REVIEW

On the night that Ni’Jah releases a new album, the roommates have a fight that ends in tragedy. Driven to despair by doubts about her boyfriend’s fidelity, Marissa dies by suicide. Dre channels her grief and guilt into a new mission: punish the enemies of Ni’Jah.

Dre cuts a bloody swath from Houston to LA to Atlanta, stalking and bludgeoning anyone with a history of trashing the “Queen Bee” on social media. Her calling cards as a serial killer are a fondness for junk food and an innocuous question: “Who’s your favorite artist?”

Will you like it?

“Swarm” is hyperreal and hyperbolic in every way, from its colorful neo-grindhouse aesthetic to its absurd plot twists. For some viewers, the quotient of violence and outréness will be too much. Others will be exhilarated by the show’s combination of technical polish, strong acting and unpredictable plotting — a refreshing find in the streaming landscape. Every episode opens with a title card that announces, “This is not a work of fiction,” seemingly daring the viewer to disagree. In interviews, Nabers has explained that the show’s various subplots grew from internet rumors and lore surrounding Beyoncé’s fandom, which is legendary for its fierce protectiveness of “Queen Bey.” Marissa’s death, for instance, is based on a persistent (but not substantiated) rumor about one fan’s reaction to Lemonade

Each episode of “Swarm” finds Dre in a di erent milieu — a suburban mall, a strip club, Hollywood — except for one, which breaks the format to introduce the detective tracking our protagonist (Heather Simms) in a spot-on parody of true-crime documentaries.

In another episode, while trying to see Ni’Jah at Bonnaroo, Dre crashes with a suspiciously friendly group of women led by a creepy, dulcet-voiced Billie Eilish. For all their talk of self-actualization, they soon reveal themselves to be a cult, clearly based on the real-life NXIVM. But they’ve picked the worst possible recruit, because Dre has already sworn allegiance to a cult of her own.

The series is half character study and half picaresque, as Dre’s travels and transformations give Glover and Nabers the opportunity to satirize a range of aspects of American life. The central conceit is that Dre gets away with murder — repeatedly and sloppily — because Black women who aren’t megastars like Ni’Jah are still overlooked in America, a dark joke that recalls Ralph Ellison’s classic Invisible Man.

Even when we’re frustrated by our protagonist’s refusal to face reality, Fishback’s chameleonic performance keeps us riveted. In the first episode, Dre seems to be sleepwalking through life — until her love for Marissa and Ni’Jah turns her into an avenging angel. After that, she shows many faces, switching in an instant from wide-eyed innocence to sullen apathy to a full-on homicidal glare that all her victims notice too late.

Fishback plays these transitions with skill, giving us an intimate understanding of the simple and brutal logic that drives Dre to slay her idol’s social media enemies. She lives in a cyber dreamworld in which harsh words have become acts, punishable by real-world violence. If you think people like her don’t exist, you haven’t spent much time online.

“Swarm” doesn’t o er a definitive statement on toxic fandom, let alone a solution. Being both wildly ambitious and fairly brief, it spins out a host of promising story strands that don’t all come to fruition. Dre’s character arc has gaps, only some of which feel deliberate. (At one point, a character practically breaks the fourth wall to inform us that we will not learn her sordid childhood backstory.)

But “Swarm” is still a trip to watch. Like

Get Out, it puts its B-movie thrills in quotation marks, using shock value to make its points. One thing is clear: Angry young white guys may inspire a million think pieces, but they aren’t the only Americans who live in an unsettling state of alienation from anything real.

MARGOT HARRISON margot@sevendaysvt.com

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“ATLANTA” (2016-22, 41 episodes; Hulu, rentable): Glover and Nabers first collaborated on this Emmy-winning comedy series that he created and stars in, set in the Atlanta hip-hop scene. Like “Swarm,” it sometimes takes a surreal bent.

ZOLA (2020; fubu, Kanopy, rentable): Internet rumors and tall tales fuel the narrative of “Swarm” — and of this absurdist comedy based on a viral Twitter thread and set in the seedy milieu of southern strip clubs.

