A Bigger Splash
Performance & Direction: A Bigger Splash Review
Last updated: February 18, 2026
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is A Bigger Splash (2015) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a ABOVE AVERAGE with a verified audience rating of 6.2/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Drama.
Cast Performances: A Masterclass
The success of any Drama is often anchored by its ensemble, and A Bigger Splash features a noteworthy lineup led by Tilda Swinton . Supported by the likes of Matthias Schoenaerts and Ralph Fiennes , the performances bring a palpable realism to the scripted words.
Performance Analysis: While the cast delivers competent and professional performances, they are occasionally hampered by a script that leans into familiar archetypes.
Final Verdict: Is it Worth Watching?
Story & Plot Summary: A Bigger Splash
Quick Plot Summary: Released in 2015, A Bigger Splash is a Drama, Thriller, Romance film directed by Luca Guadagnino. The narrative explores complex human emotions and relationships through detailed character development. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict involving Tilda Swinton.
Story Breakdown
This character-driven narrative explores the internal and external conflicts that define the human experience. 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. The screenplay takes time to develop Tilda Swinton's journey, allowing audiences to connect emotionally with their struggles and triumphs. Each scene builds upon the last, creating a cumulative emotional impact.
Narrative Structure
- Opening Hook: We meet the main character in their ordinary world, establishing the emotional baseline before the inciting incident disrupts their life.
- Character Arc: The main character shows growth throughout the story, though some supporting characters could have been more fully realized. Tilda Swinton's arc is present but occasionally predictable.
- Climax & Resolution: The emotional climax brings character arcs to their natural conclusion, providing catharsis while staying true to the story's core themes.
Ending Explained: A Bigger Splash
Ending Breakdown: Directed by Luca Guadagnino, A Bigger Splash concludes its story with a mix of closure and open interpretation. The finale presents its approach to drama resolution.
The final reveal recontextualizes earlier scenes involving Tilda Swinton, offering viewers material for post-viewing discussion.
Ending Analysis:
- Narrative Resolution: The story concludes by addressing its primary narrative threads, providing closure while maintaining some ambiguity.
- Character Arcs: Character journeys reach their narrative endpoints, reflecting the film's thematic priorities.
- Thematic Payoff: The ending reinforces the drama themes established throughout the runtime.
The final moments of A Bigger Splash reflect the filmmakers' creative choices, offering an ending that aligns with the film's tone and style.
Who Should Watch A Bigger Splash?
Worth Watching If You:
- Enjoy Drama films and don't mind familiar tropes
- Are a fan of Tilda Swinton or the director
- Want a character-driven story with emotional moments
Box Office Collection: A Bigger Splash
| Metric / Region | Collection (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Worldwide Gross | $7.5M |
| Trade Verdict | FINANCIAL DISAPPOINTMENT |
Top Cast: A Bigger Splash
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Where to Watch A Bigger Splash Online?
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Fandango At HomeA Bigger Splash Parents Guide & Age Rating
2015 AdvisoryWondering about A Bigger Splash age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of A Bigger Splash is 125 minutes (2h 5m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Verdict Summary
Analyzing the overall audience sentiment, verified rating of 6.2/10, and global performance metrics, A Bigger Splash is classified as a ABOVE AVERAGE. It remains an essential part of the 2015 cinematic calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is A Bigger Splash worth watching?
A Bigger Splash is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Drama movies. It has a verified rating of 6.2/10 and stands as a ABOVE AVERAGE in our box office analysis.
Where can I find A Bigger Splash parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for A Bigger Splash identifies it as R. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of A Bigger Splash?
The total duration of A Bigger Splash is 125 minutes, which is approximately 2h 5m long.
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Critic Reviews for A Bigger Splash
**Italian holiday! Musics, dances and the water splash.** No offense whoever liked it, but for me it is one of the bad films of the year. It is not a Hollywood, but the cast is and an English language film entirely shot in Italy. The performances were powerful, but the story was weak, maybe the pace to blame. Because it is a two hour long drama about the triangular (maybe quadrangle) romance who are holidaying in Italy. Musical presentation was the highlight and most of the time sets near water like a pool or the sea where water splash happens very often like it was mentioned in the title. Tilda Swinton speaks rarely in it, but her presence was good. Matthias Schoenerts was one of the main cast, but his frequent on and off makes his presence ineffective. And then Dakota Johnson, I don't know why she's in this, but glamouraouly impacted the storytelling. With all this, Ralph Fiennes led the narration alone, with his brilliant act. Like he was never seen before, awesome dedication. I think it should be watched for him, but not enough to praise the overall film. If you are looking for a normal drama, this is not the right one to pick. This is kind of experimental film, but there's nothing more refreshing, most of the contents were boring. There's no story, just a vacation events where one another all the main characters try to impress. So it is definitely not for everyone, but if you like it, that's good for the film and you, Whatever, I won't favour it unless you got nothing else to try. The music was good, the locations were beautiful, but the film soared with its weakness than the good stuffs and that's how it fared. _4/10_
Can you imagine being on holiday with your hunky boyfriend only to discover half way through that your slightly dysfunctional ex has arrived with his teenage daughter! Personally, I'd be on the first plane home but rock star "Marianne" (Tilda Swinton) decides to stick it out with her film-making squeeze "Paul" (Matthias Schoenaerts) when "Harry" (Ralph Fiennes) shows up with "Penny" (Dakota Johnson). Initially, the toxicity seems to be under control but quickly we see things spiral into a fairly entertainingly internecine series of scenarios that drown us in a mix of nostalgia, resentment and a fair degree of lust too as the drink starts to flow and the truths start to emerge - be they actually true or not! It's Fiennes who delivers best here, I think, encapsulating the character of the flawed, almost delusional, "Harry" in a fashion that quite successfully gets under your finger nails. Schoenaerts gets naked enough times to justify his inclusion on the eye-candy chart and also provides quite a powerful steam-valve for the young "Penny" who appears to know exactly what she is after here... It's a bit on the long side, and like many of Luca Guadagnino's films does linger a little too much on the admittedly gorgeous Sicilian establishing photography and the pacing can come across as quite lazy at times, but when the poison is flowing effectively through the punchy dialogue, the film allows all four of these rather unlikeable characters to illustrate an holiday from hell that looks set to end in tragedy.
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This review has been verified for accuracy and editorial quality by our senior cinematic analysts.
This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.









