[Ed. Note: The title of this preview alone should make you want to go. – BP]
If you were thinking about going to a few SIFF films, but thought to yourself, “There aren’t enough films about teenage mermaids and a ton of white people,” you are sadly mistaken. The Lure, a Polish film, by Agnieszka Smoczynska, has enough white people and enough mermaid anatomy to fulfill anyone’s void for these things.
Centered around two pubescent/post-pubescent mermaids living with a family consisting of one abusive father, and equally neurotic mother, and a teenager that looks like the guy from My Chemical Romance. I forgot to mention, the mermaids and the family also happen to all be extremely musically talented. The very vibrant personalities of the characters, the awkward life-period of the mermaids, the heroin addiction of the family, and of course the obligatory love triangle in this film creates countless pop ballads and a new cult classic.
The story of this film is by no means revolutionary or new, nor is the concept of having two sexy fantastical creatures eating dudes. But the mixture of horror, comedy, impeccable aesthetic, character development and self-awareness of this film create something truly special. A cult classic of sorts. A cult classic with songs that you can sing, if you know polish. A cult classic that will forever be scary, not because of death, but because of puberty. A cult classic, with every bit of a mushy love story, anyone could ever want, sifted in with lots of blood and boobs.
This is a fantastic movie, not because of the storyline, but because I want to watch it over and over again, and I want my whole life to be aesthetically based off of this film. I highly recommend you check it out this Saturday or Sunday via the Seattle International Film Festival.
MARCUS SHRIVER | KXSU Head Reporter