A sharp, introspective style — relying on disturbing ambient sounds, changing color gradients and consistent shifts to Dre's first-person perspective — allows for the audience to have a way in. And Fishback's performance, mysterious and unsettling while also tapping into measures of deep pain and sadness, completes the picture.
It’s the tension between the show’s satirical elements and what it tries to achieve outside of them that makes it so engaging.
Fishback's work channels the same way those characters have revealed the ids of their time period and left an unforgettable mark. Every pop culture movement creates its own killer. "Swarm" is just getting in formation.
The “Swarm” finale may not satisfy all viewers – it’s somewhat open to interpretation and not concrete – but it is a fitting finale to easily one of the year’s best, most outrageous series.
It’s a spellbinding horror story about our fascination with celebrities and the loneliness and isolation many feel when they are stuck on the outside of a star’s inner circle. ... Expect Fishback to be collecting awards for her take-no-prisoners performance.
Seven episodes is maybe one more than we needed, and the finale runs out of steam. Episode 6, “Fallin Through the Cracks,” will certainly have its fans, though its loose construction needed further refinement to better justify such blunt (but effective!) choices. Still, with Fishback a riveting constant, well-deployed gallows humor, and more to the story than meets the eye, the buzz around “Swarm” is worth hearing out.
A spectacular showcase for Fishback. ... The only true misstep comes in the back half of the season, which features a big stylistic swing that not only fails, but manages to break the morbid trance the show spends so much time earning. ... That one miscalculation aside, “Swarm” is a trip worth taking.
Glover and Nabers have crafted a production that looks past the fan and shows the heavily-damaged person behind her, but without trying to make her likable or justifiable. I binged the season almost without break, and I'm sure a lot of others are going to do that too.
Donald Glover proves he can do horror too with Swarm, anchored by a dazzling lead performance from Dominique Fishback.
Fishback rarely plays into the laughs the character’s absurd psychosis generates. She’s a frightening, wounded core around which the show’s snarling satire of media madness swirls. Dre’s also a deceptively blank slate for both a condescending Black community and clueless white people to project their misunderstandings onto, often hilariously.
Overhyped and underwritten, Swarm follows a moron (Dre) as she stumbles her way through the commission of several murders. It claims to be a satire, though it is unclear what it is attempting to satirize. It would appear to want to be a dark comedy, but it is rarely that funny. Perhaps it will find its stride in its second season. Though, hopefully, it will simply be put out to pasture before then. By which I mean, it will be taken for a ride to the glue factory.
Amazing show with amazing story and just vibe that is dark and ominous but also realistic and very entertaining
Swarm Swarm is a provocative, striking, unpleasant yet gripping satirical take on fans and Stan culture. Riding heavily on the brilliant portrayal of an obsessed fan by Dominique Fishback, Swarm will make you squirm, scream, and ultimately leave you wondering about how credibly the story will fit into real life. Dominique Fishback as Dre was as dedicated to her character as she could be, dishing out new layers to Dre with each episode. Billie Eilish, Chloe Bailey and Damson Idris also stun in their supporting and guest roles. Aesthetically brilliant and visually stunning, Swarm weaves through its horror and gory elements deftly. Swarm hits all the right notes, with great cinematography, direction and score, and the risks it takes all pay off.
Very surprised by this series. 'Swarm' portrays the obsessive compulsion of a woman in an original and gory way. Dominique Fishback is great. Loved the reality show meta episode. The clever narrative gives you something to think about regarding the relationship between fanatism and mental disorders.
An interesting portrait of obsession that touches on issues that should be questioned by people who suffer from the unhealthy mania of fanaticism that afflicts the main character and which in my view is one of the most significant things about its plot. Especially because of the trauma that triggers it. On the other hand, there is also a noticeable plot deadlock when the main character stops advancing. Every episode her situation changes, but she doesn't. She remains the same killer until the end of her more than ambiguous conclusion and therefore the story loses freshness and the focus becomes exhausted because you can only wait to see in the last episodes who she is going to kill and what was the reason that provoked her. It's worth a look. It's still interesting despite its flaws, but expectations should be lowered.
Despite the breathtaking performance delivered by Dominique Fishback as a deranged and misunderstood stan, Swarm suffers from a lust for all-encompassing inclusion when it comes to the subject matter.
2 things up front: 1. A "stan" is a super-obessive fan. 2. Donald Glover is the creator of this series (along with his Atlanta writer Janine Nabers). If you watched Glover's Fox series Atlanta, you know that his storytelling technique sometimes veers into different styles or subjects, often with a surreal edge. This new series stars Dominique Fishback as a stan who takes things to extremes in a very dark and unsettling way. It's virtually impossible to discuss this without a spoiler, so if you don't want to know more STOP READING. Turns out that this disturbed young woman determines to kill anyone who isn't a big fan of her beloved Beyoncé-type singer. Yes, she is a Black female serial killer. Fishback gives it her all, but the character doesn't get much depth to generate empathy (Billie Eilish does a nice job in her role). Being that Glover is involved, this isn't the usual serial killer series. Instead, it's a look at extreme fandom with abrupt violence and continual weirdness that's more upsetting than rewarding.
I hardly ever say this, but ignore the mixed critic's reviews. This show is so brilliant. It really shows us what happens when "stan" culture goes to far. And the producers don't hold back. They do, however let the audience down with the anti-climactic ending. Just unsatisfactory. For that reason, I give it a 6 instead of a 9.
Amazing start, very surprising and well written series. Great acting, music, script.
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