The seaweed is certainly not always greener in this particular lake. The Mermaid: Lake of the Dead begins with a mermaid falling in love with a human, but that’s where the similarities with Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale end, instead taking a terrifying twist as she instead aims to keep him underwater in her Kingdom of Death while his fiancé must overcome her fear of water in order to save his life. Creepy, haunting and packed with jump-scares, you’ll never feel safe to go back in the water.

Director
Svyatoslav Podgaevskiy (Queen of Spades: The Dark Rite, The Bride)

Cast
Viktoriya Agalakova (The Bride)

Roman’s life is changed forever by a meeting, and a kiss, with a strange young woman he meets at a lake deep in the forest. It is a meeting he soon regrets, when he falls prey to a mysterious ailment which gradually deprives him of his strength and vigor.

His bride Marina is ready to do whatever it takes to free her fiancé from the ancient curse. But is her love strong enough to break it?

Russian director, Svyatoslav Podgaevskiy, has put out some fun, frightening, horror films in recent years, with Queen of Spades: The Dark Rite and The Bride both terrifying international audiences, and with Baba Yaga: Terror of the Dark Forest set to follow later this year.

In between, however, he’s released The Mermaid: Lake of the Dead: a splash of scariness that will have audiences diving for the nearest cushion to hide behind. Visually stunning with gorgeous effects, the film explores the darker side of the mermaid legend - luring men to their deaths with their supposed beauty - which has been somewhat lost over the last few decades thanks to an iconic animated film.

If, like us, you like your horror films frothing and foaming with supernatural creatures and haunting visuals, this is one to cast your nets for.