When you mention mermaid cinema, most kids from the 1990s and early 2000s will recall one: Disney’s The Little Mermaid. As powerful as it was, Disney’s rehash of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy story is far from historical depictions of mermaids. Most sea-faring cultures have some form of merfolk in their mythology, and they aren’t precisely Dinglehopper-loving Ariels. When you think of mermaids, sirens, or sea nymphs in film, you might think of Daryl Hannah in Splash! or Ariel in The Little Mermaid. However, if you go back to Hans Christian Anderson’s original 1937 version of the classic fairy tale, the ‘little mermaid’ in question had her mouth trimmed out!
She Creature:
The above-crafted film debuted on Cinemax in 2001. It was intended to pay homage to American International Pictures, a production company founded in 1954 that specialized in low-budget horror films. They were in charge of films like The Raven and The Tomb of Ligeia. Carla Gugino and Rufus Sewell play unsuccessful carnival workers who come into possession of a real mermaid in She Creature. At first glance, the mermaid appears innocuous, just a beautiful woman with a fishtail. That is not the issue, as the creature transforms into another, more violent form with a taste for people. Gugino’s questionable Irish accent, a possible mermaid baby, and some very 2001 CGI make She Creature a must-see.
NYMPH:
Have you taken a break to have it spoiled by a mermaid who eats men? In the 2014 film Nymph, Kelly and Lucy find themselves in this situation. It’s your typical girls’ weekend away. A Mediterranean film in which they drink wine and spend the day on the beach. It’s also a film in which the camera lingers on their scantily clad buttocks. Nymph enjoys wearing short shorts. However, as their vacation progresses, they stumble upon an abandoned fortress inhabited by a not-so-friendly mermaid. They must now fight for their lives. Milan Todorovic, a Serbian director, directed the nymph. This is Serbia’s first creature feature, so it’s worth a look. It is an example of significant international horror filmmaking that may go unnoticed.
Blue My Mind:
Shockingly, there aren’t more mermaids starting to come in Hollywood movies, but Lisa Brühlmann has filled the void with Blue My Mind, her directorial debut. She captures the agony of growing up, moving, and puberty for a young girl, with the additional perk of trying to grow a mullet. Mia tries to fit in with the cool crowd in a new town by using drugs, partying, and light asphyxiation. But when she develops a taste for the family goldfish, she realizes something is seriously wrong. Blue My Mind is a film by Der Nachtmahr, When Animals Dream, and Ginger Snaps, in which a girl goes through a violent, terrifying, and sometimes empowering transition that depicts the pain of adolescence.
The Lure:
A mermaid musical set in an alternate-universe Poland in the 1980s. Do I need to say more? The stunning directorial debut of Agnieszka Smoczynska is a film about two mermaid sisters, Srebrna (Marta Mazurek) and Zlota (Michalina Olszanska), who collaborate in a Polish nightclub. They disguise themselves as singers and use their siren songs to entice men to quench their thirst for blood. However, everything goes wrong when one falls in love with a human. This is another film heavily influenced by Hans Christian Andersen’s original The Little Mermaid, which does not have an excellent outcome. The Lure is a prime example of fantastic, inventive, and enticing tragedy filmmaking.
Siren:
With their 2018 show, Siren, Freeform, formerly ABC Family, entered the niche horror market. According to legend, the show takes place in Bristol Cove, a mermaid-obsessed coastal town once home to creatures of the deep. They’re not sure what to do when actual mermaids wash up on the beach. This all starts with Ryn (Eline Powell), a mysterious girl who is a mermaid. Despite the havoc she causes in Bristol Cove, she attracts the attention of local marine biologists who want to help her. She also attracts the attention of some evil deep sea fisherman because what mermaid TV show would be complete without evil men wielding lures and cages?
It’s Halloween, so we can add horror movies/TV shows/book reviews to my never-ending list of things I think I can start writing about with abandon. Today, we will not watch the best movies of a thing, but rather movies of an item that I discovered because there aren’t many movies of that thing available. Most mermaids of myth are deadly, deceptive creatures, ranging from Atargatis, the murderous Assyrian goddess-turned-mermaid, to the sirens of Ancient Greece who lured sailors to watery graves. And there are plenty of mermaid films that play on this. We’ve compiled a list of the best mermaid movies to watch, whether you’re looking for something light and fun or films that portray mermaids in a more mysterious light.
