Swallow 2020

Two friends, Benjamin and Dom, are enjoying their final evening together in a quaint town in Maine before Ben embarks on a new chapter of his life as a gay porn star in Los Angeles. In a gesture of profound friendship and unspoken love, Dom, who harbors deep feelings for Ben, offers to take him to pick up a unique going-away present that will help set up Ben’s new life. However, this present comes with unexpected complications. To gather some extra cash, Dom has agreed to transport drugs into Canada, a decision that will soon spiral into chaos.

Upon meeting their contact, Alice, they receive an alarming package: five condoms filled with an unknown substance. Alice insists that Dom must swallow them all; when he hesitates, she threatens him at gunpoint, forcing him to swallow four and making Ben take the fifth. Their journey takes a dark turn when they are instructed to notify Alice once the substances are out of their systems.

After crossing the border, the tension escalates at a rest stop where Dom struggles to expel the packages. Suddenly, a homophobic redneck named Randy confronts Ben, only for Dom to intervene on his behalf. In a fit of aggression, Randy assaults Dom and vandalizes their vehicle as he leaves. Although Dom appears okay at first, he quickly succumbs to intense stomach pains, leading to a desperate attempt to expel one of the packages—only to discover something alive within. As Dom starts to lose feeling in his legs and suffers an unexpected physiological reaction, Ben is forced to call for help, only to find their situation complicated when Alice shows up unexpectedly and pressures Ben to hang up.

Alice takes the duo to a remote cabin owned by her boss, Rich, claiming it’s the best place to deal with their predicament. However, things go awry when Rich arrives and is immediately intrigued by Ben, leading to a precarious confrontation. Tensions rise when Dom demands compensation, causing Rich to violently assert control over the situation. As Ben works to extract the remaining packets from Dom, who is in excruciating pain, Rich’s reaction becomes irrationally aggressive after one condom breaks, leaving the insidious larvae inside Dom.

When Dom tragically loses consciousness, Alice’s guilt surfaces as she grapples with the consequences of their actions. However, a violent confrontation ensues between her and Rich, further complicating matters. In a moment of desperation, Ben musters his courage to rescue Dom, but fate takes a cruel turn.

After a chaotic exchange and harrowing escape attempt, Ben finds himself grappling with grief and vengeance. He manages to turn the tables on Rich, delivering a stunning blow and freeing himself from the horror of the situation. With adrenaline coursing through him, Ben washes Dom’s lifeless body in a river, embodying the pain of loss and the struggle against a world that has exploited their bond.

In a haunting conclusion, Ben confronts the darkness of his reality and the choices made. As the credits roll, we see him at a fictional awards ceremony—a painful juxtaposition of triumph and tragedy—where he reflects on the journey with gratitude for “all the people who believed in me.”