5 Mermaid Movies to Watch
Mermaid are attractive outsiders — unaccepted members of society that still hold some sort of allure.
Their outsider status arises primarily from their lack of feet — unlike regular humans who use two legs to walk on land, mermaids use a long fish tail to squirm in the sea.
Mermaids might be interesting to modern day humans because of an unconscious internalization of the ‘aquatic ape theory’. This theory postulates that the modern day naked human had a brief evolutionary escapade in the water as an underwater mammal — and then returned to land. This would explain why humans are hairless, as a lack of hair reduces drag in the water.
Perhaps we are both repulsed and intrigued by our past. Which leads to the following list of movies.
- Mermaid (2007)
This film is a modern take on the original fairy tale and provides healthy commentary on contemporary Russian society. The mermaid lives in Moscow, and works at supermarket. The visuals, magical realism, and soundtrack add stylistic interest to this classic retelling of forlorn love.
2. The Lighthouse (2019)
In this intriguing character piece, the mermaid has a brief but standout role as a seductress. This is probably the most realistic mermaid sex scene captured in cinema. While most depictions leave mermaid sexual organs to the imagination, they are prominently displayed in this rendition.
3. The Lure (2015)
Fashion, indie rock and mermaids create an eye catching combination in this humanistic but creepy Polish film. As newcomers to human society, these mermaids endure a trial by fire to understand boys, music and the battle of good vs evil.
4. Aquamarine (2006)
On the opposite end of the mermaid spectrum, this is a light hearted beach comedy aimed at the tween fantasy age group. It hits all the classic mermaid tropes and churns out into a sort of Disney meets Mean Girls meets Florida vibe. For the 11 year olds out there, this an aspirational film and a confirmation that blue hair, blue nails and mermaid tattoos can still be in vogue.
5. The Little Mermaid (1989)
The Little Mermaid is the ultimate attractive outsider. While the film is aimed for young children, it addresses deep, adult themes of belonging. As she experiences rejection from both her birth family in the sea and her human family on land, Ariel struggles with her identity. In trying to find love for herself, she is nearly doomed by an unlucky encounter with a witch (and her own foolish dislike of reading terms and conditions statements). If the last time you saw this was from the crib, the atmospheric art alone it is worth an adult rewatch.