INGRID GOES WEST (2017; HBO Max, Kanopy, rentable): While stories about disturbed, obsessive people are nothing new, social media has given them new life. In this indie, Aubrey Plaza plays a loner who stalks her Instagram idol.

New In Theaters

THE BLUE CAFTAN: In this Moroccan nominee for the Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival, the arrival of a new apprentice alters the relationship between a shopkeeping couple. Maryam Touzani directed. (122 min, NR. Savoy)

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4: Keanu Reeves once again plays a hit man battling a global organization with Byzantine rules in Chad Stahelski’s stylized action flick. With Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård and Laurence Fishburne. (169 min, R. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Star, Welden)

RETURN TO SEOUL: A French woman (Park Ji-min) travels to her native South Korea hoping to find her biological parents in this award-winning drama from Davy Chou. (115 min, R. Savoy)

Currently Playing

65HH An astronaut (Adam Driver) crash lands on a strangely familiar planet full of prehistoric monsters in this action adventure directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. (93 min, PG-13. Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Palace, Roxy)

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIAHH1/2

The titular Marvel superheroes (Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly) get tangled up in the Quantum Realm. (125 min, PG-13. Essex, Majestic, Palace)

CHAMPIONSHH1/2 Woody Harrelson plays a washed-up basketball coach who is court ordered to manage a team of players with intellectual disabilities in this comedy from Bobby Farrelly, featuring Vermonter Casey Metcalfe. (123 min, PG-13. Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Palace, Star, Welden)

COCAINE BEARHH1/2 Elizabeth Banks directed this comedy-thriller about a bear that terrorizes the countryside after going on a coke binge. (95 min, R. Big Picture, Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Palace, Roxy, Stowe; reviewed 3/8)

CREED IIIHHH1/2 In this sequel directed by star Michael B. Jordan, the boxing champion faces a new rival. Tessa Thompson and Jonathan Majors also star. (116 min, PG-13. Big Picture, Essex, Majestic, Palace)

INSIDEHH1/2 Willem Dafoe plays a thief who finds himself trapped in a penthouse with priceless artworks after his heist goes awry in this thriller from Vasilis Katsoupis. (105 min, R. Roxy)

JESUS REVOLUTIONHH1/2 Hippies in the 1970s spread the gospel in this inspirational period piece from the team behind I Can Only Imagine. (120 min, PG-13. Capitol)

MOVING ONHHH Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin play estranged friends who team up to get revenge on the man who wronged them (Malcolm McDowell) in this comedy. (85 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Palace, Savoy)

ONE FINE MORNINGHHHH1/2 A single mom (Léa Seydoux) juggles an aging dad and a new affair in the latest award-winning drama from Mia HansenLøve. (112 min, R. Catamount)

THE QUIET GIRLHHHH1/2 A shy 9-year-old (Catherine Clinch) blossoms when she’s sent to spend the summer with relatives in Colm Bairéad’s Oscar-nominated drama. (95 min, PG-13. Roxy, Savoy; reviewed 2/15)

SCREAM VIHHH Can a move to New York save the survivors of the Ghostface killings in this horror sequel? Melissa Barrera, Courteney Cox and Jenna Ortega star. (123 min, R. Bijou, Essex, Majestic, Palace, Paramount, Roxy, Star, Stowe, Welden)

SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODSHH1/2 Foster kid Billy Batson must assume his superhero alter-ego (Zachary Levi) to foil a trio of rogue gods as the DC Comics saga continues. (130 min, PG-13. Bijou, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Palace, Paramount, Roxy, Star, Stowe, Welden)

Older Films And Special Screenings

THE AUTOMAT (Catamount, Sun only; Playhouse, Sat only)

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER (Majestic)

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCEHHHHH (Majestic, Roxy, Savoy)

GKIDS PRESENTS STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2023: MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO 35TH ANNIVERSARY (Essex, Sat through Wed 29 only)

PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH (Capitol, Majestic, Palace)

RUTH STONE’S VAST LIBRARY OF THE FEMALE MIND (Catamount, Playhouse, Sat only)

TEA WITH THE DAMES (Catamount, Wed 22 only)

Open Theaters

(* = upcoming schedule for theater was not available at press time)

*BIG PICTURE THEATER: 48 Carroll Rd., Waitsfield, 496-8994, bigpicturetheater.info

*BIJOU CINEPLEX 4: 107 Portland St., Morrisville, 888-3293, bijou4.com

CAPITOL SHOWPLACE: 93 State St., Montpelier, 229-0343, fgbtheaters.com

CATAMOUNT ARTS: 115 Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury, 748-2600, catamountarts.org

ESSEX CINEMAS & T-REX THEATER: 21 Essex Way, Suite 300, Essex, 879-6543, essexcinemas.com

*MAJESTIC 10: 190 Boxwood St., Williston, 878-2010, majestic10.com

MARQUIS THEATER: 65 Main St., Middlebury, 388-4841, middleburymarquis.com

*MERRILL’S ROXY CINEMAS: 222 College St., Burlington, 864-3456, merrilltheatres.net

*PALACE 9 CINEMAS: 10 Fayette Dr., South Burlington, 864-5610, palace9.com

PARAMOUNT TWIN CINEMA: 241 N. Main St., Barre, 479-9621, fgbtheaters.com

*PLAYHOUSE MOVIE THEATRE: 11 S. Main St., Randolph, 728-4012, playhouseflicks.com

SAVOY THEATER: 26 Main St., Montpelier, 229-0598, savoytheater.com

STAR THEATRE: 17 Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury, 748-9511, stjaytheatre.com

*STOWE CINEMA 3PLEX: 454 Mountain Rd., Stowe, 253-4678, stowecinema.com

WELDEN THEATRE: 104 N. Main St., St. Albans, 527-7888, weldentheatre.com

Note: These capsule descriptions are not intended as reviews. Star ratings come from Metacritic unless we reviewed the film (noted at the end of the description). Find reviews written by Seven Days critic Margot Harrison at sevendaysvt.com/onscreen-reviews.

MARCH 22-29, 2023

WED.22 business

QUEEN CITY BUSINESS

NETWORKING community

INTERNATIONAL GROUP: Local professionals make crucial contacts at a weekly chapter meeting. Burlington City Arts, 11:15 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 829-5066.

CURRENT EVENTS: Neighbors have an informal discussion about what’s in the news. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m.noon. Free. Info, 878-4918.

SPRING MENTOR TRAINING:

Community members prepare to be matched with incarcerated and court-involved women in order to coach them in transitioning to life in northwest Vermont and Chittenden County. Mercy Connections, Burlington, 5:307:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 846-7164. etc.

LIFE STORIES WE LOVE film

TO TELL: Prompts from group leader Maryellen Crangle inspire true tales, told either off the cuff or read from prewritten scripts. Presented by Dorothy Alling Memorial Library. 2-3:30 p.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, 878-4918.

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

BOOK FLICKS: Bibliophiles enjoy the beloved 1990s film Clueless alongside its inspiration, Jane Austen’s Emma Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

COLOR CORRECTION WITH DAVINCI RESOLVE: Aspiring editors learn how to use lighting and color adjustments to make their footage pop.

RETN & VCAM Media Factory, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 651-9692.

‘THE CRUCIBLE’: National Theatre’s production of Arthur Miller’s drama about the Salem witch trials streams live from the London stage. Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, 11 a.m. $15. Info, 382-9222.

‘EATING UP EASTER’: Sustainable Woodstock virtually screens this documentary on the impact of tourism on Easter Island’s Indigenous culture and environment. Free. Info, 457-2911.

