The CreatureGenre: Fantasy/Drama
Director: Robert Eggers
Writer: Ben Collins
Cast: Garrett Hedlund, Emmy Rossum, Amanda Seyfried, Ian McShane, Martin Sensmaier, Shane West, David Ajala, Sullivan Stapleton
Plot: Circa 1900, in Ireland, two carnies, Angus Shaw (Garrett Hedlund) and his wife Lillian "Lily" (Emmy Rossum), encounter Mr. Woolrich (Ian McShane) during one of their shows. Having heard that a mermaid will be on show, he is relieved to find that it is just Lily impersonating one. They offer him a ride home where he shows them documented sightings of mer-people throughout history including a map of their home, the Forbidden Islands, and that they can take human form during the full moon. He then reveals to them an actual mermaid (Amanda Seyfried) whom he captured back in his admiral days, and explains how she killed his wife. Naturally Angus and Lily are astonished. Sensing Angus' desire to use her as a freak show attraction, Woolrich warns him against it.
Unbeknownst to Lily, Angus, along with his colleagues, Bailey (David Ajala), and Gifford (Shane West) break into Woolrich's home during the night but are caught. During the scuffle, Woolrich suddenly dies of a heart attack, allowing Angus and the crew to abduct the mermaid and smuggle her aboard their ship.
Lily is less than thrilled about this idea, despite her husband's attempts to persuade her it's for the best. However, during the voyage to America, the mermaid seems to take a liking to her.
One night, Lily is cornered by a drunken Miles (Martin Sensmaier), one of the crew members, who reveals that they have bad history together. When she returns to her cabin, he goes missing and the mermaid is found somehow tangled in the crew's nets. As she is returned to her tank, she spits out Miles' ring prompting Lily to realize that she ate him as a favor to her. She attempts to explain this to Angus but he dismisses it, but admits that they did abduct her rather than buy her from Woolrich and that they didn't mean to kill him.
Lily later becomes seemingly possessed by the mermaid who tries to kill Angus whilst they are making love, but luckily is able to come back to her senses. Worried that the mermaid will do further harm, she attempts to free her but is caught by Bailey, who is devoured by the mermaid. She tries to explain herself but Angus accuses her of being unstable and locks her in their room. After he leaves, Lily realizes she is pregnant, much to her horror as she is supposed to barren. She then reads the late Mrs. Woolrich's diary, which confirm her worries that mermaid somehow impregnated her. She manages to escape and encounters the terrified mermaid, now in her human form due to the full moon. Lily comforts her but they are caught by the crew Lily tries to tell them to leave her alone but she passes out. When she comes to, she tries to explain to a concerned Angus that she is pregnant but he again dismisses it as a symptom of her sickness.
Meanwhile, the crew angrily harass the mermaid before Angus breaks it up. He and Gifford discuss the situation with the captain Dunn (Sullivan Stapleton), who fearfully confesses that the mermaid made him do things against his will, before committing suicide. A storm begins to close in on them, and they gradually approach the mermaid's home: The Forbidden Islands, prompting the crew to realize that their captive had taken control of the ship and lead them off course. While sharing a moment with Lily, the mermaid then reveals her true monstrous form as the Queen of the Lair, intending to feed the crew to her people. The crew try to fight her off but are killed one by one, save for Lily who is spared.
She is rescued by the crew of a passing ship a fortnight later. They question her about what happened but she refuses to say anything, "Honouring the Queen with silence". The film ends with Lily, who now has a daughter whose eyes resemble that of the mermaid.
