Swimming with Sharks (1994) User Reviews

Dark humour or nihilism?

[hveiti · 8/10 · 27 November 2000]

Powerful movie that shows the nastier, more foul-mouthed side of Hollywood. Guy, played by Whaley, is a Hollywood rookie with no real experience but some lofty goals. The movie charts his learning of the ways of Hollywood through becoming an assistant for fastidious big-shot producer Buddy Ackerman (Spacey), and his subsequent unlearning of the 'normal' moral values that apply almost anywhere else. A remarkable performance from Spacey who is by turns searingly offensive, scathingly funny and (funnily enough) vividly human. Making an audience feel for such a revolting character is a feat not many could accomplish, but Spacey's up to the task. Frank Whaley (possibly known to you through a bit part in 'Pulp Fiction') also turns in a very strong performance as the disillusioned young assistant who falls in love (or rather, in bed) with a female producer played by the sultry Michelle Forbes. Spacey and Whaley's interplay in key scenes is riveting, and for the most part, the younger Whaley manages to stay out of Spacey's shadow.

The movie's ending is quite unforeseeable, and its message can be construed either as darkly humorous satire against Hollywood, or as a nihilistic comment on the ways of mankind. Judging by the not-so-humorous tone of the movie (though ludicrously enough it was marketed as a comedy), to me it feels like the latter applies. Definitely worth seeing, even if only for Spacey. 8/10

For anyone who's ever had a vindictive boss - or a job at all, for that matter

[MovieAddict2016 · 7/10 · 12 July 2005]

"Swimming with Sharks" was made right around the time Kevin Spacey was becoming a rising star - his name was becoming well known enough that he could help finance low budget movies. Along with "The Usual Suspects" he helped "Swimming with Sharks" get off the ground, and now ten years later (it was given wide release in 1995) it still holds up well as a very, very dark comedy.

In fact, comedy isn't the right word. This shouldn't really be classified as comedy. It's not that funny. It works better as a dark satire - I expected something like "War of the Roses," but instead I got a Tarantino version of "Office Space" (complete with torture, violence, revenge and mayhem!).

Frank Whaley stars as Guy, a typical nobody who dreams of being a somebody. (Even his name confines him to anonymity.) When he lands a job working for world-famous producer Buddy Ackerman (Spacey), his future looks bright...until he realizes what he's in for.

Spacey delivers the best performance of the film, yelling, screaming, and throwing hissy fits practically every time he's on screen. But he never pushes the limits. He's always believable as a self-absorbed, ego-maniacal, ruthless producer; the director claims on the DVD commentary track and documentaries that he based the character and many scenes on actual things that happened to him while he worked for unnamed producers in Hollywood. Joel Silver is rumored to have been the basis for Ackerman.

The movie isn't great and never really achieves the amount of laughs I wanted but if you view it as a very dark drama-comedy you're more likely to enjoy it. I still found myself quite entertained and taken aback by how daring and unique this movie actually is - no one can condemn it for resorting to clichés. The ending is a punch in the stomach, I never expected it.

Whaley is good at playing the over/underwhelmed everyman and the direction is OK (if just so). The best aspects are the witty script and Kevin Spacey's scene-stealing performance; together he has good chemistry with Whaley and the movie succeeds based on the actors' success in their roles.

Hollywood's dark heart

[LunarPoise · 7/10 · 9 March 2011]

From Sunset Boulevard (1950) through to The Player (1992), the dark side of Hollywood has given up juicy material for filmmakers looking to bite the hand that feeds. Not that there is any secret to be revealed here - pretty much everything you need to know about the soulless, spirit-crushing side of movie-making is contained in Raymond Chnadler's 1945 essay "Writer's in Hollywood", which contains more horror than any of the celluloid parodies it has since inspired.

Swimming with Sharks is the tale of innocent Guy (a freshly scrubbed Frank Whaley), whose monster boss is tinsel town king-maker Buddy Ackerman, a screaming, mood-shifting bully who dangles just enough opportunity before Guy to keep him on his leash. But payback is due, and comes in spades.

