Killer Mermaid

Surprisingly enough, it was a decent movie after all. The plot is kinda used, same for the action development but all in all a decent attempt at a horror movie that did not rely so much on gore or nudity. I said it did not rely THAT much, but those 2 trade marks will make their appearances here and there.

So, if you are too bored, nothing to do, and it is quite late, this is not the worse way to pass the time. The beginning looks very cheap and dumb, but it gets better with time. Once you see the "nymph" itself, you realize that they might have been saving for the design of the creature, explaining why the deaths are so weak and dull. Very few things I can think of to pass on, in the end, I suggest you just give it a try, cause you can do a lot worse than this one.

Nymph, a movie that almost got a grade of 5 from me, but ultimately, I strongly believe it will be a 4.2-4.4 tops. Not bad, but nothing out of the ordinary either, a simple production, that you might find yourself talking one time. Who knows...

Cheers!

Apparently not all horror efforts that come from Eastern Europe are as sickening, depraved and provocative as the notorious "A Serbian Film", because this particular Serbian film attempts to process a traditional folklore tale into a genuinely tense and atmospheric little horror movie. Unfortunately I can't state they fully succeeded in their aim, but at least you have to admire their efforts and admit that "Nymph" nevertheless contains quite a lot potential and even features a handful of memorable highlights. Truly tense and stylish movies about the wondrous subject of evil mermaids are extremely rare, so I had good hopes that "Nymph" – original Serbian title "Mamula" - could join the selected list that already contains Stuart Gordon's underrated "Dagon" and the regretfully obscure Swiss thriller "Marmorera". Sadly this is not the case, as the film contains too many tedious moments and not enough emphasis on the morbidity and macabre atmosphere that a mythical tale like this desperately begs for. Two American girls embark on a joyful vacation to Montenegro, where they meet their former university buddy and bona fide playboy Alex. There are quite some romantic intrigues, since Alex forgot to mention he got engaged recently and unexpectedly shows up with his fiancée, but the group nevertheless tries to have fun and make adventurous tourist excursions. They head out to Mamula, a former prison island and Nazi concentration camp that nowadays apparently homes a totally different type of horrendous evil. They witness a sinister fisherman pouring a bucket of human remains in a well and immediately realize they are in mortal danger. The background and origin of the mermaid creature, mainly provided by one central character, is confusing and feels somewhat incomplete and I'm convinced that a slightly more experienced scriptwriter easily could have done a lot more with the mermaid character, as well as with the character of her human slave. On the other hand, the creature looks stunningly charismatic and impressive, with her large tail and cute face that mutates into a monstrous mug in less than a split second. There are more positive aspects in "Nymph" as well, like beautiful filming locations and a glorious supportive role for a true cinematic hero (see below paragraph), but in spite of all this I left the theater with feelings of mainly disappointment and emptiness.

As referred to already, "Nymph" remarkably stars a true icon of cult cinema. Somehow, the young and reasonably inexperienced director Milan Todorovic managed to engage none other than the legendary Franco Nero to star as a mysterious fisherman and expert in the field of Mediterranean mermaids! This is praiseworthy, to say the least, as the production is fairly low-budgeted and not suitable for worldwide release. Moreover, yours truly had the privilege to meet Franco Nero in person, as he accompanied the director and producer to the world premiere of "Nymph" at the Brussels International Festival of Fantastic Films. Here, Nero explained that he's really supportive of young and struggling directors (as his own son is also one) and likes to boost up their movies by appearing in them. Furthermore, Mr. Nero sang a song of the sixties musical "Camelot" in which he starred (quite beautifully, I may add) and had very amiable interactions with the public. At age 72, I must say that he still looks charismatic as ever and – according to my girlfriend – he's still a very handsome and imposing gentleman.

On a picturesque holiday a group of old old and new friends take a trip to an off limit island and find something thought to be of only fantasy.

With a skimpy dressed cast in amongst the nice scenery and locations there's blood filled impalement, beheading, hacking, stabbings and a creepy Mermaid. Nymph is a strong horror entry especially during it's atmospheric night segments as men are enticed by the sounds of the mermaid. The interesting aged Montenegero locations add a different look and feel to the proceedings. At times reminiscent of Dagon, to director Milan Todorovic's credit it sets the scene with an early killing, then builds up to a claret finale while taking a leaf out of Jaws (1975) book by keeping the 'monster' unseen until the final act.

Played straight, the actress Zorana Kostic Obradovic and Mina Sablic's mermaid steal the show, second to Miodrag Krstovic, a Castro lookalike protagonist and of course there's Franco Nero in a fitting role as Niko- an old salty sea dog amongst the easy on the eye cast including the notable Natalie Burn, Sofija Rajovic and Kristina Klebe. Yes some cast members sometimes struggle with the English dialogue, accents and the editing and pacing at times is a little off but it adds to the quirky off beat charm that Nymph/Mamula/Killer Mermaid posses.

Overall, this Euro part horror mystery, part slasher flick and campfire tale does what it says on the fantasy horror tin. Entertaining.

Two young American women go on a Mediterranean vacation and uncover the watery lair of a killer mermaid hidden beneath an abandoned military fortress. What was once a carefree adventure becomes a deadly fight for survival.

So, the film has gone through a few title changes: from "Mimula" to "Killer Mermaid" to "Nymph". The first one is the most accurate, other than that no one knows what that is. The second sounds like a SyFy film. The third is sort of close. Really ,they ended up with a mermaid mixed with a siren. What would that be called?

There is some great use of color, although the camera has an odd tendency to "float" rather than focus on the subjects. There is also some awkward English, but given that this is in Serbia, that really should be expected.

Anyway, not terrible, but it does not even come close to the original mermaid horror film: "Night Tide".

This little film from Serbia directed by Milan Todorovic is based on a story by Marko Backovic and transformed into a screenplay by Barry Keating and Milan Konjevic. It will satisfy the current voracious appetite for horror stories that serve substantial amounts of gore to audiences who love that sort of thing. With an unknown cast the director relies on the presence of Franco Nero to bring a bit of credibility to an otherwise incredulous story.

Two American girls travel to Montenegro on vacation to visit an old friend, playboy Alex who unbeknownst to the girls is now engaged. They decide to venture to Mamula, a former prison island and Nazi concentration camp that houses a horrendous evil. During their exploration of the fortress they discover that they are not alone: a sinister fisherman named Niko (Franco Nero) is seen disposing of human remains in a well and everyone realizes they are in mortal danger. Someone else is on the island with them and he will stop at nothing to protect it's secrets. There is a darkness hidden beneath the island and the terror has just begun – the killer mermaid.

As if there weren't enough of this type of tale on television for free they continue to light up the marquee. As long as there is an audience there will be more. In Serbian and English with subtitles. Grady Harp, September 14