Thanks to TikTok, the horror short film Backstroke gained a ton of attention and may are wondering if the film is available to watch on Netflix, so here’s what you need to know about how and where to stream it.
TikTok has taken a four-minute horror film titled Backstroke and made it go incredibly viral mostly because largely the version found on the platform has “Best Movie Netflix” written on the screen when you watch it.
But that’s only half the story, as this four-minute cut is only 40% of the movie, with the real Backstroke a 10-minute short from 2019.
The TikTok version also has electronic music blasted over the top of the action, and largely inaccurate subtitles playing at the bottom of the screen. So where can you see the full film?
Is Backstroke on Netflix? Short film explained
No, Backstroke is not on Netflix. The full film was posted to the ‘Alter’ account on YouTube in 2019, and can be viewed below…
The confusion seems to have occurred when the edited version of Backstroke was uploaded to TikTok, with that Netflix proclamation plastered on the screen.
Indeed, the comments underneath feature messages like, “Just looked on Netflix it wasn’t there,” and “This idiot keep saying on Netflix not on Netflix.”
What is Backstroke about?
Here’s the official synopsis for Backstroke: “Two runaway teens steal a car with dreams of heading down to Florida, but things take a dark turn after a dangerous game.”
The film was made in 2017, with Robbie Barclay both writing and directing. Josefine Christoffersen and Shemar Jonas play the teens in question – Amber and Jake.
SPOILERS AHEAD…
They make it to the countryside, have some fun and games with a gun, then Amber tells Jake to close his eyes and count while she runs off to go skinny-dipping.
But proceedings turn twisted when a man – played by Tom Frank – show’s up at the water’s edge and starts asking strange questions. Before telling Amber that Jake is… dead.
Amber somehow makes it back to her clothes, and the car, but Jake is nowhere to be seen. And just when it seems like she’ll escape, the film has a sting in its tale.
It’s a fun short, and one that you’re advised to watch in its original form on YouTube, rather than the butchered TikTok version.