It is all very dark and delicious, and Spacey gets to rip loose as the psycho boss, the joke being that it is his very lack of sanity and compassion that allows him to thrive in the business. Love interest is supplied by producer Dawn (Michelle Forbes), who allows Guy to stay grounded as he negotiates his way to the top. Dawn and Guy show us that even in Hollywood true love can conquer all - or can it? It is received wisdom that movies about movies don't travel very well. Swimming with Sharks is about delusion and corruption, and how much the human spirit can take. It just happens to be set in Hollywood, but Buddy Ackerman could be Gordon Gecko in a different market. Worth watching to see Spacey enjoying himself in a role where he gets to say pretty much whatever he likes, and does so with relish.

Very interesting "dark satire" of a Hollywood "executive from Hell" eventually corrupting the new guy"!

[TxMike · 29 April 2001]

This is a hard film to rate, but I give it "7" of 10 overall for holding my interest. I had to watch the ending twice to fully understand what I saw. The DVD is fine, but being a 1994 movie it does not have 5-channel surround sound, and the extras are very limited. On the surface the story appears to be about Buddy. However, it is really about his assistant and the transformation he makes.

CAUTION -- SPOILERS FOLLOW --

This is a perfect role for Kevin Spacey as the executive who looks at every transaction as a "zero sum" exercise. Someone has to WIN, and someone has to LOSE, even though his personalized plate says "WIN-WIN". That is part of the satire. "Buddy" always wants to win, and his personal assistant is there for only reason -- to help him win.

The story is told in flashback form. Fairly early we see Buddy apparently held hostage by his abused assistant, and a series of flashbacks explain how he came to that state. Ultimately it was a phone call that early in the movie we only hear part of. Buddy had accidentally patched his assistant into a call which included the assistant's girlfriend, who on the phone agreed to go over to Buddy's place for sex.

Finally faced with Buddy tied up and bleeding in his chair, and his girlfriend standing nearby, Buddy insisting "do it, go ahead, you know what you have to do,", and we hear a gunshot followed by a blank screen.

Turns out he killed his girlfriend, Buddy corroborated a concocted story that the girlfriend was torturing him and the assistant shot her to save Buddy. As the movie ends, we see the equivalent of the assistant having sold his soul to the devil, who in this film is Buddy. He has REALLY become Buddy's servant, but has been promoted and is on his way to the top. Sacrificing everything he once held to be good and true, for fame and fortune in the movie business.

I must admit that it was pleasant to watch the assistant get revenge for the totally abusive way Buddy treated him, but the overall message, even though it is satire, is a difficult story to warm up to. Still, I suppose there are people in all businesses who sacrifice part or all of their values to get ahead in business. Come to think of it, I used to work with several of them!

If this film had been made with the same message, and had not relied so much on foul language throughout, I probably would have rated it 8 or 9. Resorting to only curse words to convey an emotion is the sign of weak script writing.

Fun for a while, but seriously flawed

[razorburnd · 6/10 · 23 February 2000]

(minor spoilers, but they're mostly about theme.)

Tone, tone, tone. That's the problem with "Swimming With Sharks." A black comedy about revenge? That's what the box seems to indicate. A drama about losing one's soul in the Hollywood machinery? That's what the ending seems to say. In this case, doing both just doesn't work, not for me, anyway. The movie cruises along fine as a dark comedy in which the "boss from Hell" (Kevin Spacey) yells just one too many times at the young assistant (Frank Whaley) who happens to let loose his inner psycho. Then suddenly, there's this dramatic turn that comes out of nowhere, and dousing paper cuts with lemon juice and tabasco (don't worry, you'll understand) doesn't seem so much fun anymore. Sometime around this point I began to feel sorry for Kevin Spacey's character, which I don't think was the director's intention. And the ending is a complete mess. I don't buy it, and from having read many of the other comments, I'm not alone.

Caustic, cynical examination of the inner workings of the film industry

[pyrocitor · 7/10 · 1 February 2008]

While through the ages, many noteworthy motion pictures detailing the film industry itself have been made, the majority concentrated on a highly positive tone, portraying Hollywood as the organization which "brought dreams to life", or similar self serving platitudes. However, in the early 90s, a new trend began to emerge - films which delved below the glossy exterior of Hollywood and began to expose more negative aspects of the industry. One would be hard pressed to find as fitting an example of this Hollywood introspective neo- realism as writer/director George Huang's semi-autobiographical (but hopefully only to an extent...) Swimming With Sharks - a biting, cynical look at the interior of the film industry which challenges the preconceptions of the industry and its bleak aims.

