Skip to content
MovieCove
A Bigger Splash

A Bigger Splash

We're all obscene.

2015125 minRMidcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Director
Luca Guadagnino
Starring
Tilda Swinton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Ralph Fiennes, Dakota Johnson

An American couple, Paul and Marianne, spend their vacation in Italy and experience trouble when Marianne invites a former lover and his teenage daughter to visit, which leads to jealousy and dangerous sexual scenarios.

Where to watch

Where can I watch A Bigger Splash?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists A Bigger Splash to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about A Bigger Splash?

A Bigger Splash earns 4 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Award Winner.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is A Bigger Splash worth watching?

A Bigger Splash's Midcredits score is the 61st percentile of all films, from 120K ratings across 6 sources. 53% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

61st percentile

Better received than 61% of films

62nd percentile among Drama62nd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)65th
Approval (how many liked it)56th

66 /100

65th percentile of all films

67th percentile among Drama65th percentile among 2010s

Critics 74 · Audience 65

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.4 — solid but not unanimous.

53% liked it

56th percentile of all films

55th percentile among Drama56th percentile among 2010s
53% rated it 7–1047% rated it 1–6

Critics 89% · Audience 58%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 2 wins / 16 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

95th percentile

120K ratings across platforms

96th percentile among Drama95th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 29% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$114K
Domestic gross$2M
Worldwide gross$7.5M

83rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A stylish, sun-drenched erotic drama with four attractive actors playing unpleasant mind games in an Italian villa.

Fans praised

  • Ralph Fiennes' electric, manic performance as Harry
  • Tilda Swinton's physical acting despite being nearly mute
  • Guadagnino's stylish direction and lush Italian visuals

Detractors panned

  • Pretentious, empty style over substance
  • Underwritten characters lacking depth
  • Slow, meandering pacing with no real narrative payoff

What stands out

ActingDivisive80

Fiennes delivers bravura manic energy; Swinton excels through silent physicality; Schoenaerts and Johnson solid but overshadowed

CinematographyDivisive70

Beautiful Italian landscapes and pool photography; some find flashy zooms meaningless

AtmosphereDivisive70

Sun-drenched Italian villa, sensual poolside tension; some find it pretentious

TensionDivisive45

Initial unease and character friction; fizzles without sustained suspense

CharactersDivisive35

Underwritten, annoying or opaque; Johnson's Penelope especially criticized as vague

Plot and storyDivisive35

Thin story that meanders; twist comes too late; predictable infidelity and violence

OriginalityDivisive35

Remake of La Piscine; familiar erotic thriller template; pretentious flourishes

PacingDivisive30

First hour praised but second half drags; boring stretches before late climax

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 12 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 9 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 7 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is A Bigger Splash like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

No single mood: browse every movie of this kindNo one kind of watch fits it, so it is described by how heavy it is.

Watch this when you want something serious and affecting.

It has a few laughs and leaves you unsettled.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Moods
TenseBittersweet
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
PlayfulBrooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film begins as a playful, almost farcical intrusion by Harry, but gradually shifts to a brooding and tense psychological thriller.
The rideThe film likely builds tension as the visit disrupts the vacation, with emotional weight accumulating toward the end.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically but includes brief flashbacks to the past, revealing character histories.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

UnsettlingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's blend of playful humor and sudden violence leaves an unsettling aftertaste, with memories of the doomed romance lingering.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% (this title) · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Doomed love: Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).

9% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe film's tension arises from the intrusion of a former lover into a recovering couple's retreat, driving a rivalry that ends in tragedy.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfRomanticlove
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% (this title) · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Romantic love · 15% of filmsFriendship · 9% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the tensions within a romantic partnership when an old friendship re-enters the picture, testing loyalty and desire.
StanceThe film likely observes the emotional dynamics without a clear moral judgment, focusing on the personal consequences.

The world

ContemporaryRuralRealistic
RockSupportive music · hybrid
SettingA remote Italian island or coastal town where the rock star retreats.
MusicGiven the rock star protagonist, music likely features diegetically, with an original score under the drama.

Content guide

Is A Bigger Splash okay for kids?

R

A Bigger Splash is rated R: “Rated R for graphic nudity, some strong sexual content, language and brief drug use” (MPAA). As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (41/100), sexual content at intense (68/100), language at intense (64/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (54/100) and frightening material at moderate (39/100). Overall it is heavier than 33% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 20 other countries
  • UK15
  • CanadaR
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland15
  • JapanPG12
  • South Korea19
  • Czechia18+
  • Denmark11
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceΚ-15
  • Hungary16
  • IndiaA
  • ItalyT
  • Netherlands18
  • Norway15
  • RO15
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 58% of all filmsHeavier than 33% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 21%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 85%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 46%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 69%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 23%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is sexual content and language. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does A Bigger Splash have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in A Bigger Splash?

Cast

At least 3 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Tilda Swinton
as Marianne Lane
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Matthias Schoenaerts
as Paul De Smedt
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ralph Fiennes
as Harry Hawkes
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Dakota Johnson
as Penelope Lannier
Corrado Guzzanti
as Maresciallo
David Maddalena
as Carabiniere 2
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Salvatore Gabriele
as Mayor
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Livio Franco Blandino
as Restaurant Owner
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Aurore Clément
as Mireille
Lily McMenamy
as Sylvie

Crew

More like this

What are movies like A Bigger Splash?

Movies like A Bigger Splash include The Swimming Pool (1969), Call Me by Your Name (2017) and Welcome Home (2018). Of the 12 closest matches, several are stories about rivals, and several are films set in Italy.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Luca Guadagnino directed 3 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with A Bigger Splash?

1.7K other films share the rarest tag below, up against: tycoon. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.