Universal, in collaboration with Blumhouse and co-producer James Wan, plunged audiences into a chilling Night Swim, marking the horror genre’s inaugural theatrical release of the new year under the direction of Bryce McGuire. But was it a splash or a dive for the horror enthusiasts?

Debuting across 3,250 theaters in the United States, Night Swim made waves with a domestic opening of $12 million and a global debut of $17.6 million, beckoning the question: was it a strong start for the genre?

Breaking down the figures, here’s the day-to-day performance in the U.S.:

– Friday, January 5: $5,250,000
– Saturday, January 6: $4,180,000
– Sunday, January 7: $2,570,000

Comparatively, last year’s Blumhouse release, M3GAN, made an impressive $30 million domestically during its January debut. However, expectations weren’t as lofty for Night Swim, despite the positive track record of recent Blumhouse releases such as Five Nights at Freddy’s ($80 million), The Exorcist: Believer ($26 million), and Insidious: The Red Door ($33 million).

The silver lining for Night Swim lies in its budget of just $15 million, indicating that it needs to generate approximately $40 million to break even. But on the downside, critical reception hasn’t been as favorable. Meagan Navarro’s review for Bloody Disgusting noted McGuire’s expanded feature from the 2014 short film might feel familiar, pointing out a blend of familiar tropes and a somewhat simplistic mythology that could potentially dampen its impact.

Based on a lauded 2014 short by Rod Blackhurst and Bryce McGuire, Night Swim stars Wyatt Russell as Ray Waller, a former baseball star grappling with a degenerative illness. The narrative centers on Ray’s family – his concerned wife Eve (played by Kerry Condon), teenage daughter Izzy (Amélie Hoeferle), and young son Elliot (Gavin Warren) – as they move into a new home housing a shimmering backyard pool that holds a sinister secret, leading to a menacing force dragging them into the abyss of terror.

Bryce McGuire, the film’s writer and director, helms this unnerving tale, with James Wan and Jason Blum as producers. Wan, renowned for the Saw and Conjuring franchises, co-produced alongside Blum, known for the Halloween films and The Invisible Man. Michael Clear, Judson Scott, and Ryan Turek serve as executive producers for Atomic Monster and Blumhouse, respectively.