Like Robert Altman's The Player, Swimming with Sharks offers a harshly critical commentary on the corporate moneymaking machine that is Hollywood, but from the opposite end: the perspective of a low level assistant striving to rise in the ranks. However, similar to Altman's work, Huang's film dabbles with the notion of being a black comedy or darkly satirical take on the business end of the film industry, but ultimately lacks the acerbic wit needed to succeed on such a front. As such, while the occasional moment of darkly gleeful comedic insight may derived, for the most part, the film falters on attempted darkly ironic comedic moments which come across as too heavy handed to be truly funny. The film's main strength is in its strictly dramatic climax; its harrowing and powerful turn of events toying with notions of all consuming ambition and free will in a truly gripping fashion. Combined with a numbingly unexpected and chilling ending scene, the film's finale is easily its strongest point - enough so to carry the occasional botched comic moment from earlier in the film. However, Tom Heil's understated and affecting single piano score and the occasional moment of intriguing cinematography also add to the overall quality of the work.

Kevin Spacey is the main pleasure to behold here as the film's main selling point, the "boss from Hell" figure Buddy Ackerman. Alternating between wryly funny, starkly powerful and disconcertingly human, Spacey, though disappointingly denied the ability to chew the scenery quite as much as one might hope for, easily walks away with the picture with his top notch work. Frank Whaley gives an adequate performance as the constantly put upon assistant who finally seeks revenge, though his character is given next to no development and Whaley lacks the engaging charisma needed to really sell the role. Michelle Forbes also comes across as disappointingly flat as an ambitious business woman caught between Spacey and Whaley, though she shines in certain scenes. Watch also for an early appearance by Benicio Del Toro in a tiny role as Whaley's predecessor.

While it may falter as the black comedy it clearly wants to be throughout, the film excels as the harshly critical drama it becomes by the end. An undeniably maliciously enjoyable performance by Spacey keeps the film afloat, and while it may occasionally come across as lopsided or falling short of its potential, Swimming with Sharks keeps enough surprises up its proverbial sleeve to remain interesting throughout as a cynical treatise on ambition and the film industry which thrives upon it.

-7/10

"The Player" meets "Office Space." The Inside Dope On Hollywood Off Of The Red Carpet.

[abyoussef · 7/10 · 21 September 2010]

by Dane Youssef

Now here's a movie for those looking for an attack on white-collar corporate office life, the spinning gears of Hollywood.

"Swimming With Sharks" seems to owe more than a little something to "Dilbert." The movie is more about Corporate America than Hollywood. There are a lot of white-collar touches that apply to offices, cubicles and other such rather than the Hollywood spin machine. Like Robert Altman's "The Player," this is one of those thrillers about people in "the biz" who are driven to the breaking point by how cruel L.A. can really be.

The film's writer/director George Huang himself was a former personal assistant to some of the biggest names in Hollywood, has described the movie as "20% autobiographical." Much of this one is said to be based on his experience working for noted mega-mogul producer Joel Silver for Columbia Pictures. So it should come as no surprise what-so-ever that his first crack at film was his own life story.

Surprise, surprise, huh? Well, more or less.

Despite Kevin Spacey being the big name in this movie and him getting first-billing, Frank Whaley ("Career Opportunities") is the star of this one. Most of anything with him head-lining is a sign of a bad movie ("Cold Dog Soup" and "The Jimmy Show"), but this is one of those where he shines because he's allowed to. He's not the most versatile actor, the best-looking or the most charismatic. He's had a rep as being something of the life-long "bit player." But when he's given a movie, script and part which allows him any headway, he damn well manages to make the most of it.

Spacey, being one of Hollywood's finest and renown, is able to pull off the screaming antagonistic drill-instructor and the restrained, tortured hostage here pitch perfectly.

Whaley effectively plays the green, naive wide-eyed rookie to the Hollywood roulette wheel with his usual perfection, but when the other shoe drops, he doesn't quite pull off the scorned, disgruntled employee seeking revenge. His Jekyll isn't as convincing as his Hyde. He doesn't scare us. He never seems truly unhinged. Maybe that's why Whaley sticks to the youthful deer-in-the-headlights. Whaley doesn't really seem as demented and unhinged as he should in his captor scenes. He's best as a whipping boy--which is why he plays so many.

