You probably remember the massive hype around the Disney live-action remake, but there’s this other version—The Little Mermaid 2018—that sits in a weird, dusty corner of Netflix and Amazon Prime. It’s not the story you think it is. Honestly, if you went into this expecting singing crabs and a girl trading her voice to a sea witch for a pair of legs, you were probably left scratching your head within the first ten minutes.
It’s a bizarre flick.
Released by Conglomerate Media and Kingsway Productions, this version of The Little Mermaid 2018 isn't even really a "Little Mermaid" story in the traditional sense. It’s more of a period piece set in Mississippi. Yeah, you read that right. Rural Mississippi. The film follows a young reporter named Cam Harrison, played by William Moseley (who you might know as Peter Pevensie from the Narnia movies), and his younger sister, Elle. They go looking for a "healing mermaid water" and end up at a traveling circus.
What This Movie Is (And What It Definitely Isn't)
Most people get tripped up because they assume every mermaid movie is a riff on Hans Christian Andersen or the 1989 Disney classic. This isn't that. It’s a self-contained live-action fantasy that tries to be a "true story" behind the legend.
The plot kicks off when Cam and Elle find Elizabeth, played by Poppy Drayton, who is a mermaid trapped in a circus tank by a creepy guy named Locke. Locke is played by Armando Gutierrez, who also produced the movie. It’s got a very "indie fantasy" vibe. The budget wasn't huge, and it shows in the CGI, but the film relies heavily on its atmosphere and the chemistry between the siblings.
Lore-wise, they took massive liberties.
In this universe, the mermaid's soul is literally kept in a glass vial. If the villain breaks it, she dies. It’s a very different stakes-setting than the usual "marry the prince or turn into sea foam" trope. Shirley MacLaine shows up as an eccentric grandmother who narrates the whole thing, which gives it a bit of a Princess Bride feel, though it never quite reaches that level of wit or charm.
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The Little Mermaid 2018 Cast and Why They Look Familiar
The casting is actually one of the stronger points, even if the script feels a bit thin at times. William Moseley does the "skeptical older brother" thing well. He was 31 when this came out, but he still had that boyish, earnest energy from his Disney days.
Then you have Poppy Drayton.
She was fresh off The Shannara Chronicles and really leaned into the ethereal, wide-eyed innocence required for a mermaid who’s been stuck in a circus. But the real surprise for most viewers is seeing Loreto Peralta as Elle. She had previously starred in Instructions Not Included, which was a massive hit in the Spanish-speaking world.
There's also a weirdly high-profile supporting cast. Gina Gershon is in this! She plays Peggy Gene, a circus worker. It’s a strange mix of veteran actors and newcomers, which contributes to the movie's disjointed, "wait, what am I watching?" energy.
Why the Reviews Were So Brutal
Look, the critics weren't kind. At all. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a pretty grim score, and most of that stems from the marketing. People felt baited. The posters made it look like a high-budget epic, but the actual film is a quiet, somewhat slow-paced Southern Gothic fairytale.
The pacing is a major sticking point.
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It feels longer than its 85-minute runtime. Some scenes drag on while others, like the actual mechanics of the "magic," feel rushed or unexplained. Critics like those at The Guardian pointed out that it lacks the magic of the stories it tries to emulate. It’s not a musical, and it’s not an action-adventure. It’s a drama about a girl in a tank.
But here’s the thing: kids often love it.
While adults are busy nitpicking the special effects—which, let’s be real, aren't great—younger audiences tend to get sucked into the simple "save the mermaid" stakes. It’s safe. It’s wholesome. There’s no real violence or anything that would make a parent nervous. In a world where every kids' movie is a sensory-overload CGI explosion, this one is almost jarringly calm.
Key Production Facts
- Filming Locations: Most of it was shot in Savannah, Georgia. The historic architecture and mossy trees give it that "locked in time" look.
- Original Story: It’s technically inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen tale, but the script by Blake Harris changes almost everything except the fact that she has a tail and lives in water.
- Release Style: It had a very limited theatrical run through AMC Theatres before moving almost immediately to streaming platforms.
The Confusion with the Disney Remake
The biggest hurdle for The Little Mermaid 2018 was timing.
Around 2017 and 2018, rumors were already swirling about Disney’s big-budget remake starring Halle Bailey. When the trailer for this indie version dropped, it went viral for all the wrong reasons. People thought it was the Disney movie and were outraged or confused by the low production values and the Mississippi setting.
It was a classic case of a smaller studio capitalizing on a public domain title to ride the coattails of a major brand's marketing. Is it "mockbuster" territory? Maybe not as blatant as a The Asylum production, but it definitely benefited from the name recognition.
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Is It Worth a Watch?
If you're a fan of William Moseley or you just really love mermaid lore, sure.
Just go in with the right expectations. Don’t expect Aquaman or Splash. It’s a small, somewhat clunky story about faith and family. The cinematography by Neil Lisk is actually quite pretty in some of the circus scenes, catching the gold and red hues of the tents against the night sky.
It's a "sick day" movie. You know, the kind you put on when you’re halfway asleep on the couch and just want something gentle to look at.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you actually liked this film and want more of that specific "indie fairytale" vibe, there are a few things you can do to find similar content:
- Check out 'The Secret of Roan Inish': If you liked the "is it real or is it a legend?" aspect of the 2018 mermaid movie, this 1994 film is the gold standard for that genre. It deals with selkies in Ireland and is much better reviewed.
- Look for Blake Harris’s other work: He co-directed this and wrote it. He has a very specific interest in modernizing myths, though his projects tend to stay in the indie realm.
- Verify the Source: Next time you see a trailer for a "classic" story, check the production studio. If it’s not Disney, Warner Bros, or Universal, expect a much smaller, more experimental take on the source material.
- Skip the 'Mockbusters': If you found this by accident looking for the Disney version, pay close attention to the year and the cast. The 2023 Disney version is the one with the songs and the massive budget. The 2018 version is the one with the Southern accents.
The Little Mermaid 2018 remains a curious artifact of late-2010s streaming culture—a movie that exists almost entirely because of its famous title, yet has almost nothing to do with the story that made that title famous in the first place.