ManFish

I didn't know what to expect when watching this, I watched it on a whim. But I can easily see this becoming a cult classic. It's sooo good. The humour really tickled me. The laughs just keep coming right up to the end too, it's hilarious. I love horror comedy, and this was a strong example.

All the actors are really strong, and sell it. Right down to the mannerisms.

I thought the creature design could have been better, but I love how expressive they managed to be with that mask. The story is simple between a man and his man fish, but honestly it's just fun. You can really tell so much about this film was intentionally done.

What an underrated gem of a film!

You may be put off by the idea of a horror, but this is not that. It's weird and unpredictable and delightful and depressing and uplifting, all at the same time!

Excellent characters, they were all so vivid and performed brilliantly.

This is set in a part of the UK that doesn't really get much attention, and it makes you want to grab a bucket and spade and head down to the Essex shoreline for an adventure.

I don't want to spoil anything but I will probably be thinking about what I just watched for a LONG time!

It just goes to show that you don't need a billion dollars to make an entertaining movie, you just need talent and creativity.

What was so intriguing for me that I ended up deciding to watch this film on a whim?

It wasn't the ratings. I admit, I'm a little dependent on IMDB ratings when it comes to horror movies, or even comedy horrors. I usually draw the line at an even 5.0 rating.

It wasn't the premise. I was like "oh great. Just what we needed. A gay version of 'The Shape of Water.'"

No, what intrigued me, was the contrast between the overall rating (5.2 stars at this time) and the average ratings from those who actually took the time to leave a review (8.27 stars at the current time).

I've found that most horrors (and comedy-horrors even), have a diverse range of reviews, even when there's only a handful. But I got the feeling that maybe, this was a hidden gem worth watching, when I saw that all but one reviewer gave it at least an 8. So I gave it a go.

And I'm glad I did. It's quirky and fun, and you gotta appreciate the British humor. I love the little things. For example: take the opening scene. In any given big production film, when the fisherman got boinked on the head by the bottle, they would have had a foley artist throw in some exaggerated sound effect. But this film keeps it real. There's barely a sound, which in some way amplifies the comedy.

And as an American, I gotta say, hats off to the English, their slang, multiple levels of dialects, and quick witted insults will forever be the epitome of entertainment for me. There are also some interesting and extremely subtle jokes hidden in the dialogue. Lines that make you go "wait....what? Did he just say what I fought 'e said?" (I'm trying to write it out with a cockney accent). And there are so many wonderfully random moments. Like, why do things seemingly fly out of nowhere to hit the characters? It's so Monty Python-esque.

Getting to the premise, the movie's about a rather pathetic and yet sympathetic simpleton named Terry, who is depressed and wishes for a better life. He makes the discovery of a lifetime, and things get weird and silly right quick. It loses itself from time to time, the original charm seemingly forgotten in favor of furthering the plot. But it's weird enough, and quirky enough, to remain interesting.

I wouldn't consider it comedy-horror, let alone horror. It's mostly just weird, comical, and a bit sad. Oh and weird. Did I mention weird? Because it's weird. But, strangely enough, it's charming and funny at the same time. Take the "human toast" monologue for example. It's ridiculous. But touching. In a strange way. It could have been a lot more though. And it lost itself too often. Still an enjoyable flick for something different.

I went into watching this not knowing what to expect as a friend of mine just said I had to watch it.

I'm so pleased I did as it is such a great film. The writing is spot on and a lot funnier then I thought it would be and the cast and crew do an amazing performance of making it feel more then a indie film.

The mask used for the manfish creature is brilliant. And the creatures performance is like a fishy mr bean. Just a few movements to express himself but funny to watch.

Definitely give this film ago. I don't want to talk about scenes and spoil it so just give it ago. I can't wait to see what the cast and crew get up to in the future.

Manfish (2022) is a United Kingdom horror comedy that was recently added to Shudder. The storyline follows a down on his luck island man whose older brother bosses him around and his wife cheats on him...with his older brother. One day he comes across a manfish washed up on shore and unconscious. His wife helps him bring the Manfish home in hopes of selling it for a lot of money. As the man becomes friends with the Manfish he starts doubting the plan...

This picture is written and directed by Marc Coleman, in his directorial debut, and stars Dean Kilbey (A Song from the Dark), Emma Stannard, Jon Campling (The Northman) and Liam Noble (National Treasures).

The storyline actually reminded me a little of The Lighthouse, if they went too far with some of the scenarios. The concept had some potential and the writing isn't awful. The Manfish costume reminded me of The Creature from the Black Lagoon. The kills had great blood splatter but could have used more gore. There's some kissing scenes in this that are hard to watch. The ending was disappointing and had me rolling my eyes. This was a frustrating picture that made me wonder why I gave it a shot when it was finally over.

Overall, this is a film with a few good premises and lines, worthwhile acting, but wasn't executed as well as it could have been. I would score this a 3/10 and recommend skipping it.