2022's Psycho Swim Instructor is about as low budget a thriller as I've seen on Lifetime Television. I mean you can literally count the shooting locations on one hand (rehab center, indoor pool, house, other house, outdoor pool). Hey I'm not saying it's a bad thing but boy is it noticeable. These locations feel soundstage-free as the producers probably paid the actual tenants to use said locations.

So yeah, Psycho Swim Instructor is pretty unambiguous. I mean it is about a cray cray swim instructor and in terms of movie titles, that's how Lifetime rolls. Except for one scene where a family member's body is completely gotten rid of by the use of hydrochloric acid (there's a new one), "Swim" is formulaic as water is wet (ha ha). It's as if "Swim's" director (veteran Doug Campbell) watched a bunch of past Lifetimer-s, took some memos, and proceeded to shoot the flick on a weekend. The only obligatory thing missing from Psycho Swim Instructor is that annoying best bud who's always in the ear of the vulnerable protagonist. I'm actually okay with that omission.

Psycho Swim Instructor checks all the Lifetime movie boxes. It's par for the course. You have the shocking opening sequence that the filmmakers come back to in the last twenty minutes (check). You have the remorseless nature of the baddie that's established in the first five (check). You have the dad character who is oblivious to the sneaky wrongdoings of the female who's mentally screwed (check). You have the happy ending that bypasses all the legal ramifications (check it). Finally, you have that LA, suburbanite setting with a couple of aerial shots of actual downtown (check yo self).

Minus a thumping amount of in the cards stuff, "Swim" is well-plotted, not too campy, and goes down easy if your mission is to kill 85 minutes on a Saturday afternoon. But if it's freshness dating you're looking for in 2022, Psycho Swim Instructor is more or less a weak "pedagogue".

Well that wasn't what I expected.

I expected a cheesey thriller, but got a rather thrilling thriller.

Good acting, good story. Good directing.

The lead psychopath was very well played. I'd avoid her in the street if I saw her haha.

I'll not be watching it again, but I enjoyed watching it.

It was a play it by numbers movie that was done well.

But what's with the title?

I noted that the director has form of terrible film titles, that would be a put off to anyone who appreciates a good film, but don't let it stop you watching this.

I'll be trying another of his films on the basis of watching this.

Sabrina Jameson was a kid with a dream. She was a talented swimmer with visions of the summer Olympics. But she also had a daddy fixation that landed her in trouble when older men grew tired of her neediness. After setting her sights on her coach and getting rejected, Coach Sharky nearly slept with the fishes. Now, Sabrina finds a new target in a good family man named Parker Scott.

When Sabrina's mother recognized that her daughter was obsessing, she told her, "You're doing it again, Sabrina." That was the end of Mrs. Jameson, who made a quick exit from the film at the bottom of the bathtub.

Water figures prominently in the film. In addition to Coach Sharky and Sabrina's mother, Donna Dorn, an Olympic medalist, is hired by Parker Scott to coach his young daughter, Ashley. Eventually, Donna will be sleeping with the fishes.

There was a clever and compelling action in Sabrina's ability to worm her way into the life of Parker Scott, through appealing to little Ashley. Sabrina is a caring swimming instructor, and young Ashley responds well to her instruction. But Sabrina must face a greater obstacle in eliminating her rival, Ellen Scott, from the picture.

The film's ending was a little too pat and contrived. Ellen escapes from her rehab center to meet with Coach Sharky. Then, her memory suddenly returns to reveal that she had eaten the poisoned cookie prepared by her nemesis. She then arrives on cue to save the life of her philandering husband, who was unfaithful to her and at least contemplated momentarily that Sabrina might become the next Mrs. Parker Scott.

Sabrina had a pipe dream of going for the gold. But it appears she must settle for the color orange, as she will likely be sporting an orange jumpsuit for many years.