Poor script, poor acting, poor end. No logic in the story. Story doesn't fit reality in a logical way. Too many predictable scare jumps, many if them too obvious.

Im rating this movie 8/10 coz it is really underrated for all the effort and great visual effects the creators have put in it. 4 out if ten?! Unfair and unappreciated !

The movie is based heavily on the Rusalka, the Russian fairy-tale version of a mermaid. They often are unmarried women who commit suicide and drown their victims or tickle them to death.

Sadly no one is tickled to death in this movie, but it is very accurate in its depiction of Rusalka.

The acting is above average, and the casting choices are great. The main actress Viktoriya Agalakova, is very convincing and emotional. I also love the casting choice for the "mermaid". Sofia Shidlovskaya has an ethereal air to her and every time she is on the screen without some weird CG effects, she is convincing. The "bride" in one pivotal scene is very distracting in her bland and emotionless acting and sadly badly voiced as well.

The voice acting in general can be a little bit distracting, especially with Romas best friend Ilya, who has a stereotypical bully voice which does not fit his character in my opinion. Other than that exception the English voice acting is solid.

Now to my biggest gripe with this movie: the CG and storytelling. The CG is simply terrible. It would have been much more effective to do only a bit of SFX make up reminiscent to the movie poster.

The worst mistakes are the completely unnecessary jumpscares. The movie does so well to build up tension and atmosphere through its great direction and pictures, but simply ruins it with every jumpscare thrown in your face. This movie did not need any of them to be a dark fairy-tale.

The script had a lot of potential. It has a solid ending and takes up points made throughout the movie to tie them all up in the end, like Marina jumping into the water to save Roma or hair having special powers. I however, do not like how the movie was structured. We "beat" the mermaid far too many times with several red herrings throughout the movie, before her curse is eventually lifted for good. It's a shame these mistakes weight so heavy while the rest of the execution of the movie is great