The Swimmer

One of the few bona fide counter-cultural films to be produced by a major studio, The Swimmer is a sun-scorched and surreal suburban satire that boasts a fine performance from Burt Lancaster as Ned Merrill, the all-American man who one day determines to swim home to his Connecticut mansion via a series of pools in his neighbourhood. Directed by Frank Perry imbues Eleanor Perry's adaptation of John Cheever's short story with stunning expressionistic flourishes, creating a true masterpiece of cinema. (Powerhouse Films)