1994 was the official year for Spacey. He got his breakout with the TV series "Wiseguys," and made the big screen transition with worthwhile fare like his Oscar-winning supporting role in "The Usual Suspects," "The Ref," "Se7en" and this. Spacey monopolized himself in the '94 as "absolute talent" (my term).

Benecio Del Toro, the "Brad Pitt of Mexico" (someone else's quote, believe me, I never dubbed him such) has a quickie cameo as Spacey's assistant who's given his three weeks' notice and is on the way out, making way for Guy. But not before giving Whaley some final parting words of wisdom. "Protect his interests, serve his needs. What you think means nothing. What you feel means nothing. You have no brain. He yells all the time. It's a lose-lose situation." This job is a fast-track shortcut to the top and if Guy does right and keeps his mouth open wide to catch all of Buddy's crap, he may very well be someday on the same mantel as Buddy and his former assistants. Everything Guy'll ever need to know about his job, he learns on day one.

Enter Dawn Locklard (Michelle Forbes of "Guiding Light" and "24"), another powerful Hollywood producer who Guy doesn't have the best first meeting with. She doesn't show a lot of warmth, which explains why she's a producer.

She herself is angry and cynical, and throughout the course of the film, we will see why. She eventually warms up to Guy and asks him out. Guy is stunned. But she needs Buddy on her side and is interested in him getting behind her new project. Guy sees this as an opportunity. Her new project for the studio, "Real Life" may just be Guy's window of opportunity. She seems to be interested in Guy because he's the most real thing she's seen in the Valley for the longest time. But does she really feel something for him or is she just using him? Is Buddy two- faced and back-stabbing or is Dawn? Guy no longer knows what's real and what's what?

Although when Guy starts to show some spine after a lot of Buddy's tantrums, the payoff is almost evenly matched with the faux-sugar scene. Buddy gets to emotionally, verbally (and at times, physically) abuses Guy (and apparently all his assistant's) on every possible occasion. He also gets to skewer just about everyone who crosses his path.

"Swimming With Sharks" is no featherweight comedy for a slow night about a bullying boss like the trailer lead you to believe. It's a film which deals with white-collar office comedy and torturous drama. Shifting from a lightweight comedy to a torturous thriller. It's sort of schizophrenic thing. We're laughing heartily one minute and horrified the next. A lot of time, this one keeps us guessing as it criss-crosses from Buddy torturing Guy to vice-versa.

But there's a lot (maybe too much) about this one that rings too-true to life. A lot of moments filled with the harsh insights and disillusioned truths that one learns from living an uncharmed life. And so there's illuminating light and lessons, as well as laughs. Not to mention some great heavier moments where ugly secrets about Buddy and... well, surprisingly Dawn are revealed.

The plot is over-developed and the ending is more poetic than anything else. But most of the movie really does work and really does sticks with you... like all the great ones do.

--Hoo-Ray For Corporate Hollywood, Dane Youssef

Why is this so enjoyable?

[snow0r · 8/10 · 1 June 2006]

Swimming with Sharks sees Guy (Frank Whaley) attempt to "turn the tables" on his abusive boss Buddy (Kevin Spacey), and while this makes the film simple and unoriginal in terms of plot, it is a cut above the rest thanks to the performances of its small cast.

One would assume that we would root for Guy, the innocent graduate demeaned by his aggressive boss, but the way the film tells the story prevents us from empathizing with him (as does his awful haircut); knowing that he tortures Buddy physically for his mental abuse complicates our response, and puts us on Buddy's side, allowing us to enjoy the games Buddy plays with Guy. This is something that's made very easy to do by the acting. Kevin Spacey is typically excellent as Buddy Ackerman and is the most engaging character in the film, remaining funny and manipulative throughout, even while being tortured and held hostage, as well as handling the more serious emotional aspects of his character expertly. Frank Whaley is also brilliant, playing the overwhelmed lapdog who is eventually pushed over the edge by Buddy's abuse. Importantly however, despite his plans for revenge, he remains under Buddy's spell right up until the end, and is eventually broken.

