“Swan Song” Recap: 89 Thoughts I Had While Watching On Apple TV

Thanks to Apple TV Plus, I got to watch the Swan Song movie a few days early, and I am super excited to share my initial thoughts.

When I first found out about Swan Song, I took a look at the cast list and freaked out a bit.

I was super scared Awkwafina, and her foolish ways, would ruin this!

I mean she’s not that bad in Shang Chi, but I wasn’t taking any chances! However, I’m happy to say she didn’t ruin this film for me! Whew. Cause girl I was coming for you!

Swan Song is about a loving Black husband and father, who is diagnosed with a terminal illness. He’s presented with a controversial alternative solution to shield his family from his loss — replace himself with a carbon copy clone. But the catch? He can’t ever tell them about the copy, or about his sickness!

And I absolutely love it! So here are …

89 Thoughts I Had While Watching Swan Song On Apple TV

Spoiler Alert – If you haven’t seen Swan Song yet, this recap will spoil things a bit. I omitted names so you don’t know who is who. But if you loathe all kinds of spoilers, bookmark this joint and wait until you’ve seen the movie.

1. Oh shit a robot that knows what you want, knows your name, takes a payment automatically? Dang! I already like this!
2. Omg is this how he meets his wife????
3. Not him drawing her!!
4. Not her eating his damn echo bar! Tf sis, you ain’t order that and he just took piece like I guess we’ll share. 
5. They really made echo chocolate bars for this movie. And that’s crazy! Like they really made a whole product just to feature it in this film.
6. She not gon’ say anything to him though? What kinda foolery!
7. Ohhhhhhh shit that WAS her echo bar the whole time?!! His was in his bag!! NOOO! I’m crying! That’s hilarious!
8. Omg, this is so cute! That first 5 mins would make such a cute short film!!
9. I need info on this futuristic car. Apple TV Plus, y’all make a real one of those for this film too? Send me deets please!
10. Not my nerdy, organized, virgo ass, looking at this shoe rack like … “mmm I like this shoe rack”. What’s wrong with me?
11. Music is subtle … nice.
12. WTF is that? OMG, that was a voice note left for him???
13. Ohhhh … the futuristic tech in this is dope!! Like this is the kind of tech I expect to see in sci-fi films! Yesss!
14. Pause … I need these contacts and earbuds explained. ASAP.
15. Wait, did he just fall TF out and then close the bathroom door so no one would see? He not gon’ ask for help, nada? Just gon’ pretend everything all good while he slowly dying in there? My goodness!!
16. This shot is beautiful! I wish I was watching this in theaters, damn it!
17. Yeah, this is literally the same as the Amazon series. But I love seeing it as a movie.
18. The symmetry!!!
19. The sets are really nice! Like, reallyyyy nice. Like someone shoulda invited me to walk around this set so I could see it in person ’cause my god!
20. Oh wow, so the contacts have cameras in them!! It’s like a VR system you control with your hands? I knew something was up with them! This is dope!
21. Wait … so they’re using A.I to clone people??
22. It’s the scoring for me!!
23. So he can’t tell his wife he’s dying if he wants to switch bodies? This is so sad!
24. Not his son saying he want his drawing pencils! That’s so cute!
25. Awww, Black man, that’s an artist and getting paid to do art? Thank you!! With a great family! YES Apple TV! I mean it’s not comforting that he’s dying though, but yeah.
26. This is how they explain to us what the system is? Good job! Nice! Love it. They explain through his clone.
27. They really doing good with these Apple films bruh, this is so good.
28. And that anger just now … out of nowhere… you FEEL that … he’s scared, he’s frustrated. Dang Mahershala Ali!! Whew.
29. That’s probably how Awakafina comes in? She’s one of the others???
30. His only two options are to do it and swap without telling his wife, or tell his wife he’s dying. So, he either breaks her heart or feel like he’s betraying her trust. That’s crazy!
31. Oh look she only talked for like 5 seconds. And she’s not tryna be funny! Whew.
32. It must be hard having to pretend you’re fine while going through everything.
