Erzulie

Erzulie has made a name for itself as a mermaid movie or black mermaid movie, but the story is much deeper. Beyond the "funny business" is the story of four long-time female friends, each of whom are facing their own dark waters. While each woman experiences their own unique trials and tribulations, their common belief in avenging the societal oppressions felt by women everywhere prove that hell hath no fury as a woman scorned.

The men in this film seem like caricatures, but we all know someone like them: self-centered, short-sighted, and dim-witted. At every turn of the suspenseful story you are hoping that karma bites these butts in the ass.

Watch this film with your tribe and an open mind.

I was glad to attend the NOLA premiere for this one in support of my friends, and knowing how much work and stress went into this one, it paid off. Its low-budget seams definitely show, but this Girl Power romp with a killer cajun swamp mermaid goddess at its center has tons of heart to accompany its humor, scares, and modern feminist attitude, including explorations of a wide spectrum of personal mental health issues and responses to trauma. From the ecstatic response it got from the younger girls in attendance, it's surely gonna become a new sleepover cult classic. Bravo to Christine, Camille, and the rest of the team.

Full disclosure, I provided DCP services to the film, so did see the film in a full theatrical screening. However, I'm not affiliated with the film production and my review is my honest take.

As I work on a lot of indie film, Erzulie stands out of from the crowd with a creative, cool take on the mermaid myth. It takes the basic monster in the wild story and gives it an authentic and female-centric approach that is both engaging to watch and nice meta commentary on how this myth has played out in other films.

The strengths of the film are the quality cast, both leads and supporting characters, the nice design of the mermaid and the quality direction that moves the story along, builds the characters and maintains tension.

The technical quality exceeds the budget range and it's devoid of the often found failings of low-budget films: cinematography, edit, sound, music and color are all well executed and don't distract from watching. While I would not call one of the best films ever made, it's better than almost films in this budget range and better than a lot of big budget flicks.

If you like female-centric films with a fresh twist on a classic film genre, it's a solid choice.

I grew watching all sorts of creature-features on the sci-fi channel and show like Buffy The Vampire Slayer on the CW. Erzulie was right up my alley.

I loved the Louisiana setting, it was unique. I also liked the great actors and the feminist vibes. It's more thoughtful than a regular "creature feature", as the acting, characters and script is way better. You don't often see an ensemble cast of cool women who treat each other well in this space.

As far as Mermaids go, Erzulie herself was a bad-ass. You wanted to root for her and the women, and you could easily dislike the villains in the story.

"Erzulie," directed by Christine Chen, takes viewers on a captivating and thought-provoking cinematic journey. With its artistic vision and compelling storytelling, the film manages to engage audiences, despite a few minor flaws.

Chen's directorial choices in "Erzulie" showcase attention to detail, creating visually striking scenes that enhance the overall experience. The blending of reality and fantasy in the narrative raises intresting thematic questions, although some plot elements could have been further developed.

The cast delivers commendable performances, adding depth and authenticity to their characters. While some performances could have been more nuanced, the ensemble work solidly contributes to the film's impact -- the women in the film have chemistry and it shows up on-screen.

"Erzulie" is a commendable effort that invites contemplation. Chen's directorial choices, combined with solid performances and an intriguing narrative, make the film worth watching.