The Lure is a Polish horror mermaid musical, and it’s as wild as that sounds. Written by Robert Bolesto and directed with overflowing verve by Agnieszka Smoczynska, the movie centers on a pair of mermaid sisters who put their tails to use as the featured act at a bizarre Warsaw nightclub. It’s all a party until Silver (Marta Mazurek) falls for their backup guitarist, while Golden (Michalina Olszanska) would prefer to think of humans as food. The musical numbers extend beyond the nightclub, and often feel like whimsical indulgences rather than part of the story proper. (There is an extended dance sequence in a shopping mall, for instance.) And the narrative itself, in which Silver repeatedly sacrifices herself for a dismissive cad, works against the ostensibly feminist premise. Yet Smoczynska, making her feature debut, undermines the deferential plot with a strong visual point of view, including a wonderfully eerie opening shot taken from Silver’s perspective as she emerges from the water. What’s more, the irrepressible energy Smoczynska brings to the camerawork makes you think The Lure could only have ever been a musical. Her career should be something equally wild to watch.
