The best mermaid movies streaming right now

It’s hard not to be cynical about the release of the latest “live-action” Disney adaptation, The Little Mermaid. Though, by all accounts, the lead actress Halle Bailey is charming Ariel, the film is symptomatic of a worrying trend within Disney Corp. of transforming lovely children’s movies into bloated epics geared more to millennial Disney fans than anyone under the age of 10. Recent adaptations like Beauty & the Beast, The Lion King and Aladdin have seemingly lost touch with the gestural magic of animated films, preferring to cash in on adults playing dress-up and acting opposite uncannily realistic VFX beasts designed and brought to life by underpaid labourers rather than create something beautiful or meaningful.

One of the gems of the Golden Age of Disney animated films, the original Little Mermaid was colourful and decadent. Though, like all Disney adaptations, it was a sanitized version of a much darker fairy tale, it maintained an edge of horror from Hans Christian Anderson’s classic story. For those especially charmed by mermaids, it became an entry point to dive into a strange and beguiling mythological history of sirens, shipwrecks and unrequited love. For a generation of young people, it also came to define how we understood and perceived the mythology of mermaids as a glorious undersea kingdom ruled by the trident-wielding Poseidon.

Whether or not you plan to see The Little Mermaid this weekend, we’ve compiled a list of streaming mermaid movies that might support or present counter-programming to the latest Disney release. (Please note that the original 1992 animated version of The Little Mermaid is, of course, streaming on Disney Plus.)

Ponyo

If you’re looking for something to share with the whole family, Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo is a unique and charming reimagining of the mermaid myth. Five-year-old Sosuke lives on an oceanside cliff with his mother, Lisa. One day, he finds a goldfish trapped in a bottle on the beach and names her Ponyo. Ponyo, though, is the daughter of a masterful wizard and sea goddess who uses her father’s magic to turn herself into a young girl. Ponyo might not have the reputation of films other films by Miyazaki — who is considered one of, if not the greatest animated filmmaker of all time — like Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke, it features some of the most beautiful animations of water ever committed to film. It’s a beautiful and often adorable love story for children.

Ponyo is currently streaming on Netflix.

Blue My Mind

The Swiss film Blue My Mind by director Lisa Brühlmann puts a coming-of-age twist on the mermaid story. Much like CanCon classic Ginger Snaps, myth and monstrosity are graffed onto a story about puberty as 15-year-old Mia grapples with her rapidly changing body. But while most of us go through puberty, she’s becoming a fish. With touches of body horror and inflected with adolescent longing, Blue My Mind draws on the more horrific elements of the mermaid stories, drawing on the alienating horror of not being at ease in your body and yearning for something just out of reach. Shot in beautiful shades of aquamarine and blue, Blue My Mind reimagines the mermaid myth as a teenage nightmare.

Blue My Mind is currently streaming on TUBI.

The Lure

A horror mermaid musical, The Lure is about two mermaid sisters who start performing in a nightclub. This strange and beguiling film is about forbidden love and features fantastic musical sequences. The movie imagines mermaid creatures as alluring creatures with vampire teeth and long, almost eel-like tails. A tour-de-force from Polish director Agnieszka Smoczyńska, the film echoes many expectant tropes of the genre as one of the sisters falls in love with a human and becomes increasingly torn between land and sea. Baroque and toned with colours of algae, the film is a singular experience unlike any other movie you’ve ever seen.

The Lure is currently streaming on the Criterion Channel.

Undine

From one of our greatest living filmmakers, Christian Petzold, Undine reworks the myth of a water spirit into a drama about the urban planning of Berlin. Though the premise on paper may seem strange, if not alienating, Petzold’s gift for romance and melodrama draws the audience into a surprising and passionate modern fairy tale. Anchored by rich and charismatic performances by Petzold regulars Paula Beer and Franz Rogowski, the film uses the imagery and fluidity of underwater worlds to guide their romance. As with all these stories, there’s a hint of danger as our little water nymph curses her lover: should he ever be unfaithful, he will die. A tender and beautiful film flecked with violence and betrayal.

Undine is currently streaming on Prime Video.

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