The Mermaid, directed by Soudabeh Moradian and written by Moradian and Mary E. Fry, from a story by Naghmeh Samini, bills itself as a horror flick. But it is not. Parts are quietly haunting and the climax is thrilling, but there’s no terror or frights to be found. High drama is the order of the day. Do the dramatics intrigue, or does the lack of scares hurt the overall impact?
Darya (Asiyeh Ziaei) has been stuck on her latest manuscript due to the PTSD she suffers from. But one night, she, her husband Ray (Thom Miller), and her son Kevin (Jeremy Shinder) save a lady from cold waves. When the mysterious woman (Natalie De Vincentiis) comes to, she is understandably startled, and the family discovers she cannot speak English. Luckily, the “mermaid,” as Kevin and grandma Rachel (Mary E. Fry) dub her, understands it, so some communication is possible. As Darya tends to the woman’s needs, their bond grows, causing unspoken resentments to rise to the surface. Darya must confront her strange dreams and decide whether they are nightmares or dark premonitions that only love can pierce.
Running right around an hour and 45 minutes, The Mermaid is in no rush. Scenes go on and on until the audience feels uncomfortable. That is part of the point the filmmaker is making. Moradian aims to make all watching as antsy about the heavy silences that surround every Darya and Ray’s marriage as the couple is. As secrets and past transgressions come to light, a palpable unease sets in. Ray’s attitude toward the “mermaid” is tinged with distrust despite the things he says to appease his wife. As the “mermaid” exerts more influence over Darya and she finds more of herself, the misogyny comes into full view. Ray slowly moves from likable to not, which proves that even the best intentions cannot hide a rotten heart.
“As Darya tends to the woman’s needs, their bond grows, causing unspoken resentments to rise to the surface.”
The black-and-white cinematography evokes the stark way Darya and Ray feel about their relationship. Adding in a dash of color as the climax approaches could’ve further extenuated this, but alas, no such luck. Still, the use of shadows is effective, and the monochromatic presentation is effective. The editing can be a little disorientating, but overall, it works to sell the drama and mystery.
As the “mermaid” of The Mermaid, Natalie De Vincentiis is great. Her facial expressions and body language sell her confusion and how she finds some solace and joy in unfamiliar surroundings. Ziaei is intense as the put-upon wife holding grudges even she forgot about. A scene where she’s trying to read and seems to be distracted by an unseen force sells the uncomfortableness of her life well. Miller is easy to like and even easier to distrust, making his arc believable. Shinder is less effective. He plays Kevin on the spectrum, full of awkwardness for no reason. He never seems to understand social cues or the like, though the character’s dialogue never suggests such is meant to be the case.
The Mermaid is a stimulating drama that culminates into quite the conclusion. The cast is, with one exception, engaging and believable. However, the movie has no scares or a mounting sense of dread, so it is a lousy horror offering, which it claims to be. As such, genre fans will be very disappointed, but arthouse cinephiles will find a lot to appreciate.
For more information, visit the official The Mermaid site.
"…arthouse cinephiles will find a lot to appreciate."
