Nyad Review: Annette Bening Leads Disappointing Biopic With Moments Of Greatness

Nyad tells the incredible story of Diana Nyad’s swim from Cuba to Florida. It’s the first feature film from directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, the team behind Free Solo and The Rescue. As such, Nyad is very much a transitional film for the duo. It has a lot of great, empowering moments, but it might have worked better as a documentary. As a narrative feature, Julia Cox’s screenplay doesn’t have much depth. It’s so hyper focused on Diana Nyad’s swimming achievements that it neglects the rest of her life save for her beautiful friendship with Bonnie Stoll. The biopic has its moments, certainly, and it’s stronger thanks to a marvelous cast, but it could have been better had it dived beyond the surface.