Mermaid (2025) presents itself as a tribute to Florida, but don’t anticipate anything like Midnight in Paris. Instead, this film shares similarities with Leaving Las Vegas or Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant, referencing Sin City and NOLA respectively. While not quite on par with those films, Mermaid isn't bad either; it possesses potential for improvement. The production values are strong, and the locations feel authentic to Florida, even in their fantastical depiction of a mermaid who is essentially portrayed as “a fucking fish.” Avery Potemri, playing Destiny (referred to as Doug by Johnny Pemberton), has an unconventional appearance achieved through prosthetics and acting—a refreshing change. The film excels visually but overlooks biological plausibility. While aquatic creatures can survive outside water, the script doesn’t acknowledge that some species of fish can do so briefly. Clarifying the stakes of Destiny's time on land might have better highlighted Doug’s problematic behavior, if that was the intention. Despite professing care for Destiny, Doug seems oblivious to the harm he inflicts by keeping her in his apartment and taking her to children’s birthday parties; his actions carry significant thematic weight. This satirical twist on Splash presents Destiny as a victim while Doug functions as an emotional exploiter. This revelation reshapes our understanding of Doug's relationship with his ex-wife, Tina (Julia Valentine Larson), who initially appears as a stereotypical antagonist but gains sympathy as Doug’s true nature is revealed. The plot takes a bizarre turn when Destiny is kidnapped by Robert Patrick and Doug must rescue her from Kevin Dunn, who intends to eat her—a development even surprising for a film about a cryptid. The climax draws parallels to The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, but falls short of that film's impact due to less skillful execution. Instead of a clear depiction of someone being consumed, we see a close-up of a fork piercing what appears to be Destiny’s tail, accompanied by computer-generated blood and her reaction. This raises questions about why Kevin Dunn would eat her raw, let alone complain that she's "chewy" and tastes “like shit.” A deep frying scene and Doug’s earlier intervention could have elevated the sequence, potentially preserving a more positive resolution—indicated by Doug’s cautiously optimistic smile before the film ends. It’s unclear if he has experienced any self-awareness or redemption, but that possibility remains open to interpretation. We learn even less about Destiny than we do about Doug; while I generally believe in restraint and appreciate the mystery surrounding a creature like her, we never see her in her natural environment. This might be preferable, however, as it would likely have necessitated more substandard CGI—the film’s most noticeable weakness. Before his death, Dunn's character delivers a monologue asserting Florida’s unpredictable nature. I haven’t personally experienced Florida, but even I suspect it offers more than just morally questionable individuals and strip clubs. Still, writer-director Cornack’s choice of location for this generally enjoyable film is itself an expression of affection—something many places can't claim these days.

Source on TMDB