The film's conclusion further complicates our responses to both characters. The hostage situation revelations pull the audience between the impassioned-now-heartless Buddy and the desperate and confused Guy, but ultimately good does not prevail, and the shooting and Buddy's manipulation of the situation remove us from both characters as the film ends.

All in all, Swimming with Sharks is an enjoyable film. The simple plot and small cast are compensated for by some fine performances; it's funny , well-acted, and definitely worth watching.

Well-played, but way too uneven ...

[NChri · 7/10 · 9 April 1999]

Yes, the performances (especially Spacey's--mesmerizing) were excellent, but the film suffers simply because it does not know what it wants to be. Both halves are well-done, but placed side-by-side it almost seems as though two separate films were hastily meshed together by an overworked film editor. The comedy is far too light to stand aside overly dark torture scenes, although Spacey does a fine job in turning what is essentially a caricature of a tough boss into a multi-level (and very stirring) performance. I do, however, have to agree with some of the posts on this board--Spacey's motivation in the last scenes is indeed very difficult to comprehend.

One of the best artistic commentaries on the professional world

[BrandtSponseller · 10/10 · 22 July 2006]

This film would be worth watching just for Kevin Spacey's portrayal of the ultimate boss from hell, Buddy Ackerman, but there's also much more than that going on. Ostensibly a damning look at the inner workings of the film business, Swimming with Sharks just as accurately depicts any highly dysfunctional employer/employee/associate relationships, and that's a lot of them.

But even more than that, there is a lot of mostly unstated philosophical material underpinning much of the film, some of it literal and some more metaphorical, such as the ending. One of the key lines of dialogue towards this end is Ackerman's, "If you're not a rebel by 21, you've got no heart, and if you haven't gone establishment by 30, you've got no brain".

Ackerman obviously has problems or he wouldn't be acting quite in the way that he is, but director George Huang and Spacey are also careful to show that Ackerman has a lot more going on than surface behavior--he's acting the way that he is purposefully, both to get his due now as part of the establishment and to coyly manipulate his young, meek and abused underling, Guy (Frank Whaley), along with everyone else he comes into contact with. His aim is to mold Guy in a particular way--a way that works even though Guy thinks that he's severely breaking form in the extended penultimate scene that's intercut with Guy and Ackerman's history.

Huang shows professional relationships as consisting mostly of politicking and manipulation. That's true at every level--certainly even Guy is doing this. There is very little authenticity to anyone in their working relationships. That seems pretty accurate to me, unfortunately. It's notable that the one dream of authenticity in the film--Guy talking about moving to Wyoming with Dawn (Michelle Forbes)--is treated and dispensed with as an unreachable fantasy, and it's also notable (and is fairly literally pointed out in the film) that Dawn, the one character who tries to demand being more authentic amidst the "shark infested waters" of the professional world, basically never gets anywhere.

In the highly metaphorical ending of the film, things remain manipulative, political and backstabbing, and in that climate, at least two out of three characters "win". Huang seems to be suggesting that the professional world ain't likely to change any time soon, and that even if you try to change it or manipulate the game itself, you're likely to just get eaten up by it, processed by it and incorporated into it anyway. Again, I can't say I disagree with him.

Textbook Spacey

[bowmanblue · 7/10 · 18 February 2019]

With all the ups and downs of Kevin Spacey's career, 'Swimming With Sharks' kind of came along before he seemed destined to hit the dizzy heights or the crippling lows. Before he hit the big time with 'American Beauty' he played what would eventually become his 'go to' character, i.e. a sleezebag.

Sadly, if the media are to be believed, life has imitated art, but I like to do my best and separate the art from the artist. So, if you can bring yourself to actually watch a Kevin Spacey film these days, this one will certainly showcase much of the acting talent and stage presence that would cement his 'A-list' credentials.

Spacey plays 'Buddy Ackerman' - a 'Harvey Weinstein-esque' type film producer who is well-known in Hollywood circles (you can write your own comparison gag for that one!). And he's a completely b******d (again, draw your own comparisons!). He treats his staff - and in particular his personal assistants - like dirt. Which is not good news for his latest victim/employee 'Guy' (played by Frank Whaley). Although Spacey is the star that doesn't mean he's the main focus. Whaley is the main character whose life we follow as he tries to juggle actually having a life while carrying out/serving his new 'master.'

