‘Nyad’ reviews: ‘Heartfelt, empowering and inspirational’ film anchored by ‘bravura performances’ from Annette Bening and Jodie Foster

Vincent Mandile
·5 min read
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On October 20, 2023, “Nyad” received a limited theatrical release from Netflix before it hits the streamer November 3. It tells the remarkable true story of athlete Diana Nyad (played by Oscar nominee Annette Bening) who, at the age of 60 and with the help of her best friend and coach Bonnie Stoll (played by Oscar winner Jodie Foster), commits to achieving her life-long dream: a 110-mile open ocean swim from Cuba to Florida.

Since premiering at the 50th Telluride Film Festival in September, the film has charmed critics to an 82% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics consensus reads, “’Nyad’ is an uplifting sports biopic strictly on the merits of its story, but it’s the outstanding performances from Annette Bening and Jodie Foster that really keep this picture afloat.” The film was directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, with a script by Julia Cox.The ensemble cast includes Rhys Ifans, Karly Rothenberg and Jeena Yi. Read our full review round-up below.

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Peter Debruge of Variety says, “Audiences want to see Diana Nyad succeed, but the pleasure of the experience comes from watching actors become these characters.” The critic continues, “Considering Vasarhelyi and Chin’s documentary background, it’s perhaps not surprising that the duo intercuts a hefty amount of archival footage with the action, including TV appearances in which we see how well Bening channels the real Diana’s unflappable confidence. Still, it’s the private glimpses of vulnerability that make ‘Nyad’ so effective, along with the personal scenes between Diana and Bonnie — dramatized moments when no cameras were present in the real world.”

Tara Brady of Irish Times writes, “Forget the tiresome quibbles about the real-life athlete’s self-aggrandizement. Working from Julia Cox’s agreeably prickly script, the Oscar-winning filmmakers revel in Nyad’s reputation as a thundering wagon.” Adding, “If the plot of ‘Nyad’ isn’t Oscar-baiting enough – a 60-year-old swimmer comes out of retirement to swim from Cuba to Miami – the trinity of turns from Bening, Jodie Foster and Rhys Ifans seals the deal. Foster twinkles as Bonnie Stoll, former lover, lifelong BF and eventual coach to Nyad as she sets out to realize her dream of becoming the first person to swim 180km in choppy, shark-infested waters.”

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Avi Offer of NYC Movie Guru praises the film, stating, “A heartfelt, empowering and inspirational emotional journey anchored by Annette Bening and Jodie Foster’s bravura performances.” Offer adds, “There’s too little information about how Diana and Bonnie became friends, although Diana explains to a stranger at a party that they had briefly dated years ago. Meanwhile, Diana has flashbacks to a traumatic event from her childhood which she hasn’t overcome yet, but what precisely happened back then isn’t revealed until much later in the film. By the end, though, it’s still underexplored and sugar-coated in favor of keeping the film more light and upbeat. What makes Diana compelling as a character and more human concurrently is that she’s somewhat of a narcissist with a huge ego who loves to talk about herself and has a one-track mind.”

Steven Prokopy of Third Coast Review notes, “Bening seems born to play this role, she captures Nyad’s stubbornness and determination effortlessly. It’s a wonderfully moving and inspiring piece of storytelling, and for so many reasons, I hope the filmmakers continue down the narrative avenue.” Concluding, “In the end, the film is one of the best sports movies I’ve seen in a very long time, partly because it isn’t really a sports movie; it’s a story about friendship, resilience, and the idea that you’re only as old as you feel (even if, by the end of this swim, Nyad felt completely swollen from being in salt water for two days and nights). Written by Julia Cox and based on Diana’s own written accounts of the experience, ‘Nyad’ (the person and the film) would only be half as good without Foster, who is an energetic bundle of encouragement and sensibility, making the tough calls to end certain attempts when Nyad thinks she’s ready to keep going, never allowing the goal to take precedence over human life. I also loved that Diana and Bonnie are openly lesbian characters, and no one in the film gives a damn.”

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