A thin story (unfortunately, the prejudice that many writers lead to a bad script once again has proven true) coupled with a bloated, hollow imagery generate the stale taste of a generic music video or a commercial for a beach vacation.
It's not that I don't get it: Extreme close-ups and a constant play with depth of focus aim for a dark notion of something twisted or mysterious. But the content of those minute-long sequences is breathtakingly dim. You can skip 75% of those shots without missing anything remotely relevant for the story.
When I look behind the curtain of these loads of eye-candy I see a director who is a visual show-off that doesn't care much about the story he is telling. What a terrible misunderstanding.
On a last note, I have to mention the questionable image of the women here. I find it exploitative, reminding me of the 80's.
2 Reviews
A different kind of Mermaid
beormas11 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Summary and *spoiler start*
Once upon a time there lived a tribe ob mermaids on an island off the French coast. And that's where the fairy tale ends. Human settlers came and drove them away to a remote corner, eventually killing all of them, or so they thougt and the humans forgot all about them.
Today there is a series of mysterious deaths, mostly fishermen who illegally dumped oil or chemicals into the sea. As it turns out, one mermaid has survived and she's behind it. Not only can she breathe under water as well as on land, she also has the ability to enchant men and to suck the life out of them. She also heals super fast while in water. She#s taking revenge on those men that pollute her habitat.
Then there is Chloé, a young, very shy woman who has only one real friend. When one of the men from the island tries to rape her, he falls into a coma, nobody knows why. With the help of Théa, the murderous mermaid, she begins to discover that she is a mermaid herself.
Meanwhile, some humans try to hunt down first Théa and later Chloé as well, some to stop the murders, some because they hate everything alien. Towards the end, there is a showdown with multiple deaths and a not entirely happy ending.
*Spoiler end*
This series is about mermaids, but it's not for children. There is some nudity, sex scenes and quite a bit of violence. It also addresses social issues, like the decline of the fishing industry and the resulting lack of future and hope for the inhabitants of the island. It's a mystery tale, the truth gets revealed slowly, some things are not quite logical (e.g. you occasionally ask yourself why the mermaid doesn't use her special powers in certain situations), but all in all it's a thrilling tale with solid to excellent acting from most of the actors. I can recommend it.
This series is about mermaids, but it's not for children. There is some nudity, sex scenes and quite a bit of violence. It also addresses social issues, like the decline of the fishing industry and the resulting lack of future and hope for the inhabitants of the island. It's a mystery tale, the truth gets revealed slowly, some things are not quite logical (e.g. you occasionally ask yourself why the mermaid doesn't use her special powers in certain situations), but all in all it's a thrilling tale with solid to excellent acting from most of the actors. I can recommend it.
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