MerPeople Review: Netflix has a new docuseries landing just right in time. Directed by Cynthia Wade and produced by Angela Almeida, the series comes from the Emmy award-winning producer of Queer Eye, David Collins. He is joined by the story producer, Olivia Becker. The show is shot by cinematographer Boaz Freund, and the music is produced by Adam Akio Crystal.
MerPeople stars Eric Ducharme, Eric The Blixumani Milligan, Hannah Fraser, Adrienne Wilson, Tasha Haight, Tara Spaid and other experts and professional mermaids. There are four episodes, each with a runtime of 40-50 minutes.
– Netflix’s MerPeople Review Does Not Contain Any Spoilers –
MerPeople Review: Getting to Know Mermaid-ing as a Profession (Yes, it is a thing!)
Mermaids are so in trend right now, isn’t it? The Little Mermaid is going to release very soon and, MerPeople as a series only builds a real-life connection to the upcoming fairytale in some sense. The documentary series is dedicated to showing us the unheard-of profession of Mermaiding. Sounds like a dream? Well, the Netflix series shows us why it is but also, why it really shouldn’t be in some sense.
MerPeople informs us about how being a mermaid aka Merperson is a profession that is now a half-billion-dollar industry. The art form is about people who dress up as mermaids, which includes cute but heavy shiny tails, glittery makeup and being underwater performing circus-like tricks for visitors or viewers all around the world.
It has existed for a long time it seems, since the 1960s to be more exact. However, it has only flourished as a more polished industry in recent times. Thanks to all the glamour that social media brings, this profession is now coming to the forefront, not only as a way for people to earn their living but also, as a way to express themselves and live their dreams.
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In the series, we meet several people from the profession such as Eric, Ryan, Hannah Fraser, Tasha and several others. Some renowned names: the founder of the Society of Fat Mermaids- Che Monique and the Circus Siren Pod’s head- Morgana Alba also feature in the show. In a very documentary-like fashion, these characters turn up on our screen to share their experience in the professional mermaid-ing world and what their world was and is due to this profession.
The industry and the community surrounding it aren’t very different from, say, the Hollywood industry or the writing world where you have people come in and go, the ones who shine after their big break and the ones who fall apart because their passion isn’t enough to sustain their physiological needs. There are pageants and performances as there are struggles and sorrows in this shiny world and MerPeople tries to serve us all of it.
MerPeople: Final Verdict
First off, MerPeople does an amazing job when it comes to colours. The series is so vibrant and beautifully shot that every frame looks like a painting. Along with the inspiring stories that we get to see, it is the way the stories are shot to be told that makes it a visual treat. Nonetheless, there are some shortcomings in this spectacle too.
One of the major offbeat things about this documentary series has to be the pace. Netflix is always running with its shows and movies. It is trying to tell us everything in no time, telling us literally nothing by the end it seems. Four episodes are not enough to capture this thriving world of MerPeople and the way the makers shift their focus from one character to another is really annoying because you are still waiting to know the end result of their lives by the end.
There is a sense of white-washing in this series with the inclusivity of the community coming across as preachy and the harassment faced by the people of this industry being limited to only certain minutes and segments. Overall, it is a good watch with some hiccups here and there.
MerPeople is now streaming on Netflix.
Have you watched the show? Let us know your thoughts and feelings about it in the comments down below.
Agree with the pacing issues. I feel like everytime it skipped when something interesting was being said or happened. For example with sparkles first guest dive, it was so segmented even though it was such a strong storyline. This series is full of unfinished storylines, things that are unclear and missed opportunities to dive deeper and say much more about the world. They sprinkle interesting things but never explain them or develop them. It needs a bit more of the ‘tiger king’ way of slowly trickling information, keeping suspense and pacing. The amount of episodes now felt simultaneously too long and too short.
Absolutely agree with what you are saying. I felt the same way while watching the show.
I mostly agree with you. I think they struggled with trying to tell our stories. We are very very very colorful creatures and extremely layered! But one thing that really I feel like summed us up. At the very end someone says where a bunch of misfits who found a home in each other. Or something along those lines. It’s hard to tell Those stories in four episodes. You are so right!
Praying that season 2 does shine a little bit more of a light on those of us who don’t care about the performance art side of mermaiding. We’re more focused on the community and loving on each other. This has become such a healing space for so many of us. That’s why my personal heart and platform is focused on mental health and mermaiding. And that’s also why I’m so happy they took a moment to highlight us and this community. Praying that people who need this kind of freedom find us and join us.