True friendship endures many challenges. But what if one of those challenges happens to be a mermaid transformation?
Written, produced and directed by Victoria Negri (Gold Star), the short film Mermaid, Bitch is a quirky and heartfelt fantasy-comedy about a young woman who wakes up to discover she’s sprouted a mermaid tail overnight. Lily (Alexi Pappas) calls her bestie Ruby (Ruby McCollister) in a panic. After a night of shenanigans and a potentially transformative tarot reading, Lily is now a mermaid and she needs help. Lily and Ruby set out on an adventure through the streets of Los Angeles to get Lily out to her new home: the ocean. Will their friendship survive this radical shift?
“You’re assuming that it is so easy to just become something else and instantly become an advocate for whatever it is that you are and that’s actually really hard to do.”
Mermaid, Bitch is sweet and laugh-out-loud funny. The story can be interpreted as a metaphor for personal transformation and embracing a new identity and the struggles that come with that. It also delivers a nice message about how to be a supportive friend through life’s obstacles.
I can’t help but think that the young adults who grew up reading the Emily Windsnap books as kids would find this story, especially with its Gen Z type of humor, absolutely hilarious.
Alexi Pappas—Olympic athlete and star of the film Olympic Dreams (2019)—and Ruby McCollister play off each other beautifully both giving their characters a unique interpretation of youthful angst. I quite enjoyed seeing the director Victoria Negri‘s cameo as the seemingly judgmental passerby who is surprised by Lily’s mermaid tail.
Mermaid, Bitch is currently available on Omeleto on YouTube. You can watch the full movie below.
“Para tener una familia linda tienes que trabajar juntos.”
“To have a beautiful family you have to work together.“
As the saying goes, “happy wife, happy life.” However, this is not the reality for many married couples. While the husband might be living his happy life his wife is overwhelmed by inequity of domestic labor. Wives are burdened with the majority of household work while also caring for their children and working a full-time job. And husbands have been conditioned to expect that work to be done by women and either contribute little to domestic labor or when they’re asked to do more they weaponize their incompetence to make sure they’re never asked again.
This is a sad state of affairs but the tides are turning. There is a growing awareness of domestic inequality and women are speaking up about it. Directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom and based on the book by Eve Rodsky, Fair Play is a documentary that examines the family dynamic when it comes to domestic labor and how couples can work towards a more equitable situation. While the focus is on straight couples there is also a spotlight on queer couples and how they manage this dynamic within their own relationships.
Women will feel both validated and infuriated watching this documentary. With that said, Fair Play offers viewers hope that things can change. I appreciated Eve Rodsky’s discussion on the nuances of mental labor because it’s unseen work that really isn’t appreciated. Ultimately, the film offers a balanced perspective with the goal that men can ultimately change and that divorce doesn’t have to be the resolution.
I believe that the ongoing discourse, anthems like “You Make Me Do Too Much Labour” and films like Fair Play will help shift the dynamic. We need to keep talking about this so eventually we do reach that ideal of “happy wife, happy life”.
24 Hours After Reading Tuesdays with Morrie Director: Scott Tinkham Grappling with one’s mortality can feel like being punched in the face. A bit disjointed but I appreciated how it embodied an existential panic attack.
Baba I’m Fine Director: Karina Dandashi Sweet story about a dad cheering up his teenage daughter after her breakup. Fun emo musical framing.
Ben’s Sister Director: Emma Weinswig
Set in 2015 before a massive cultural shift took hold in America, this drama focuses on bored teens manipulating each other for the sake of a “scav hunt”. Not for everyone but intriguing time capsule nonetheless.
Brief Somebodies Director: Andy Reid
Imaginative short examines the awkwardness of acting out intimate scenes. I enjoyed how this film examined how the two actors compartmentalize their characters and their real attraction to each other.
Entre Tormentas Director: Fran Zayas
Quiet but powerful drama about a man on a mission to bring back the body of his brother who recently committed suicide. Drives home the message that we need to care for one another even someone dies.
Grandma’s Four Color Cards Director: Sally Tran
Beautifully evokes the privilege of living a long life but also the daily struggle to keep going. Lovely performance by the 101 year old actress. Note to self: “a talking frog will bring good luck to your life.”
How Was Your Weekend? Director: Cam Banfield
Corporate culture turns sinister when a worker dares to go off script when asked the question “how was your weekend?” Great concept and execution. Anyone with experience in the corporate world will relate to the pressure of maintaining office pleasantries especially when you don’t feel like it.
I’m The Most Racist Person I Know Director: Leela Varghese
A sweet lesbian romance between two POC women. This honest exploration of internalized racism framed within a beautiful love story is quite restorative.
Max Distance Director: Marissa Goldman
A quirky comedy about isolation in the Zoom age and the awkwardness of dating. A bit aimless but nonetheless enjoyable.
Nervous Energy Director: Eve Liu
“Let’s make beautiful films.” Sometimes as a woman you need to get rid of negative energy to focus on your creative life. Cathartic. Intense.
One Day This Kid Director: Alexander Farah
A young Arab Muslim’s life as a gay man comes in direct conflict with his conservative upbringing. Stunning film about breaking and mending familial ties. Powerful performance by the lead actor who plays the adult Hamed.
Out for Delivery Director: Chelsea Christer
A dying woman arranges the delivery of her death with dignity medication and the pickup of her remains but mishaps get in the way. This dark comedy handles a delicate subject through an absurdist lens and demonstrates how automation removes the humanity from our collective experiences.
