Is Backstroke on Netflix? The best place to watch the short film for free

Thanks to TikTok, the horror short film Backstroke gained a ton of attention and many are wondering if the movie is streaming on Netflix. You can watch Backstroke right now, here’s where and how.

The four-minute horror movie Backstroke went viral on TikTok, mostly because the version found there was posted by a creator who implied it was one of Netflix’s best movies.

But this four-minute cut is only 40% of the movie, with the real Backstroke being long a 10-minute short film from 2019.

The TikTok version has electronic music blasted on top of the action and inaccurate subtitles at the bottom of the screen. It’s not among the new movies on Netflix or other streaming services, but you can still watch it.

Backstroke isn’t on Netflix, but that’s a good thing

No, Backstroke is not on Netflix. The ‘Alter’ YouTube channel posted the full version in 2019. You can watch it there for free.

That’s good news! No subscription is needed.

The confusion seems to have occurred when the edited version of Backstroke was uploaded to TikTok with that Netflix proclamation on the screen.

Indeed, the comments underneath feature messages like, “Just looked on Netflix it wasn’t there,” and, “This idiot keep saying on Netflix not on Netflix.” We couldn’t have put it better ourselves.

What Backstroke is about

Backstroke is about two runaway teenagers who steal a car. When they drive down to Florida, things take a dark turn.

When will movie characters learn nothing good ever happens when they take an impromptu trip to Florida? The film was made in 2017, with Robbie Barclay writing and directing. Josefine Christoffersen and Shemar Jonas play the teens in question: Amber and Jake.

It’s a fun short, and we’d recommend watching the original cut on YouTube, rather than the butchered TikTok version seeing as it’s not on Netflix.

SPOILERS AHEAD:

They make it to the countryside and have some fun and games with a gun, then Amber tells Jake to close his eyes and count while she runs off to skinny-dip. Things turn twisted when a man — played by Tom Frank — appears at the water’s edge and asks strange questions. Before telling Amber that Jake is dead.

Amber somehow makes it back to her clothes and car, but Jake is nowhere to be seen. And just when it seems like she’ll escape, the film has a sting in its tail.

It might not be on any streaming services, but we’ve got a stellar list of the best horror movies to keep us shivering under the covers tonight. Or, see the TV shows streaming this month. For more short films, check out Momma, Intruders, or Special Day.