NYAD – The Swimmer’s Tale Comes to Life on Netflix!

NYAD is directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. The film stars Annette Benning, Rhys Ifans, and Jodie Foster.

Over the decades, famed swimmer Diana Nyad made a name for herself with many swimming records across great times and distances, but was long haunted by her inability to complete a swim from Cuba to Southern Florida. Several decades later, in her 60s, Nyad once again sets out to complete her personal goal, much to both the delight and chagrin of those around her, including longtime best friend Bonnie Stoll.

Movies about chasing your dreams are a dime a dozen. And while NYAD certainly falls under this umbrella and isn’t exactly anything revolutionary, it’s sold by the strong performances and chemistry of its leads. The movie looks good and has a lot to say, perhaps driving its point home a bit too hard, but the good outweighs the bad in this true story brought to life in a Netflic biopic.

Diana Nyad is certainly a larger-than-life figure, and Annette Benning does a great job bringing her to life on screen. Stubborn and unflinching when it comes to accomplishing her lifelong goals and dreams, Benning’s performance is a fantastic one. The chemistry she shares with best friend Bonnie Stoll, portayed by Jodie Foster, is certainly the film’s most interesting. You truly believe that these two are lifelong friends who love one another but who certainly lose their patience with each other on more than a few occasions. The supporting cast is just as appealing, including Rhys Ifans as a boat captain who join’s Nyad’s team.

The movie also does a great job painting a picture of these surroundings and the circumstances at hand. Endless expanses of blue ocean water never feel boring or tiresome thanks to the efforts of cinematographer Claudio Miranda, who always manages to find a way to may even the most mundane of locations look interesting. We even learn plenty about the process and the legalities involved in Nyad’s swims, which further helps to set the scene and what our aging heroine must endure. Seeing the experience from both a personal and a popular/cultural perspective gives us an interesting look at it all.

This moviegoer also appreciated the fact that the movie isn’t afraid to show Nyad occasionally coming up short. While revered as a successful figure and fantastic swimmer, the film does show shortcomings and failed attempts, which just serve as further motivational fuel for Nyad to come back and do her best next time. Thankfully, this approach is one that keeps the audience engaged.

That said, NYAD does come up short in a few areas despite being mostly successful. The movie never quite fully explores her troubled past, which is only eluded to in brief flashbacks and dialogue; this stuff could practically be its own film. While I do appreciate a tale with the motto that it’s never too later to chase one’s dreams, the movie does perhaps try to beat its point home a bit too much, and the end result is maybe 10-15 minutes longer than it needs to be. Fortunately, the good outweighs the bad.

NYAD is a solid biopic driven by its performances and beautiful cinematography. It’s a fantastic Netflix film that transcends its direct-to-streaming origins, and it’s sure to impress its audience. Recommended.