PLOT: A drug addicted Florida man finds a wounded mermaid at his lowest level. When phrase spreads about his secret, he’ll cease at nothing to guard her.
REVIEW: I’m of the assumption that The Form of Water actually opened individuals’s eyes to treating monsters like one thing greater than villains. It’s allowed for a lot of several types of tales to be advised, and provides totally different layers to a creature function. However these hoping for a straight-up comedy ought to in all probability recalibrate these expectations as Mermaid is extra of a darkish character research than anything. And it’s fairly peculiar.
Mermaid follows Doug, a Florida man with a drug dependancy, who randomly comes throughout an injured Mermaid. Solely don’t suppose that that is Splash with a ravishing Daryl Hannah-like model, because the Mermaid is monstrous. However he finds a bizarre kinship along with her, particularly in comparison with these round him, whom he feels so alone with. He’ll do something to guard her, however his secret will get out, and he has to interrupt out of his consolation zone with a view to save her. It’s a reasonably attention-grabbing take and goes in some fairly sudden instructions. Regardless of some nice creature work, the spine of the movie is absolutely the performances.
Most, together with myself, know Johnny Pemberton from his many comedic roles, however that is way more subdued. He’s a drug addict who’s simply wandering aimlessly in life. He doesn’t know correctly socialize, and he’s disconnected from each single particular person in his life, together with his daughter. There are occasions after I simply need to shake him and wake him up. His priorities are constantly out of whack, but it surely all is sensible for the character and the journey he’s on. A traditional particular person wouldn’t have gone to the lengths that Doug does to assist a monstrous mermaid. We additionally get some enjoyable performances from Robert Patrick, Kevin Nealon, and Kevin Dunn.
The creature results are completely gorgeous, with the mermaid design wanting unimaginable. I like the way it’s so hideous, but Doug continues to be in a position to see its magnificence. For a second, I assumed he was really going to have some type of romantic factor occurring with this fish. On the subject of the pacing, the story can drag a bit. Doug is drugged up on drugs, so the film displays that aimlessness. It may be a little bit irritating at occasions and gained’t be for everybody. However the circumstances and characters themselves are darkly humorous, particularly given the scenario.
I believe all of us have a sure opinion on Florida, and there’s a motive that “Florida Man” is a factor. It’s the bastion of bizarre conduct. It’s such an ideal setting for this story, and it feels so intrinsically vital that I can’t think about it happening elsewhere. Whether or not it’s Doug himself or the various totally different characters he interacts with alongside the way in which, they don’t really feel misplaced or unrealistic. If there was ever going to be somebody who befriends a scary mermaid, they’d be from the Sunshine State.
When you take a look at it on the floor, then it’s going to really feel prefer it’s simply attempting to be unusual for the sake of it however there’s clearly an amazing level. In some ways, Mermaid is a narrative about drug dependancy and the way it could make you numb to the world. However there’s all the time one thing that may carry you out of it. Doug wanted a scary Mermaid. And with Pemberton’s incredible efficiency, it makes for a memorable expertise. There’s no denying that that is a particularly odd film but it surely was proper up my alley. It’s a quiet character research that depends on its performances and nice creature work to inform a novel story with some humorous moments thrown in for good measure.
Mermaid is taking part in in Choose Theaters on April eighth, 2026.
