Mermaids

Mermaids has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available in Australia on MGM Amazon Channel, and in the US on fuboTV and MGM+ Amazon Channel. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. 604 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Cher is the obvious draw, but the whole ensemble earns its laughs. Put it on tonight on MGM Amazon Channel and see for yourself.

There is a reason Mermaids keeps coming up in conversation. Mermaids gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. Fifteen-year-old Charlotte Flax is tired of her wacky mom moving their family to a different town any time she feels it is necessary. When they move to a small Massachusetts town and Mrs. Flax begins dating a shopkeeper, Charlotte and her 9-year-old sister, Kate, hope that they can finally settle down. Cher and Bob Hoskins lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1990. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and Mermaids holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-off curiosities. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Mermaids is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Cher is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.