Prepare to be immersed in a mesmerizing tale that delves into the depths of mythical wonders and dark desires. In this captivating cinematic journey, we encounter a mermaid goddess unlike any other - a being of beauty and grace who has a dark side and isn't afraid to bite.
In this article I'll be discussing the mermaid movie Erzulie, a horror film with a splash of mermaidiness!
This thrilling tale follows a group of women who go on a much needed vacation to a lakeside cabin in the woods. Each character harbors their own dramatic story as to why the trip is so essential to them. Boyfriend troubles, work troubles, you name it. They all needed to be there, but they had no idea what they'd find.
First lets talk about what the critics are saying. Rotten Tomatoes gave it an 85% and IMDB gave it a 4.6. But this is a Mermaid Liv review! My rating of this movie would have to be 6.5/10.
This 2022 horror movie won an award in the Atlanta Horror Film Festival, and I can see why.
Let me tell you all my thoughts about the mermaid movie Erzulie.
This exciting mermaid movie feels like a mashup of Jaws, Friday the 13th, and the Craft. The opening scene shows some partygoers at the lake having a blast, until something in the water attacks! The scene was somewhat of a cliche, but it pays homage to classic thriller/horror films. You can see where the inspiration comes from, resembling scenes from movies such as Jaws and Piranha.
Then the movie brings us to present day, when four women are on a girls trip together. Things go awry when three of the girls discover their friend performing a witchy ritual to summon a goddess. The girls are first met with skepticism, but two of them are convinced to join the ritual.
One of the girls wanted nothing to do with it, but started to believe in it when a mysterious naked woman shows up in the woods, injured. They take her in to heal her and end up with a boatload of problems as they realize the questionable morals of this women, who turns out to be the mermaid goddess Erzulie.
As the story goes on, you get insight into the lives of each of the women, and some of their problems catch up to them. The interesting and campy aesthetic turns dark when Erzulie brutally murders someone.
Suddenly the girls are covering up the crime, and running from the corrupt campground owner and his cronies, who wish them harm.
While some parts were predictable, the film definitely didn't go quite as I was expecting, and I found I enjoyed it even more than I thought I would.
I will say, there are mentions and implications about sexual assault, so be warned. This movie is PG-13 for good reasons. There are graphic gory scenes and serious topics included, such as emotional abuse.
Okay, now lets talk mermaid tails! When I found out about this mermaid movie I was so excited to see what the special effects would be like, what the mermaid tail would look like. I wondered if it would be realistic. I was not disappointed. The tail was fairly realistic. Seemed to be a silicone tail, but you didn't get many great looks at it. Most of the mermaid tail footage was while she was swimming and you could make out the tail, but there was so much splashing that it wasn't super clear. But in the scene where the girls pull Erzulie out of the pool, you get a good look at the shimmering black tail with spiny fins.
One critique I have is that the makeup and ears of Erzulie were a little unrealistic. They looked good, at least if you're a mermaid influencer on Instagram. For a movie about a mermaid goddess, it looked too much like a costume, and not exactly how I would expect a mermaid goddess to look. She looked gorgeous, but I think she should have been a little more spooky looking.
The movie's message is very clearly a dig at the sexism women face in this world. The opening scene includes a guy throwing beer cans at his female friend, until she bleeds. When she gets upset he calls her a "b***h." That's the moment when he is engulfed by the river. Following that scene, we see an interaction between two main characters. A creepy shop keeper and a woman there to get checked in to her cabin.
A main theme , besides female empowerment, is revenge. Things get a little morally gray, and this a spoiler, as Erzulie kills a toxic ex boyfriend of one of the girls. The girls are conflicted about what to do about the situation, some of them taking the side of the mermaid goddess, while others felt what she did was wicked. It makes you ask yourself if he really deserved it. Part of you feels bad, but then there's that vengeful side that is glad the bad guy got his comeuppance, even if murder wasn't the fair way to take revenge.
Overall, it's a thrilling, yet thought-provoking film that blurs the lines between good and evil and tells a dramatic story full of empowerment, revenge and mermaids, of course!
If you love mermaid movies, then you have to check out Erzulie! You can watch it on Amazon Prime, Vudu, or Apple TV.
About the author
Shello! My name is Mermaid Liv, a professional mermaid and content creator. I share my love of mermaiding through this blog, along with my Youtube channel.
If you've never heard of it before, mermaiding is a hobby, profession, and sport that involves wearing mermaid tails made for swimming.
I began making tails in 2013 and have continued my mermaid journey, starting my Youtube channel, working at a mermaid festival, performing at gigs, and being featured in the Netflix Docu Series MerPeople.
Follow me on Instagram for mermaid photos and videos: @the_real_mermaid_liv and be *shore* to check out my Youtube channel.