‘SEA MONSTERS 3D’: An adventurous dolichorhynchops travels through the most dangerous oceans in history, encountering plesiosaurs, giant turtles and the deadly mosasaur along the way. Northfield Savings Bank 3D Theater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, noon, 2 & 4 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $14.50-18; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

‘TEA WITH THE DAMES’: A 2018 documentary invites viewers to join acting legends Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins and Joan Plowright on their weekend in the country. Catamount Arts Center, St. Johnsbury, 6 p.m. Free. Info, 748-2600.

‘WILD AFRICA 3D’: Viewers are plunged into the magical vistas of the continent’s deserts, jungles and savannahs. Northfield Savings Bank 3D Theater: A National Geographic Experience,

LIST YOUR UPCOMING EVENT HERE FOR FREE!

All submissions must be received by Thursday at noon for consideration in the following Wednesday’s newspaper. Find our convenient form and guidelines at sevendaysvt.com/postevent

Listings and spotlights are written by Emily Hamilton Seven Days edits for space and style. Depending on cost and other factors, classes and workshops may be listed in either the calendar or the classes section. Class organizers may be asked to purchase a class listing.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10:30 a.m., 12:30, 2:30 & 4:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $14.50-18; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

‘WINGS OVER WATER 3D’: Sandhill cranes, yellow warblers and mallard ducks make their lives along rivers, lakes and wetlands. Northfield Savings Bank 3D Theater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11 a.m., 1 & 3 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $14.50-18; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

food & drink

FRENCH WINE PAIRING

DINNER: A five-course seasonal menu pairs perfectly with libations sure to satisfy any Francophile foodie. Edson Hill, Stowe, 6 p.m. $195; preregister. Info, 253-7371.

GREEK PASTRY SALE: The Greek Ladies Philoptochos Society of the Dormition of the Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church sells pastries, cookies and Easter bread to benefit local and international charities. Preorder through March 30; pickup April 8. Prices vary. Info, 552-0107.

health & fitness

CHAIR YOGA: Waterbury Public Library instructor Diana Whitney leads at-home participants in gentle stretches supported by seats. 10 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

Language

ELL CLASSES:

ENGLISH FOR BEGINNERS & INTERMEDIATE

FIND MORE LOCAL EVENTS IN THIS ISSUE AND ONLINE: art film

Find visual art exhibits and events in the Art section and at sevendaysvt.com/art.

See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section.

music + nightlife

Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/music.

= ONLINE EVENT

Lights, Camera, Action

Cinephiles, don’t decompress from Oscars season just yet. White River Indie Film Festival 2023 offers movie lovers four days of fun, screening 10 feature films, shorts from locales both nearby and far-flung, brunches, panels, and parties. Attendees can catch offerings as varied as The Butterfly Queen, an indie fairy tale filmed entirely in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom; The Quiet Girl (pictured), an Irish language comingof-age drama that was nominated for best international film at this year’s Academy Awards; Iranian director Jafar Panahi’s No Bears, which blends fiction and documentary; and Racist Trees, a documentary that tackles a Palm Springs Black community’s fight against segregation with honesty and humor.

WHITE RIVER INDIE FILM FESTIVAL lgbtq

Thursday, March 23, 5:30-9:30 p.m.; Friday, March 24, 5 p.m.-midnight; Saturday, March 25, 10 a.m.-midnight; and Sunday, March 26, 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m., at Briggs Opera House in White River Junction. $15; $100 for festival pass. Info, 295-6688, uvjam.org.

STUDENTS: Learners of all abilities practice written and spoken English with trained instructors. Presented by Fletcher Free Library. 6:30-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, bshatara@ burlingtonvt.gov.

IRISH LANGUAGE CLASS: Celticcurious students learn to speak an Ghaeilge in a supportive group. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

TIMOTHY LAHEY: A UVM Medical Center doctor answers questions about HIV medication PREP. Presented by Pride Center of Vermont. 3-4 p.m. Free. Info, 860-7812.

Montr Al

‘ENGLISH’: For four Iranian students, an English class devolves into a quagmire of questions about language, identity and assimilation in this coproduction with Soulpepper Theatre. Sylvan Adams Theatre, Segal Centre for Performing Arts, Montréal, 1 & 8 p.m. $25-67. Info, 514-739-7944.

