Mermaid

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Mermaid

2025,

1h 45m,

Action/

Comedy/

Horror/

Mystery & Thriller

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Watchlist

92%

25 Reviews

Tomatometer

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Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

25 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Doug is an awkward Florida drug addict. Divorced and alone, he shares custody of his young daughter with his ex. Doug's reeling from losing his job at a local strip club, where he takes care of the fish in the aquarium. Things are beyond bleak -- so Doug zips his boat out into the Gulf to end the pain of his reality. But at his lowest point, he discovers an injured Mermaid creature clinging to life. For Doug, it's a sign from the Universe -- so he brings her home, gives her shelter in his tub and begins to nurse her back to health. He even names her Destiny. As their rapport blossoms, word of his secret gets out and he is forced to protect his new friend by any means necessary.

Critics Consensus

A compelling and original directorial debut, Mermaid offers up strong performances, impressive practical effects, and a poignant exploration of loneliness and desperation.

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Maxwell Rabb

Slant Magazine

Apr 1, 2026

2.5/4

Ultimately, Mermaid shows how loneliness can un-anchor a person, and it makes you understand how any lost sailor might fall for the first thing, no matter what it is, that breaks it.

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Matt Zoller Seitz

RogerEbert.com

Mar 25, 2025

In the end, “Mermaid” is more a promising first effort than a fully satisfying experience.

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Robert Martin

Starburst

May 5, 2026

4/5

The special make-up effects are superb – Destiny is pretty convincing – and the result is a film that punches way above the weight of what must have been a pretty limited budget.

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Carla Hay

Culture Mix

May 1, 2026

People should not expect this Mermaid movie to be like the 1984 romantic comedy Splash. This Mermaid movie is a quirky, dark comedy where a mermaid is discovered by a man coping with drug addiction, depression, and nasty people.

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Aimee Hart

Polygon

Apr 21, 2026

Mermaid challenges our expectations about relationships and what they can mean for different people, picking up where Del Toro left off and taking the concept even further.

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

Apr 14, 2026

While not everything here works (veteran Patrick makes a good villain, but he’s really over-indulged in some scenes), the sum is an eccentric original.

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Tyler Cornack

Director

Johnny Pemberton

Actor

Avery Potemri

Actor

Kevin Nealon

Actor

Kirk Fox

Actor

Tom Arnold

Actor

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Synopsis

Doug is an awkward Florida drug addict. Divorced and alone, he shares custody of his young daughter with his ex. Doug's reeling from losing his job at a local strip club, where he takes care of the fish in the aquarium. Things are beyond bleak -- so Doug zips his boat out into the Gulf to end the pain of his reality. But at his lowest point, he discovers an injured Mermaid creature clinging to life. For Doug, it's a sign from the Universe -- so he brings her home, gives her shelter in his tub and begins to nurse her back to health. He even names her Destiny. As their rapport blossoms, word of his secret gets out and he is forced to protect his new friend by any means necessary.

Director: Tyler Cornack
Producer: Daniel Brandt, Dane Eckerle, Cole Eckerle
Screenwriter: Tyler Cornack
Production Co: Bad Grey
Genre: Action, Comedy, Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 45m

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