Horror Movie Review: Bad Fish (2024)

Written and directed by Brad Douglas, Bad Fish is charming blend of modern horror, and folklore thrills. One based around mermaids, but not as we traditionally know them.

John Burton (Jonny Lee) is a marine biologist called to the small coastal town of Brookings, Oregon, to help investigate a series of deadly attacks on local fishermen. The bodies are beginning to pile up, and when you’re a town that lives and dies on the sea, it’s important that this mystery be solved.

Except John might not have been the best person to call in to help as he is dealing with underlying personal problems. An aspect of his character that causes him to unravel as all rational scientific explanations disappear in the face of reality. These killings are being done by a mermaid, and it’s someone in the town.

It’s not as silly as it sounds, in fact the film plays it very straight and is all the better for it. The story is well-thought out and the concept creates plenty of intrigue. Then, throw in a strong cast with defined characters, some solid creature effects, and a ton of atmosphere created by a very cool location, and you can hopefully see why I use the word ‘charm’ to describe the film.

It’s a clever idea to reimagine the mermaid and even more clever to find a way to make this reimagining both horrific and sympathetic. It, like so many other creatures, is driven by primal instincts and one of those is to mate. That’s where John comes in, and in true Lovecraftian style (it’s there, just not egregious) he will eventually discover that the entire town is involved in some way with the mermaid.

Jonny Lee is great, a ‘heroic’ character with none of the actual characteristics of a hero, which just makes him more real. He has strength, but he’s also a vulnerable man because of his personal demons and isn’t quick to accept the impossible. He is joined by a very able cast elsewhere, least of all Abby Wathen, who brings a sinister edge to the film, which helps enhance the horror side of things.

A side that is ripe for criticism though. Bad Fish is all about storytelling, and that means we don’t often get a lot of visual treats. Instead, it’s all about the thrills of the mystery and the tension that comes from things ramping up. Which is fine, but it isn’t going to sate the thirst of a gorehound. Patience is a virtue though, and Bad Fish does pay that off with strong moments of horror. They’re just few and far between.

Still, this could have been a really bad film, especially when you look at the concept. Instead, we’ve got a charming slice of modern folklore horror with a twist. That’s got to be worth a watch, right?