Swiped Trailer, Fun Facts & Review
Swiped Synopsis:
Based on the true story of Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder of the dating apps Tinder and Bumble. Whitney (Lily James) follows her ambitious journey from a recent college graduate trying to break into the male-dominated tech industry to her pivotal role in co-founding Tinder. After facing sexism and harassment, she leaves the company and, with a mission to empower women, goes on to found Bumble, an innovative dating app that puts women in control of making the first move.
Genre: Drama, biography
Release Date: On Hulu & Disney+ September 19th, 2025
Swiped Fun Facts:
Based on a True Story:
The movie tells the true story of Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder of the dating app Bumble. It covers her time as a co-founder of Tinder, when she faced significant sexism and harassment, the legal lawsuit she launched against the company, and her path to developing a competitor platform.
Whitney Wolfe Herd Not Involved:
Due to a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) from her settlement with Tinder, Whitney Wolfe Herd did not participate in the production of the film. The ending credits of the movie also mention that "certain characters, relationships, and events have been altered for dramatic purposes."
No Stranger to Playing Real-Life Figures:
Lead actress Lily James, who plays Whitney Wolfe Herd, is no stranger to playing real-life figures. She was praised for her performance as Pamela Anderson in the miniseries Pam & Tommy (2022).
A Fictional Character Created for the Film:
The character Tisha, played by Myha'la, was created specifically for the movie. Tisha is a friend and coworker of Whitney's who acts as an important supportive female character. The filmmakers added her to bring a contemporary viewpoint between different identities in the technology industry.
A "Downton Abbey" Reunion:
This movie reunites Lily James with co-star Dan Stevens; previously, they both had a role in Downton Abbey, in which Lily James played Lady Rose MacClare and Dan Stevens played Matthew Crawley. In "Swiped," Stevens plays Andrey Andreev, a Russian-British tech entrepreneur who co-founded Bumble with Whitney.
Swiped Review:
The movie features Lily James in a charismatic role that serves as the foundation of the film. Though it manages to be somewhat engaging and fun to watch, it frequently comes off as lacking depth, not fully addressing the important issues it tries to examine.
The movie tells the story of Whitney Wolfe (Lily James), a determined young woman who, after an early career setback, joins a startup led by Sean Rad (Ben Schnetzer), where she significantly contributes to the creation and promotion of an innovative app, Tinder. Her path is filled with highs and lows, including a rapid ascent within the organization, a toxic workplace, and dealing with a public lawsuit. This journey ultimately inspires her to launch Bumble, a new dating app aimed at empowering women to make the first move.
Lily James delivers an outstanding performance, portraying Whitney's mix of innocent youth and strong will. Her performance serves as the heart of the film, and she skillfully handles the tough emotional journey of a woman fighting against sexism, misogyny, and public scrutiny. The movie showcases the "bro culture" present in the tech world, filled with office Nerf guns and casual belittling, which feels all too real and impactful, largely due to a strong performance from Jackson White as a notably toxic co-founder.
However, the main flaw of the movie lies in its inconsistent tone. It shifts dramatically from a serious story about workplace harassment to a lighthearted, almost silly workplace comedy. This emotional back-and-forth makes it difficult for the film to fully focus on its message. The story moves quickly but misses important details, which makes the supporting characters underdeveloped and the main conflict less intense. Although the movie serves as a decent introduction to Whitney Wolfe Herd's life, it doesn't really explore her deeper feelings or the complexities of her journey. It presents a general idea of empowerment instead of a thoughtful, deeper exploration of the main issues.
Swiped is an enjoyable yet fundamentally imperfect biographical film. Lily James shines in her role, and the movie’s fast pace makes it fun to watch. However, it doesn’t take full advantage of exploring the issues it brings up. It is a movie that wants to do well but only touches the surface of a much deeper storyline.