Bad Fish

Well, I don't miss a mermaid movie, especially if it's wrapped into a horror or thriller plot, but I would probably not recommend this one for anyone seeking a veteran effort. Interestingly, shot on location in Brookings OR, it has some localized charm in its small budget offering. The pacing is a bit tedious; don't expect a lot of thrills, or really any scares. Stick with it and eventually an appearance of what I would describe more as a reptile than a mermaid will make an appearance. With that said, the heart of this one is in the surrounding story, with the protagonist as an unlikable, abrasive marine biologist, called in by the local sheriff to solve the mystery and work through sketchy encounters with the locals. Hardly any people in this location with empty beaches, empty bars and empty hospitals. It's not terrible, and some of the acting is decent enough to get by but it's low budget stuff, so beware. Sounds like there is going to be a part II, and now I am obligated to see it through.

It's not until the middle of the movie is the term "Bad Fish" is mentioned, so that put a new spin on what this was about. I thought it had something to do with maybe a piranha, in which case there have been several movies with killer fish. That made the movie more interesting and it seemed the myth was a community project. One can almost figure out what was going to happen, and the later scenes of the ritual and after that were a little bizarre but then again understandable given what came before. The ending took me by surprise, though I guess it shouldn't have, and I was disappointed to learn that there is a part 2, which apparently is in development. I don't like to be left hanging like this but I guess I can figure out what it's going to be about.

This was actually a very different take on the standard mermaid mythos. The execution was flawed. The actors did an ok job with what they were given, and you could tell they were working with a shoestring budget. My biggest complaint would be the pacing and the ending. This is NOT the type of film that needs, nor deserves a sequel. So to have a cliffhanger ending was a disservice to the audience. They could have cut 30 minutes on the front end and focused on the mythology for the 2nd act and tied everything off nicely in the third and final act. This felt more like one long first act that tried to introduce the 2nd act, hence the need for a "To Be Continued..." ending tag. Could have been much better. But if you have an hour and half to kill, it is not bad to leave on and give it go.

Of course I had never heard about this 2024 movie title "Bad Fish" prior to sitting down and watching it. But given the movie's title and its cover, I was intrigued. And since it was a movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I opted to give writer and director Brad Douglas's 2024 movie a fair chance.

The storyline was not overly thrilling, nor particularly entertaining actually. However, I found the storyline to be a bit too mundane for my liking. Yet, I still managed to sit through the movie to the very end.

I wasn't familiar with a single actor or actress on the cast list. But I will say that the acting performances were actually fair, and that certainly helped to carry the movie a great long way.

Visually then I will say that the effects in the movie were actually surprisingly good. Sure, I didn't fully understand why these mermaids, sirens, or whatever they are supposed to be were looking reptilian in appearance. But the creature designs were good nonetheless, and definitely looked rather real. That was quite a surprise, just unfortunately not sufficient to lift up the otherwise bland storyline.

I am sure that "Bad Fish" will prove watchable to some viewers. I just happened to not be particularly entertained or impressed with what the movie delivered.

The movie ends with a "to be continued..." part, I don't know if that was a promise or a threat.

My rating of writer and director Brad Douglas's 2024 movie "Bad Fish" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.

I'd say absolutely boring pointless rather watch paint drying no action no nothing I clicked on to what was going to happen no mermaids were put down it wasn't even scary it was completely stupid and a waste of time thank goodness it was free the acting of the actors was terrible to say the least I've never written a review on a film before but this was direr though it was going to be a shark movie half way through I'd lost interest and started messing on my mobile hopefully if a second one comes out it will be better with some mermaids being taken out like mum daughter and her daughter let so of them be wiped out plus why did John not straggle that guy that was in front of him in the car like a normal person would stopping everything like I said film made no sense at all I'd rate it a 4/10.