Music

FARMERS NIGHT: BRYAN BLANCHETTE AND THE BLACK BEARS: The Abenaki singer-songwriter and his band offer up traditional and contemporary music and dance. House Chamber, Vermont Statehouse, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 828-2228.

MUSIC OF ANOTHER WORLD:

MUSIC IN TEREZIN: This third in a series of presentations on the music made under the constraints of the Third Reich focuses on pieces composed by the Austrian inmates at the Terezin concentration camp. ADA accessible. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 1:15-2:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

Outdoors

AMPHIBIAN ROAD CROSSING PROGRAM:

North Branch Nature Center specialists teach concerned citizens how they can help Vermont’s frogs and salamanders cross roads safely during their annual spring migrations. 7-8 p.m. Free. Info, 229-6206.

SMUGGS 55+ SKI CLUB: Seniors who love to ski, snowboard and snowshoe hit the slopes after coffee and pastries. Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Jeffersonville, 9 a.m.-noon. $30 for annual membership. Info, president@ smuggs55plus.com.

Seminars

BETHEL UNIVERSITY: Every day in March, locals take free outdoor and online classes on everything from thermodynamics to glassblowing to ice skating. See betheluniversityvt. org for full schedule. Various Bethel locations. Free; preregister. Info, betheluniversityvt@gmail.com.

PURCHASING YOUR FIRST ELECTRIC VEHICLE: New England Federal Credit Union financial experts teach drivers about the costs and benefits of going gas-free. Noon-1 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 764-6940.

Sports

GREEN MOUNTAIN TABLE

TENNIS CLUB: Ping-Pong players swing their paddles in singles and doubles matches. Rutland Area Christian School, 7-9 p.m. Free for first two sessions; $30 annual membership. Info, 247-5913.

Talks

ALL HAIL THE DRIVERLESS CAR: Local Toastmasters International chapters host a virtual Oxfordstyle debate on the merits and downfalls of self-driving vehicles. 7-8 p.m. Free. Info, 518-256-0889.

theater words

‘SWEAT’: A decline in the manufacturing industry unravels decades-old ties in a Pennsylvania factory town in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play presented by Northern Stage. Barrette Center for the Arts, White River Junction, 11 a.m. & 7:30 p.m. $5-69. Info, 296-7000.

‘AIRNESS’: A 1980s-inspired feel-good comedy, presented by Vermont Stage, follows a woman who finds community in the air-guitar competition circuit. Black Box Theater, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $31.0538.50. Info, 862-1497.

CHRISTINE KENNEALLY: The journalist behind a viral 2018 BuzzFeed article on St. Joseph’s Orphanage launches her book, Ghosts of the Orphanage: A Story of Mysterious Deaths, a Conspiracy of Silence and a Search for Justice. Phoenix Books, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 448-3350.

MATTHEW OLZMANN: The acclaimed author of Constellation Route reads from his poems. Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, 7-8 p.m. Free. Info, 635-2727.

SHANTA LEE: In conjunction with her exhibits “Dark Goddess” and

“Object-Defied,” the poet, artist and curator reads from her latest collection, Black Metamorphoses. Fleming Museum of Art, University of Vermont, Burlington, 5:30 p.m. Free. Info, 656-0750.

THU.23 community

OPEN HOUSE — THETFORD

USER’S MANUAL: Townsfolk stop by to discuss what a comprehensive guide to their community might look like. Latham Library, Thetford, 5-6 p.m. Free. Info, 785-4361.

Crafts

KNIT FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS: Yarnsmiths create hats and scarves to be donated to the South Burlington Food Shelf. All supplies provided. ADA accessible. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 3-6 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

KNITTING GROUP: Knitters of all experience levels get together to spin yarns. Latham Library, Thetford, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 785-4361.

Environment

ALYSSA BENNETT: The state wildlife biologist updates locals