The film was set in the mid nineties and it shows. Everything from the haircuts to the suits seal it in its time period. The film's look and feel hasn't aged that well, but at least the story seems pretty timeless of a put-upon employee being mercilessly exploited by his employer. The direction is pretty standard for this type of drama/black comedy/satire and there's no memorable soundtrack to speak of. It does tend to do that thing where it starts near the end, so you can see how the characters end up and the bulk of the film is - technically - long flashbacks for us to see how the characters end up the way they are. Personally, I'd prefer to see the story told in a linear fashion as I thought it didn't really need to have time played about with.

I have to confess that I'd never heard of Frank Whaley before I watched this (and I've never seen himself in anything since!) and he does seem a little out of his league while playing up against Spacey's considerable charisma. Whether you love or hate Spacey (on screen or in real life), this is his baby and it's worth a watch just to see his acerbic put-downs.

Delightful discovery

[jennifer626 · 8/10 · 19 December 2010]

I was so depressed after watching "The Men Who Stare At Goats" that I actively sought out Kevin Spacey movies to help redeem my perceptions of him. I saw "K-Pax" last week, which was adequately engaging, then found "Swimming with Sharks" on the IFC. What a find! This low-cost(less than $1M) film must not have had a very big marketing budget -- it completely escaped me at the time -- but it's one of the best performances Kevin Spacey I've ever seen. An abusive, self-indulgent, arrogant boss in the film industry, his role easily translates into that of a recognizable evil boss in any field. Spacey nicely runs the gamut of expression from god-like to humbled. His once-idealistic assistant is played by Frank Whaley, who never really saw his full potential subsequently develop in his career but has had nice turns in Pulp Fiction and a number of high-production TV series. Whaley too should be commended for his ability to grow the character from a wide-eyed beginning his dream job, to a vengeful warrior out for blood. The film centers on the dysfunctional relationship between these two and is weak only when it attempts to introduce minor roles featuring Michelle Forbes (Maryann on "True Blood") and Benecio del Toro (though these actors perform well with what they've been given).

God I miss the early-nineties version of Frank Whaley!

[Twins65 · 6/10 · 16 November 2005]

This guy (Mr. Whaley) never gotten enough credit for being the renowned thespian that he is. This guy's been in about 45 movies since the late 80's, including some lead or "near-lead" roles, and I bet he still walks down the street in relative anonymity to this day.

He's always been believable in everything I've seen him in (from roller skating with Jennifer Connelly's chest in "Career Opportunites" to his small role at the end of "School of Rock"). And who can forget his classic 'Big Kahuna Burger' scene in "Pulp Fiction" with Sam Jackson? Well, Frank does another stellar job as Guy in "Swimming with Sharks", holding his own against a first-rate performance from Mr. Spacey. The movie sails along nicely, including the lovely Michelle Forbes as the alluring Dawn to keep it from becoming a total "sausage fest". It appears they threw in a far-fetched "Hollywood Ending" which I don't think ever happened after watching the DVD extras, but I won't ruin it for you. Check it out the next time you've had a crap day with the boss.

Ho Hum

[Unicorn-9 · 2/10 · 2 March 2000]

I was recommended this movie by one of my film-making friends, and was therefore expecting something good. Sadly, I was very disappointed by the first half -- ah, a movie about a wimp taking revenge on their a**hole boss, how original -- and watched the second half on fast forward hoping to find something that would justify the 45-odd minutes I'd already wasted. But all I got was the 'shock' ending...

The basic problem is that this is a movie which seems unable to decide what it wants to say, and says whatever it does say (hard to tell what that is) badly. Great acting does not save a bad script full of characters I can't care about.

Now maybe if I didn't moonlight in the movie industry I'd be shocked to discover the dumb politics and exploitation going on behind the screen, but as it is my feelings are as summed up above: 'Ho Hum'.

2/10... would have been 1/10 if it weren't for the acting and the paper cut scene.

Very bitter but Spacey is excellent

[bob the moo · 22 July 2002]

Guy is the latest in a long line of personal assistants to Keystone Pictures executive Buddy. However he quickly learns that he must put up with a torrent of abuse and unreasonable demands. After a year of this he is pushed to the limit and decides to take action – however if Buddy is unreasonable what does it take to make it in show business?

