Marya E. Gates of RogerEbert.com awarded the film two and a half stars out of four. [7] Tyler Doupe of Dread Central awarded the film 2.75 stars out of five. [8]

Courtney Howard of Variety gave the film a positive review and wrote, "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." [9]

References

  1. Navarro, Meagan (February 8, 2024). "'The Girl in the Pool' – Freddie Prinze Jr Thriller Gets First Look Image". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  2. Hamman, Cody (July 3, 2024). "The Girl in the Pool trailer: Freddie Prinze Jr. thriller gets a July release". JoBlo.com. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  3. Mack, Anthony (July 25, 2024). "THE GIRL IN THE POOL Exclusive Clip: Freddie Prinze Jr. Goes Off The Deep End in Thriller". ScreenAnarchy. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  4. Dela Paz, Maggie (June 24, 2024). "Freddie Prinze Jr. & Monica Potter Reunite in The Girl in the Pool Trailer". Comingsoon.net. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  5. Treese, Tyler (July 25, 2024). "The Girl in the Pool Interview: Stars Freddie Prinze Jr. & Monica Potter". Comingsoon.net. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  6. "The Girl in the Pool". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on September 22, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  7. Gates, Marya E. (July 26, 2024). "The Girl in the Pool". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  8. Doupe, Tyler (July 30, 2024). "'The Girl in the Pool' Review: If Hitchcock's 'Rope' Was a Lifetime Original". Dread Central. Archived from the original on August 11, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  9. Howard, Courtney (July 26, 2024). "'The Girl in the Pool' Review: Freddie Prinze Jr. Tries to Hide His Mistress' Corpse in a Schlocky Thriller With More Laughs Than Suspense". Variety. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.