The Sentry Director: Jake Wachtel
A murdered guard in Cambodia haunts the spy who killed him. I always appreciate when a short film can take one small trope and expand upon it. This film morphs from action thriller to buddy comedy to tenderhearted drama in the most satisfying way.
The Singers Director: Sam Davis
A regular night at the dive bar turns into an impromptu singing competition. Evokes the idea that we never really know what talents lie within others. It has a beautiful slow build and will make you tear up by the end.
Strangers in the Same Shirt Director: Anthon Chase Johnson
Common enemies (their dad, high school teacher Mrs. Abbott, tiresome wedding guests) unite estranged half-siblings at their dad’s third wedding. Seemingly simple story but with unexpected layers and a rather satisfying buildup.
Synthesize Me Director: Bear Damen
A daughter dealing with the aftermath of her mother’s death reconnects with her memory by playing with her synthesizers much to her father’s dismay. Aptly depicts the danger of taking unregulated emotions out on the vulnerable.
Unholy Director: Daisy Friedman
A young woman struggles at a family Passover Seder now that she can only eat through a feeding tube. The situation is particularly tenuous because food is such an integral part of the Jewish culture and makes the protagonist feel “unholy”. Superb little film. Audiences will find the painful awkwardness of family gatherings is so relatable.
WassupKaylee Director: Pepi Ginsberg
The emotionally distant Kaylee @WassupKaylee joins a content house and forms a tenuous connection with another creator. The film depicts the content creators’ startling disconnect with reality and gives us a glimpse into a space where constant performance is expected and vulnerability is not.
Yú Cì (Fish Bones) Director: Kevin Xian Ming Yu
A non-binary Asian-American reconnects with their closeted father after a fishing incident. This quiet slice-of-life movie says a lot with a little.
Irene Kelly (Michaela McManus) is seeking revenge on Neville (Jeremy Holm), the man who killed her daughter. But it isn’t enough to kill him once. She needs to travel through the multiverse killing him again and again in every timeline possible. Her methods of tracking down and killing Neville vary through each scenario and she’s able to escape and restart her mission by way of a coffin-like time machine. Irene has lost track of how many timelines she’s lived through or what exactly happened before she started traveling the multiverse. And while she’s grown weary and bitter, she continues on. However, things change when she meets Neville’s latest victim Mia (Stella Marcus), a headstrong 15-year-old who quickly becomes Irene’s sidekick. The timelines get increasingly complex now that there is a second person and Irene must now come to terms with her purpose while helping Mia escape her dreaded fate.
Michaela McManus in Redux Redux. Image courtesy of the McManus Brothers.
Written and directed by Kevin and Matthew McManus, Redux Redux is a riveting revenge thriller held up by two strong female protagonists.
I love how the multiverse and time travel elements are never gimmicky. The conceit flows smoothly through the film and the viewer will enjoy the ride without having to have the technology or methodology explained to them. Irene Kelly is a wonderfully badass yet flawed character and the story really revs up when she’s joined by her younger counterpart Mia. Michaela McManus and Stella Marcus are stellar in their roles. Actor/filmmaker Jim Cummings has a small role as Jonathan, Irene’s grief counseling hookup.
Fans of time loop films like Groundhog Day (1993) and Palm Springs (2020) and multiverse films like Sliding Doors (1998) [which is referenced in Redux Redux] Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) will find a lot to enjoy in this indie genre film.
Image courtesy of the McManus Brothers.
The filmmaking duo the McManus brothers also wrote and directed another sci-fi horror movie The Block Island Sound (2020) [check out my review here] which also co-starred their sister Michaela McManus.
Redux Redux is produced by Mothership Motion Pictures and had its world premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film and TV Festival.
Redux Redux is distributed by Saban Films and is releasing nationwide in theaters February 20th, 2026.
It’s 1967 in Ballygar, a community in Dublin, where three friends of three different generations gather to mourn the death of one of their own. Lily (Maggie Smith), Eileen (Kathy Bates) and Dolly (Agnes O’Casey) soon come face to face with the friend’s daughter, Chrissie (Laura Linney), who fled Ballygar for the United States and hasn’t been back in nearly four decades. When the church wins a contest for a pilgrimage to Lourdes, Lily, Eileen, Dolly and Chrissie travel to the holy site. Each of the women must confront their individual problems and help each other while searching for the miracle that can possibly change their lives for the better.
Directed by Thaddeus O’Sullivan, The Miracle Club is a heartfelt story about societal expectations when it comes to relationships and life choices.
The film has a gentle message of acceptance as the characters try to connect with Dolly’s non-verbal autistic child. Despite the title and the characters’ journey, the film isn’t all that religious. The pilgrimage to Lourdes seems more like a cultural milestone than an event sprung from any sort of religious fervor. This movie will appeal to both Catholics and non-Catholics who are seeking tender story delivered without a heavy hand.
The four leads shine and Smith, Bates and Linney in particular continue to prove their star power. We need to continue to embrace stories about older women and intergenerational relationships. This film is one example about how these stories can be told and told well.
The Miracle Club reminded me of two movies in particular. The story line about an exiled woman returning to her small town after a big scandal drove her away reminded me of The Dressmaker (2015) starring Kate Winslet. If you’re interested in a more dramatic piece about the Sanctuary of Our Lady Lourdes pilgrimage site, I highly recommend Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner’s excellent film Lourdes (2009) starring Sylvie Testud. If you want to learn more about that film, check out the article I wrote about Lourdes for the Turner Classic Movies website.
The Miracle Club is distributed by Sony Pictures Classics.
