40 Years Later: Swamp Thing

Director: Wes Craven
Starring: Ray Wise, Adrienne Barbeau, Louis Jourdan
Running time: 93 minutes

Despite being a worldwide icon in the horror world – thanks to both A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream – Wes Craven initially didn’t want to be a horror director. After directing his first film, the grim and sleazy exploitation flick The Last House on the Left, Craven wanted to move onto making dramas and comedies. Unsurprisingly, no one wanted to back these projects after he created such an incredibly bleak and violent debut. After releasing his next film, The Hills Have Eyes, he was cemented as being a “horror director” until he sadly passed away – but his desire to create something outside of horror can be felt deeply in his 1982 film, Swamp Thing. 

Sadly, we never really got the original vision that Craven had for this film due to it being absolutely plagued with production problems. Large parts of his script were removed, most notably in the second half; film financiers came on set and often watched everything meticulously; plus the film was under-budgeted, which meant that most of the cool effects that should’ve been added to the film were sadly just not there. Combining this with precarious weather conditions and dangerous swamp locusts made for a very troubled production.

Being based on a DC comic means that technically this film is actually a superhero movie, and while those elements are there, it definitely feels more like an action-adventure film with some classical Universal monster horror elements added into it. Craven is clearly taking deep influence from Creature of the Black Lagoon with the outrageously dated rubber suit, which in some ways actually looks worse in this film, but also Frankenstein in the way he positions the Swamp Thing as a tragic hero who has ultimately lost everything. 

Casting in this film is pretty excellent. Ray Wise, most known for Twin Peaks and one of the most underrated character actors ever, is technically the lead, however, once he becomes the creature a different actor takes over – which is disappointing given how strong of an actor he is. Adrienne Barbeau excellently plays the lead who is also the love interest for the titular Swamp Thing. Their chemistry really makes a lot of this film work, watching Barbeau work out who the swamp creature is and ultimately accept it is actually quite hard hitting emotionally. David Hess is also back with Craven after his utterly sadistic performance in Last House – granted, he is more toned down here, but he still plays a sleazy commando who seems to have no moral compass.

While Swamp Thing isn’t going to blow anyone's minds visually, there are some really beautiful compositions in this film, mostly ones of the Swamp Thing roaming the swamp or searching in buildings where the foggy light engulfs him. Craven makes full use of the locations, showcasing the luscious nature of the swamps and also featuring boat chases and exploding buildings. Unfortunately, it is let down by the incredibly generic soundtrack, which really misses the boat (no pun intended) on having some synthy immersive score and just has a pretty forgettable mesh of classical pieces. 

Ultimately, the film's biggest downfall is also sort of its greatest strength. It is incredibly messy and often feels a bit incoherent. While some people might be put off by this, some people will enjoy how silly it can get, especially when you consider it as just being a creature-feature B-movie. It is uncertain what elements of the script never made it into the full film, so judgment cannot be cast completely onto Craven, but the film's tonal changes do feel a bit jarring at times. Occasionally it has a goofy, almost Indiana Jones-style adventure atmosphere but then becomes a more melodramatic tragedy until it becomes a Fifties sci-fi film again. Thankfully, it does all of these aspects fairly well and the short running time of the film means that there is very little excess. However, it would have been interesting to see a more singular style of film – turning Swamp Thing into a Shakespearean tragedy is something that wouldn’t be surprising coming from Wes Craven. 

Even though it is often considered a minor piece of work in Craven’s extensive filmography, fans of the horror maestro will undoubtedly find something to enjoy with this one. Despite its flaws, it is never boring and can actually be very entertaining. Watching a man in a cheap looking rubber suit fuck up some commandos, Predator-style, by throwing them into swampy marshes is a great joy to watch. Plus the final showdown between the hero and villain is something that needs to be seen to be believed. 

Did you know? Adrienne Barbeau makes a cameo appearance in the 2019 Swamp Thing TV series.