A dark, cruel satire on the business called show. Director writer Huang spent 6 years in Lucasfilms and Columbia so this is very bitter and real. However it manages to be funny and very dark. The plot is told in flashbacks and is very dark. The end is depressing for those of us who believe that Hollywood isn't all egos. The plot does have weaknesses though – Buddy going for a film called Real Life is pretty unlikely but this is a minor flaw.

The main strength here is Spacey. His nasty energy is great and it's impossible to look away when he's onscreen. However when he's not there the film sags a little. Whaley is very good and the mousey personality suits his looks.

Overall it may be a little hard to watch because it is a very bitter tale from Huang, however Spacey is a master and delivers a performance that shows why he became famous.

"Never apologize, it's a sign of weakness."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 14 August 2014]

Billed as a comedy, "Swimming With Sharks" rarely came close to that description. It's really a biting satire on corporate greed and climbing the industry ladder literally on the backs (and bodies) of others. I never had a boss from hell of Buddy Ackerman's dimensions, but probably came pretty close. I recall a closed door argument between a company vice-president and one of his subordinate directors, and the underling was no guy/Guy like Frank Whaley's character. You could hear the two yelling at each other across the office before the thing settled down. Fortunately it was so early in the morning most of the staff wasn't in to work yet, but it was quite the show for anyone there.

Kevin Spacey excels in an early starring role as the sadistic Buddy Ackerman. The thing is however, he exhibits a disconcerting aura of warmth and humanity at times that runs counter to his normal behavior. His is not the role model they talk about in business school, in fact it was almost refreshing to hear his diatribe about having to work one's way up instead of expecting to start at the top with an expectation of entitlement.

You know, for some odd reason I had the impression that Guy was going to shoot Dawn (Michelle Forbes) instead of Buddy, seeing as how he had already endured a year of Buddy's vengeful and abusive behavior. It comes as a shock to most viewers, but if you're going to take a film like this to it's limits, it only makes sense that Guy was going to ensure his career path by going the extra mile. It's called having a job to kill for.

Kevin Spacey as Lester Burnham's flip side

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 25 July 2007]

To me, it seems like 1995 was really the year that brought Kevin Spacey into the national spotlight. He played a creepy boss in "Swimming with Sharks", a strange interviewee in "The Usual Suspects" and a serial killer in "Se7en". The first one lets him go all out as a total jerk - and he's a movie producer, so that makes him as bad as can be - making life a living hell for Frank Whaley's newcomer. So it's no surprise that Whaley does what he does.

Is Spacey the actor who most defined the direction that indie films started to take in the '90s? Hard to say, as there were many such actors. But I would say that it's neat how Spacey's characters usually perpetrate misery on other people (like here) or rebel against it (like in "American Beauty"). Overall, this is certainly one that I recommend. Because a paper cut on the tongue can't be anything pleasant.

Also featuring Benicio Del Toro in an early role.

the finest "boss from hell" movie ever made

[EL Radek · 7/10 · 2 September 1998]

This was the story of my old boss, and since I wouldn't act out my revenge I pop this in and thank the lord for envelopes and hot sauce. If I ever meet Kevin Spacey I will give him a big hug for his huge talents and then pop him one for playing such a bastard as Buddy Ackerman. No matter how many times I watch this my gut wrenches and I break out into a sweat, but with Spacey's acting it's not a problem.

Spacey great as always

[Tito-8 · 10/10 · 11 November 1998]

Kevin Spacey, perhaps the finest actor on the planet, is brilliant as usual in his hilarious turn as Buddy Ackerman, one of the nastiest characters that you'll ever see anywhere on film. Sure, the whole cast is great, but it is Spacey who really shines, and he is the reason that this film works so well. Watch this movie if you want to laugh your head off, or if you simply want to see a legend in the making at the top of his game, yet again.

Underrated gem of a satire.