33. Oh shit, she just recorded that!!! Yooooo! The tech in this is really great!
34. They’re both artists! She’s a musician, he draws. I really love this narrative!
35. Omg, he has another kid on the way? I’m about to cry!
36. Damn, he wanted to tell her!!! Don’t do this to me Apple!
37. Oh, she has her A.I out there, while she’s still alive? Interesting.
38. For some reason, the interior in this film, reminds me of Dune.
39. Dang imagine having to shoot all those shots for that montage!! Sorry, I’m geeking out now. Ignore me.
40. Would you do it? For real? Give your family a you? I think I would for my daughter in a split second. Knowing she’d never feel like she lost me. 
41. I love that they went back here so we could see them meet again.
42. Cameron and Poppy? They couldn’t change the names after they casted? That’s asking for too much? Like, these names feel so weird.
43. Ahhhhhh Frank ocean? Perfect for this!!
44. Omg, this is so good it’s so wholesome.
45. So she doesn’t have dreads dreads, good to know.
46. She lost her brother. Stop tryna make me cry damn it!
47. How is her loss so painful for HIIM tho? 
48. He’s been gone for weeksssss??? WTF!
49. Not him saying … “aye yo big man”.
50. I like that we’re seeing his “memories”.
51. Black family gardening, yessss! Come through!!
52. Oh wow, the only thing that’s different is a freckle on his hand? 
53. Not the live video games in front of you. This is so dope!
54. Oh shit, something happened in front of his son! Will his family know now?
55. He’s having seizures?
56. She’s so not annoying when she’s not tryna be funny. 
57. She does music therapy, awww.
58. 3rd time we see Awka … a few seconds at a time. It’s not bad.
59. He was thrown off a bike on a mountain? This literally sounds like a white film with a Black cast.
60. That’s the difference!!! Cameron’s more emotional!!! 
61. This the first test? They call the person??
62. First he was scared that he wouldn’t be able to BE him, and now he can’t stand the idea of it working!
63. Damn … not them fighting each other!!
64. Damn his acting is great!! Like seriously amazing!
65. The dog, the kid, it’s … it’s perfectly perfect! They’re just going through a rough time because of grief! These are the stories we need with Black folks! Not the traumatic slave stories we keep getting stuffed down our throats!
66. Halfway through and I’m in love with this. 
67. Oh look he finally has someone to talk to now!! Having someone that knows you, how you feel, someone who can literally feel your pain … damn!
68. Damn clone keeps jumping out of his sleep. I feel so bad for him honestly. This has to be super weird.
69. Oh wow, so the dude can see what Cameron sees now!!
70. WTF? Did he need to see if he could bleed?
71. Oh damn, he can see him having a seizure.
72. What if she looks out and sees him laying there?? 
73. Oh shit, it says not available.
74. You just gotta say call and pick up? That’s crazy! This better than Siri, bruh.
75. Not another seizure bro, WTF. 
76. Wait, what? No, you can’t just swap, make up an excuse!! Now they got me wanting to scream at the screen and shit.
77. Wowwww … she keeps saying it’s covered in the contract! Like they’re not people!
78. Oh shittttt … the dog knows!!! The pets always know!!! That’s crazy!!! That was a smart move writers!!! 
79. She basically stole the last of his days with her family. I’m mad like I know these peopl!
80. He’s gonna snap he’s faking.
81. I knew it … and the other felt it.
82. Oh lord, now they gon see two of him. Come on, sir! This really got me on the edge of my seat tho … whew.
83. They really tried to hide the Nike logo, and I’m laughing, cause umm … I still see it.
84. Not him scared of the dog. Did he put him in a closet?
85. Awww his first beer!! He’s scared of losing out. This is breaking my heart!
86. He basically needed to say goodbye.
87. This was basically what a man would do to keep his family happy (to spare them pain).
88. One of the best films I’ve seen this year!!
89. Loved this and, no, Awkwafina didn’t ruin this! Whew, love love love.

Whew that was a great film!

I’m emotional all over again writing this. If you haven’t seen Swan Song yet, you really need to watch it! It’s amazing!

Swan Song is now streaming on Apple TV Plus.