This surprisingly satisfying horror movie centers on a mermaid--but it's hardly one of the giggly types from Peter Pan. Rufus Sewell and Carla Gugino play a couple of small-time circus people who discover that an eccentric old man keeps a genuine mermaid in a water-filled tank. Dreaming of an invitation from Ringling Bros., Sewell steals the mermaid and loads her on a ship for America. But in the middle of the Atlantic, the hungry mermaid shows her darker side--and Gugino learns that she may be linked to the mermaid in unexpected ways. She Creature was no doubt made on a low budget, but it looks excellent and the above-average script gives the strong cast firm ground to stand on. The mermaid herself (Rya Kihlsted) is both lovely and eerie. All in all, an enjoyable homage to classic horror films. --Bret Fetzer Amazon.com
SHE CREATURE BY FAR IS THE BEST MERMAID MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN TO DATE. OF COURSE THIS IS NOT A MOVIE FOR CHILDREN OR EVEN TEENAGERS, IT HAS A NUDE MERMAID SWIMMING AROUND IN A LARGE TANK, AND SHE HAS VERY LUSCIOUS [...]; IT MAKES YOU WANT TO GET INTO THE TANK WITH HER AND FONDLE HER [...]; IF YOU DARE, BECAUSE SHE HAS A MEAN SIDE, IF SHE DOES NOT LIKE YOU , SHE JUST MAY EAT YOU.. AS WE SEE SHE DOES TO A COUPLE OF DUDES IN THE MOVIE. THE MOVIE BEGINS WITH A CIRCUS THAT HAS A FAKE MERMAID IN A FAKE TANK WITH BACKGROUND MUSIC, ;WHEN A VISITOR THAT HAS A LIVE MERMAID BUMS A RIDE BACK TO HIS HOME, WHERE HE REVEALS HIS MERMAID...A YOUNG GIRL BECOMES CLOSE TO THE MERMAID AND SUPERNATURALLY BECOMES PREGNANT WITH THE HELP OF THE QUEEN MERMAID, EVEN THOUGH SHE IS UNABLE ON HER OWN TO BEAR CHILDREN. THE MERMAID EVEN KILLS AN EX LOVER OF THE YOUNG GIRL AS A FAVOR; BECAUSE THE EX LOVER THREATENED HER. IN THE END THE QUEEN MERMAID TRICKS THE BOAT CAPTAIN INTO NAVIGATING HIS BOAT TO THE MERMAID LAIR, WHERE EVERYONE ON THE BOAT IS KILLED BY THE MERMAID AFTER SHE TRANSFORMS INTO THE MERMAID QUEEN, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE YOUNG GIRL THAT BEFRIENDED THE MERMAID.. WHOM WE SEE IN THE END ROWING IN THE ROW BOAT WITH HER DAUGHTER CONCEIVED WITH THE HELP OF THE MERMAID,,, BUT THERE IS A TWIST IN THE END,, THE YOUNG GIRL IS SWORN NEVER TO REVEAL TO ANYONE WHAT SHE SAW,, WHICH WAS AN AGREEMENT SHE MADE WITH THE QUEEN MERMAID FOR HER LIFE,,,, ANOTHER PLOT TWIST IS WHAT WE SEE IN THE GLEAM OF HER DAUGHTER'S EYES,, HA,,, HER DAUGHTER IS NOT FULLY HUMAN,, BUT HALF MERMAID AND HALF HUMAN,, SO,, WE ALL HOPEFULLY CAN ANTICIPATE A SEQUEL TO THIS MOVIE,, I HOPE SO,, BECAUSE I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE NUDE MERMAIDS WITH BODACIOUS BODIES AND LUSCIOUS [...].. LOL
July 12, 2008I love a good monster movie, and SHE CREATURE is fantastic! It's not just a showcase for Stan Winston's (Alien, Terminator, Jurassic Park, Pumpkinhead) creature effects, as wondrous as they are. There's a really good, effective story to hold it all together. In short, a carnival sideshow front-man named Angus (Rufus Sewell from Dark City) and his star / girlfriend, Lilly (The ever gorgeous Carla Gugino) stumble upon what appears to be the opportunity of a lifetime. A REAL mermaid! Angus simply must have the hypnotically beautiful creature at any cost. This leads to criminal activity culminating in death. Angus secures a ship to America to hit the big time w/ his newly acquired attraction. Once at sea, the horror begins. SEA CREATURE is an excellent example of a terror tale spun right. The characters of Angus and Lilly are more than 1-2 dimensional villains. They are flawed humans w/ both good and bad motivations. The mermaid (Rya Kihlsted) herself is far more than she seems. She displays so much with just a glance of those darkly alluring eyes! I cared what happened to these characters. So, when things started to unravel, I was along for the ride. Enough said...
May 10, 2008I really liked this movie. I first caught the edited version on SciFi and enjoyed the different perspective on mermaids, the period piece feel of the film, and the costuming of the actors and mermaids. It was even better than I remembered. I especially enjoyed the special features detailing how the film was envisioned. Great movie. Nice change to the Disney versions of mermaids like Splash, etc.
March 28, 2008 |  | A Mermaid Legend from a Different Perspective. |  |
Great cast- Rya Kihlstedt (as the mermaid) was hypnotic. I really enjoyed the depiction of the mermaid and the way she was perceived by other characters in the movie. Feelings for the mermaid would range from anger, to fear, fascination, attraction, curiosity, and of course, horror. I think that certainly applies to anything we don't quite understand. It's always fun to delve into the darker side of Mermaid lore. A fun movie to watch if you like this genre.
March 20, 2007| | | A Sexy and Scary Mermaid Film. | |
This film was made as part of a television series of films using old 1950s' American-International film titles, but having no relationship to the original films' storylines. This particular film is a highly literate and well-directed story of an 1800s' carnival huckster who greedily steals a REAL (and sexily good-looking and bare-breasted) mermaid with the intent of using her as a traveling exhibit. Unfortunately--during an ocean voyage to the United States from England--things don't work out as planned, and chaos and terror ensue as the film builds to a horrifying climax. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. One caveat: for some reason, the volume of this DVD's soundtrack is very low, and you'll really have to crank-up your system in order to hear what's going on!
November 14, 2006More reviews at Amazon.com ...
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