[mariahopkins-18946 · 7/10 · 4 July 2018]

This is a highly underrated movie in my opinion. Based on the experiences of Hollywood interns Swimming with sharks is a fictional account of an intern who is subjugated to daily abuses by his boss. It is a satire but Kevin Spacey is in such good form you start taking it personally. It is shocking that the writer-director George Huang's career never took off because this is a well written screenplay and shot with expertise. Give this film a shot if you wish to understand the ruthless world of Hollywood filmmaking.

a misfortunate case of a great fim seen by a few "movie buffs"

[eyal philippsborn · 9/10 · 28 July 2000]

Today, when kevin spacey has enough recognition and reputation that won't be tampered even if he'll star on "baywatch" for the rest of his life - my praises won't mean much. spacey is a superb actor, no doubt about it. but for frank whaley, appearences in the "right" films (natural born killers, born in the 4th of july, pulp fiction) as well as a undisputable talent did not turn him to a reknowned actor - which only goes to show that no matter how good you are, in most cases success is a luck depandant variable. On with the movie, the story of an ambitious youngster who wishes to engage in a key role of the film industry and starts to work as an assistant for a completely manipulating, ungreatful, demeaning movie producer george huang

(the writer and director) could come up with. the movie begins with guy (frank whaley) kidnapping buddy ackerman in his own house and concurrently whit guy's act of abuse to his hated boss, unfolds the story of a young kid with high hopes who was entangled both in the cynic world of his women loving, hair losing boss and in a relationship with a struggling movie producer - dawn (michelle forbes- now on "homicide - life on the streets"). the movie continues up to the point where guy has to decide which of those worlds to choose and now i won't add anything in fear of disclosing the end (and its unpredictable no matter which option you chose)

the movie is a complete delight and all i can say is - this may not be the best film you ever seen but it will sure leave enough of an impression to more than justify the two hours of your leisure time.

9 out of 10 in my scale

Buddy makes my boss look like Billy Graham

[helpless_dancer · 7/10 · 17 February 2004]

No way could I work in the environment Guy put up with. However, he did because he found down deep what meant more to him than anything else thanks to Buddy's expert teachings. Nice use of flashback in this fictional look into the seedy backstage part of Hollywood. Chock full of biting dialogue which keeps the viewer glued from scene to scene wondering where this volatile relationship will lead. And was it ever a surprise. Hot film.

He who must be obeyed

[cfn_halliwell · 10/10 · 29 January 2005]

This film just sums up what it is to be a flunky in Hollywood. Buddy Ackerman is your normal high flying film producer, from the sharp suits down to the aggressive approach to anyone below him. Guy is flunky who has the job of dealing with Buddy's every whim, and then there's Dawn Lockard who is stuck in the middle. With an explosive relationship between all of them, the film is set at the home of Buddy. Guy has taken him hostage, and is annoyed that Buddy has fired him. Set with a series of flashbacks starting with an appearance with Benicio Del Toro, it tells the tale of what Guy has had to put up with in working for Buddy and all the hell he was put through to get to the place that he was before being fired over nothing. Very under-rated film and Spacey is amazing. Also applause to go to Frank Whaley for his great conflicting work with Spacey. A+

Brilliant performance from Kevin Spacey

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 8 April 2014]

Guy (Frank Whaley) has finally had it with his boss Buddy Ackerman (Kevin Spacey), and he takes him hostage with a gun. The movie flashes back to the start when Guy was a young naive assistant to the abusive Hollywood producer boss. Dawn Lockard (Michelle Forbes) is a producer who befriends and gets romantically involved with Guy.

This is a tour de force performance from Kevin Spacey. Writer/director George Huang bases the character on his former boss Joel Silver. It's his directorial debut and is a lower budget indie. Both problems are obvious but they're lucky to have the great performances. Whaley and Forbes do good jobs. It's like a brilliant play and has the insight of realism.

Who Would You Rather Work For Buddy Ackerman Or Ari Gold?

[petesea · 4/10 · 10 May 2009]

Why is Guy working for Buddy? Probably because Ari was not around in 1995. Why does Dawn want to be with Guy? For access to Buddy. Why does she stay with Guy? I am not sure.

There are bunch of things about this movie that I am not sure about. But, Kevin Spacey is an excellent, verbal tsunami as Buddy Ackerman – and totally believable because he is a great actor.

Frank Whaley's Guy is certainly out of his element working for Buddy – he wants to write and make meaningful movies, not be a gofer that is verbally abused for getting Equal instead of Sweet & Low.

Michelle Forbes' Dawn, who also wants to make meaningful movies, seems way out of Guy's league.

The ending leaves a lot to be desired.