Swipe

Swipe

Year: 2019

Runtime: 6 mins

Language: English

Director: Niels Bourgonje

Horror

A young woman is shocked to discover a mutual match on a dating app, despite having previously rejected him. As she begins to suspect the stranger is unnervingly close, she finds herself increasingly fearful for her safety and tries to understand how this improbable connection occurred.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Swipe yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Swipe (2019)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Swipe (2019). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Modern day

The events unfold in a contemporary college setting, driven by smartphones and campus life. The timeline moves from the fall semester into Christmas break, highlighting how instant connections can disrupt family dynamics. The tech-driven culture amplifies questions of consent, privacy, and responsibility.

Location

College Campus, Dorm Room, Sorority House, Ivy League School

Set on a contemporary college campus, the story unfolds across dorms, classrooms and social hubs. Key locales include James' dorm room where Jungle is developed, a sorority house that becomes a protective haven, and the wider campus where the hookup app's influence ripples through relationships and reputation. The possibility of transferring to an Ivy League school adds prestige and pressure to the setting.

🎓 College life 🏛️ Campus culture 🏫 Dorm life 🎒 Student culture

Last Updated: October 14, 2025 at 03:57

Main Characters – Swipe (2019)

Meet the key characters of Swipe (2019), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

James

An introverted freshman and a talented coder who becomes consumed by creating Jungle, a hookup app. His brilliance masks a growing moral conflict as he realizes the real-world consequences of his project. He is torn between loyalty to Lance and a desire to protect others from harm, ultimately seeking a path toward genuine connection.

🧠 Intelligent 🤔 Morally conflicted 🌱 Growth-minded

Lance

A wealthy, confident student who drives the plan to build Jungle and uses James for his own ends. He prioritizes casual hookups and status, pressuring James to deliver results while promising a transfer to an Ivy League school as reward. He represents the allure and danger of privilege when technology intersects with social exploitation.

💎 Wealthy 🕹️ Manipulative 🎯 Ambitious

Hannah

An assertive sorority sister who becomes a protective ally for James at the sorority house. She challenges the ethics of Jungle and the boy's plan, and she becomes a catalyst for James to confess his true feelings. She never downloads the app, which underscores the tension between curiosity and privacy.

🛡️ Protective 💬 Honest 💖 Romantic interest

Last Updated: October 14, 2025 at 03:57

Major Themes – Swipe (2019)

Explore the central themes of Swipe (2019), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🌐 Tech Ethics

Jungle, the hookup app at the center of the story, exposes how technology can drive impulsive behavior and blur moral boundaries. James faces a moral dilemma as he shapes a tool meant for connection but used for casual encounters with potentially harmful consequences. The film probes questions of consent, privacy, and accountability when software design intersects with real lives. The professor's exemption from coursework also raises concerns about academic integrity and responsibility.

💔 Consequences

The app's success strains families and relationships, from James's divorced parents to his aging grandparents and Hannah's trust. The desire for validation and status leads to fragile bonds and emotional fallout during Christmas, forcing characters to confront the cost of detached dating. The plot shows how digital shortcuts can affect real-world intimacy, trust, and commitment. It also shows James's attempt to pull back and protect loved ones by pulling the plug.

🧭 Self-Discovery

Throughout the crisis, James confronts his own motivations, balancing intellect with ethical restraint. He learns the power of real connection over algorithmic matching, culminating in a confession to Hannah and choosing a path toward genuine relationship. The sorority house gives him a refuge where he must decide what kind of person he wants to be. The story traces his growth from a brilliant coder chasing prestige to someone who values responsibility and connection.

Last Updated: October 14, 2025 at 03:57

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Technology paranoia thrillers like Swipe

Stories where everyday technology becomes a source of profound anxiety and personal threat.If you liked the tense, tech-driven anxiety of Swipe, you'll find more movies like it here. These films explore similar themes of digital stalking, invasive apps, and the psychological terror that arises when technology blurs the line between convenience and danger, perfect for fans of modern psychological horror.

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Narrative Summary

These narratives typically follow a protagonist who discovers a dark side to a seemingly benign piece of technology. As they investigate, their initial curiosity turns to paranoia, leading them to uncover a systemic or personal threat that puts their safety, and often their sanity, at risk. The conflict is rooted in the intangible nature of the digital threat.

Why These Movies?

They are grouped by their shared core premise: exploring the fear and anxiety generated by contemporary technology. They create a specific mood of unease by grounding their horror in realistic, relatable scenarios, making the terror feel both modern and plausible.

Slow burn psychological thrillers like Swipe

Thrillers where tension builds steadily from a single, unsettling premise.For viewers who enjoyed the steady, anxious build-up in Swipe, this collection features similar movies with a slow burn pace. These stories prioritize psychological tension over graphic violence, focusing on a character's growing fear and paranoia in situations that feel chillingly plausible.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a linear escalation of a central conflict. It begins with a minor but deeply unsettling discovery that challenges the protagonist's perception of safety. The plot progresses methodically, each new piece of evidence or event compounding the initial fear, leading to a climax that is often more about psychological resolution than physical confrontation.

Why These Movies?

They are united by a specific pacing and tonal approach: a steady, deliberate build of tension that creates a sustained mood of anxiety. The similarity lies in the viewing experience—a feeling of creeping dread that is more psychological than visceral.

Unlock the Full Story of Swipe

Don't stop at just watching — explore Swipe in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Swipe is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Swipe Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Swipe, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Swipe Summary

Swipe Timeline

Track the full timeline of Swipe with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Swipe Timeline

Swipe Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Swipe that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Swipe Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Swipe

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Swipe: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Swipe