First images of Rob Brydon's Swimming With Men

by Amber Wilkinson, Vertigo Releasing

To celebrate the announcement that Rob Brydon's latest film Swimming With Men, will have its UK premiere as the closing film of Edinburgh International Film Festival, distributor Vertigo Releasing issued a set of images of Rob and his fellow cast, including Rupert Graves, Daniel Mays, Jane Horrocks and Thomas Turgoose, getting in the swim.

The film - which opens in Germany in June and will open across the UK on July 6 - stars Brydon as accountant Eric Scott, who finds himself in the throes of a mid-life crisis. After he joins an all-male group of synchronised swimmers, he discovers that making patterns in a pool can, for a couple of hours at least, give him escapism from the bumps in his work and marriage.

The ensemble cast also includes Adeel Akhtar, Jim Carter, Charlotte Riley, Ronan Daly and Chris Jepson. Initially the men in the swim team keep their personal lives in the locker, but the ramshackle squad and coach Susan (Riley) slowly begin to reveal their inner lives, as well as their paunches. But can they get their routines, not to mention their lives, in sync as they embark on an unlikely journey to Milan to compete in the World Championship?

Swimming With Men is directed by Oliver Parker, whose previous films include Dad's Army, An Ideal Husband and Dorian Gray. It is scripted by Catherine Tate Show writer Aschlin Ditta, who also penned Scenes Of A Sexual Nature.

Speaking about the film's gala slot at Edinburgh, Parker said: "I can’t think of a better place for our intrepid swimmers to take the plunge.”

Click an image below to view a larger version.

Share this with others on...
News

The division belle Suzannah Herbert on facing the US' troubled history and making Natchez

Spin-off alchemy Claude Schmitz on bringing back cop pairing for Conrad & Crab – Idiotic Gems

Past crime Christoffer Boe on creating a world for his period mystery Special Unit - The First Murder

The hidden river Helen MacDonald and Philippa Lowthorpe on adapting H Is For Hawk

This wild channel David Shadrack Smith and Jake Fogelnest on the content creation revolution and Public Access

Sundance announces winners Josephine, Nuisance Bear, Shame And Money and To Hold A Mountain take top prizes

More news and features

Interact

As we move into 2026, don't forget that you can follow us on YouTube for trailers of festival films and more. You can also find us on Mastodon and Bluesky.

With awards season in full flow, you can keep track of the latest news on that here:

César nominations Nouvelle Vague leads the race for France's biggest awards

BAFTA nominations One Battle After Another and Sinners almost neck and neck

Golden Eddies Nominations for editing brilliance announced

OFCS Awards One Battle After Another triumphs; Sinners dominates