In November 2023, Netflix unveiled Nyad, a biographical sports drama that has since captivated audiences and critics alike, not only for its inspiring story but also for the powerhouse performances of its leading ladies, Annette Bening and Jodie Foster. Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin in their narrative feature debut, Nyad tells the remarkable true story of marathon swimmer Diana Nyad, who, at the age of 60, set out to achieve a lifelong dream: to swim 110 miles across the open ocean from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. With Bening as Nyad and Foster as her best friend and coach Bonnie Stoll, the film is a testament to tenacity, friendship, and the triumph of the human spirit—but it also raises questions about the complexities of its central figure and the sport she represents.

The announcement of Nyad came in January 2022, when Netflix revealed that Vasarhelyi and Chin, the Oscar-winning documentary filmmakers behind Free Solo (2018), would helm the project. Known for their work on human endurance and extreme challenges, the directing duo seemed a natural fit for Nyad’s story, which involves battling sharks, poisonous jellyfish, and the sheer physical toll of a 53-hour swim through treacherous waters. The screenplay, adapted by Julia Cox from Nyad’s 2015 memoir Find a Way, weaves in flashbacks to Nyad’s early life, offering insight into the motivations behind her relentless drive. Produced by Andrew Lazar and Teddy Schwarzman, the film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on September 1, 2023, followed by screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival, before hitting select theaters on October 20 and streaming on Netflix starting November 3, 2023.

At the heart of Nyad are Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, two screen icons whose performances have been the film’s biggest draw. Bening, a four-time Oscar nominee for roles in films like The Kids Are All Right and American Beauty, delivers a physically and emotionally demanding portrayal of Diana Nyad. To prepare, Bening trained for over a year with Olympic swimmer Rada Owen, swimming up to eight hours a day to authentically capture Nyad’s endurance. “She was often in the tank for hours at a time because she wanted it to be authentic,” Chin told Netflix Tudum. “The stunt team was blown away.” Bening herself reflected on the transformative experience, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “It has changed my life… It is so deeply, deeply good for the brain and the soul, and I just love the water.” Her dedication paid off—critics have praised her for embodying Nyad’s ferocity and self-obsession without making her irredeemable, a balance that earned her a fifth Oscar nomination for Best Actress at the 2024 Academy Awards.

Jodie Foster, a two-time Oscar winner for The Accused (1988) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991), plays Bonnie Stoll, Nyad’s steadfast friend and coach who provides the emotional anchor for the journey. Foster, who hadn’t been nominated for an Oscar since 1995, also received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, marking a triumphant return to the awards circuit. Her portrayal of Stoll is described as “fierce, strong, and heartfelt” by BankofMarquis, with critics like Richard Roeper noting, “When Bening and Foster are onscreen together, it’s movie magic. They don’t just have chemistry; they’re chemistry professors.” Foster’s role also carries personal significance—she plays an out lesbian character at a time when she has become more open about her own identity, having come out publicly in 2013 and later appearing with her wife, Alexandra Hedison, at the 2021 Golden Globes. In Nyad, Foster’s Bonnie is a “butch and brash” lifeline, as Variety put it, grounding the film’s emotional core and showcasing Foster’s ability to bring depth to supporting roles.

The film’s narrative follows Nyad’s four-year quest to complete the Cuba-to-Florida swim, a feat she first attempted at 28 but failed to achieve due to harsh conditions. After retiring from marathon swimming to become a sports journalist, Nyad became “obsessed” at 60 with finishing what she called the “Mount Everest” of swims—a 110-mile journey through shark-infested waters without a protective cage. The story is as much about her friendship with Stoll as it is about her physical endurance, with the two women navigating Nyad’s single-minded determination and the toll it takes on their relationship. Supporting performances, like Rhys Ifans as the gruff-but-kind navigator John Bartlett, add warmth to the ensemble, though the spotlight remains firmly on Bening and Foster.

Critically, Nyad has been well-received, earning an 85% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 162 reviews, with a consensus that reads, “Nyad is an uplifting sports biopic strictly on the merits of its story, but it’s the outstanding performances from Annette Bening and Jodie Foster that really keep this picture afloat.” On Metacritic, it scored a 63 out of 100, indicating “generally favorable” reviews. Leonard Maltin named it one of his favorite films of 2023, praising its ability to soar beyond the typical biopic pitfalls: “It didn’t seem like acting at all.” Fans on platforms like X echoed this sentiment, with posts calling Bening a “total badass” and Foster “the heart of the film.” Audiences have been particularly moved by the film’s themes of perseverance and aging, with one Gransnet user noting, “I was shouting for her at the end, and shouting at the crowd not to help her.”

However, Nyad is not without its flaws—or its controversies. Some critics, like those at Rolling Stone, pointed out that the film occasionally treads into heavy-handed territory, with scenes of Nyad’s childhood trauma feeling like “pop psychology at best, and cliché at worst.” The directors’ love for the material sometimes leads to lingering shots and overstretched scenes, as BankofMarquis noted: “At one point, I wanted to shout at the screen, ‘Okay… I get it… she’s determined.’” More significantly, the film has faced scrutiny for its portrayal of Diana Nyad herself, a polarizing figure in the marathon swimming community. While Nyad presents her as a heroic underdog, some swimmers have questioned the authenticity of her 2013 swim, leading to its formal recognition being stripped by the Guinness Book of World Records. Steve Munatones, founder of the World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA), who advised on the film, was restructured out of his own organization amid efforts to ratify Nyad’s achievement, highlighting the tensions her media-savvy persona created in a sport filled with unsung athletes.

Nyad herself acknowledged this in a Time interview, admitting that her lack of engagement with the marathon swimming community before her swim may have fueled the controversy: “Marathon swimmers are a special breed; it’s a grueling sport, and they suffer.” Her elite media connections and past exaggerations about her achievements—such as claiming to be the first woman to swim around Manhattan, a claim later debunked—have made her a lightning rod for criticism. The film sidesteps these issues, focusing instead on her personal triumph, a choice that some, like Variety, argue makes Nyad a difficult character to root for: “She’s entitled, mean, self-centered, and treats people around her terribly… and she’s our hero?” Yet, Bening and Foster’s performances manage to humanize her, offering a nuanced portrait of a woman driven by both ambition and insecurity.

For Vasarhelyi and Chin, Nyad was a chance to explore themes they’ve long tackled in their documentaries: human endurance, the strength of community, and the defiance of societal expectations. “Nyad wasn’t willing to accept that the world was done with her,” Vasarhelyi told Netflix Tudum, emphasizing the film’s focus on a woman in her 60s who refuses to be sidelined. This resonated deeply with Bening, who, in a press conference reported by E. Nina Rothe, reflected on her own mother’s vitality at 94 and the importance of stories about women who aren’t “done.” Foster, too, found personal meaning in the role, noting that she rarely does films with a partner, making her collaboration with Bening a “revelation” that mirrored Bonnie and Diana’s bond.

Nyad is more than a sports biopic—it’s a celebration of resilience, friendship, and the power of defying age stereotypes. Bening and Foster, both in their 60s, shatter expectations with their physical transformations and emotional depth, showing that women of any age can be “badasses,” as Foster told The Washington Post. While the film may gloss over some of Nyad’s controversies, its emotional core and stellar performances make it a compelling watch. As it continues to stream on Netflix, Nyad stands as a testament to the enduring talent of Jodie Foster and Annette Bening—and a reminder that some dreams, like some swimmers, refuse to be held back by the tides of time.