Aquamarine

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, Aquamarine is available in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on Disney Plus right now. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. 1,593 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Emma Roberts leads a cast with real comic timing. Put it on tonight on Disney Plus and see for yourself.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Aquamarine earns its spot. Aquamarine does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. Two teenage girls discover that mermaids really do exist after a violent storm washes one ashore. The mermaid, a sassy creature named Aquamarine, is determined to prove to her father that real love exists, and enlists the girls' help in winning the heart of a handsome lifeguard. Between them, Emma Roberts and JoJo carry the comedy without ever forcing it. It was released in 2006. Aquamarine earns its laughs from character rather than situation, which is why it does not wear thin the way pure farce tends to. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Aquamarine is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Emma Roberts is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.