Mermaids have always been frightening creatures of mythology, and now, Polish director Agnieszka Smoczynska’s “The Lure” brings back the horror lost to Disney princesses, with an added fun, new wave twist.
“In this bold, genre-defying horror-musical mashup,” the official synopsis reads, “a pair of carnivorous mermaid sisters are drawn ashore in an alternate ’80s Poland to explore the wonders and temptations of life on land. Their tantalizing siren songs and otherworldly aura make them overnight sensations as nightclub singers in the half-glam, half-decrepit fantasy world of Smoczynska’s imagining. In a visceral twist on Hans Christian Andersen’s original Little Mermaid tale, one sister falls for a human, and as the bonds of sisterhood are tested, the lines between love and survival get blurred. A savage coming-of-age fairytale with a catchy new-wave soundtrack, lavishly grimy sets, and outrageous musical numbers, ‘The Lure’ explores its themes of sexuality, exploitation, and the compromises of adulthood with energy and originality.”
“The Lure” played at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, Fantasia IFF, and AFI Fest.
The trailer makes “The Lure” seems like a whimsical Euro-pop romp, but not without the added bonus of sharp fangs, eerie siren songs, and men lured to their deaths.
Check out the red-band trailer below. “The Lure” will hit theaters in New York on February 1.
