Nick Sheehy
hokeoutsider
The Lure (2015), dir. by Agnieszka Smoczyńska. Polish stylish dark fantasy synth-pop musical with grotesque elements belonging to the body horror genre - following the story of two mermaids, Gold and Silver, performing in a nightclub. As a feminist re-interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid (loosely connected), inspired by the director’s experiences as well, the film contains underlying commentaries on the exploitation of women, the Madonna-whore complex, and misogyny. In a lush visceral Lynchian realm in Warsaw, femininity shows an animalistic side. Since the angelic voice of mermaids was meant to be a way of luring men into water so they can be eaten, in the first place, eventually Gold, one of the mermaids, becomes thirsty for human blood, which causes a conflict between the sisters.