Currently streaming on Shudder is ManFish, a British comedy horror film from Night Patrol director Marc Coleman.
The film is set on Canvey Island (off the south coast of Essex) and focuses on a put-upon man named Terry who is ridiculed by almost everyone.
While collecting shells on the beach, Terry comes across a humanoid sea creature lying motionless on the shore. He and his girlfriend Tracey take this ‘man-fish’ home and it’s not long before Terry and the creature form a bond.
Unfortunately, Tracey and Terry’s brother Nigel have pound signs in their eyes and they set about finding a buyer for the creature so they can profit from the sale. Needless to say, Terry is not happy about this as his feelings for his fishy friend border on the romantic.
As the movie draws to a close, Terry has a decision to make: Stay on dry land or choose a life underwater.
What does Terry decide to do? Let’s take a closer look at this bizarre movie.
Is the creature friendly?
At the beginning of the film, a man is pulled into the sea by something hidden beneath the depths. We don’t see what pulls him under the water but it can be assumed it is one of the sea creatures that apparently live beneath the ocean.
Why does he get pulled into the sea? It might be because the sea creatures aren’t happy with him fishing in the area. Or he may have been pulled in because one of the creatures took a fancy to him! According to Harry, an old guy who frequents a local pub, these creatures come to shore to find a partner, so this guy could have been taken for this purpose. This is something we never find out though.
It can be assumed that these people-snatching creatures aren’t friendly because of the way in which they forcibly take others. And as we also see newspaper headlines of dogs going missing, it can be assumed that these creatures are making a meal out of them. As such, Terry and Tracey have a right to be fearful of the humanoid man-fish they find on the beach. But as we soon discover, it’s not the creature that is threatening but Tracey and Nigel, who want to make money from Terry’s discovery.
How do Terry and the Man-Fish bond?
At first, Terry wants to call the local newspaper to tell them about his find but Tracey is against this idea. She wants to sell the creature to an interested buyer so she can make her fortune. Nigel, who is secretly having sex with Tracey, also wants to profit from the creature, so the two turn their attention away from their drug dealing business to the monetary benefits of the man-fish.
Terry, on the other hand, finds an unlikely soulmate in the creature. Unlike Tracey, his new friend takes an interest in his business/hobby, which involves making decorated boxes using shells. Terry shows the man-fish how to glue shells to boxes and as they work together, they start to grow closer to one another.
It’s not long before Terry and the creature do other things together, such as playing badminton in the garden. At first, they are just good friends, but when they begin to be sexually turned on by one another, their relationship develops.
Unfortunately, their chances of happiness are short-lived as Nigel and Tracey abduct the creature and take it away from Terry.
What happens to the Man-Fish?
After the creature kills (and decapitates) somebody who was taunting Terry, Tracey begins to fear for her life. She knows the creature had something to do with the death and after she starts to fear for her own safety, she phones Nigel and tells him she wants the man-fish gone, dead or alive!
The next day, Tracey sends Terry off on an errand. While he is out of the house, she and Nigel capture the creature. When Terry realizes what they are up to, he returns home and finds Nigel’s friend Choc Ice (presumably not his real name) beating up the creature with a pipe.
When Nigel puts the bruised creature into a cage, he lets slip that he, and not the man-fish, is responsible for the missing dogs. Dog-napping is clearly another business venture for this shameless man!
Nigel and his crew take the man-fish away, leaving Terry alone. He becomes depressed without his fishy friend but after a little while, he resolves to find out where his aquatic lover has gone to. He threatens Tracey with the police if she doesn’t reveal the creature’s location. She eventually gives in to his demand and tells him the man-fish is at the pub.
Does Terry rescue the Man-Fish?
Terry gains courage after snorting some of Tracey’s cocaine and heads to the pub. He finds his friend in a cage in the basement and frees him. Shortly after, Nigel arrives with his crew and tells Terry that the creature is to be shipped off to a buyer in a few hours. Terry isn’t happy about this and gets into a fight with his brother. Unfortunately, Nigel is stronger than he is so it’s not long before he is knocked to the ground.
The man-fish comes to his rescue and attacks Nigel and his men. Within seconds, the creature kills Nigel’s crew. It then makes a run for it with Terry and together they head to the sea, with Nigel in pursuit.
Does Terry come to a watery end?
Terry and the man-fish arrive at the sea. When the creature enters the water, Terry pulls out a blade and makes two cuts to his own throat. Under the influence of cocaine, he is trying to give himself gills, so he can live with his fishy lover under the sea.
His plan fails, unsurprisingly, and he passes out.
Fortunately, Terry survives the incident, and six months later, we see Terry in Harry’s garage, using some kind of sonar device to track the whereabouts of the man-fish. From the newspaper cuttings on the wall, we discover Tracey has been arrested for drug dealing and Nigel has been imprisoned for dog-napping.
When Terry gets a signal, he rushes to the beach. After reuniting with the man-fish, he apologizes for the “gill-cutting thing,” and blames it on the drugs.
The creature hands Terry a mask that will enable him to breathe underwater. We then see them join hands as they walk into the water together.
So, Terry does come to a watery end – in a nice way! We have no idea how Terry manages to survive underwater or whether he ever made his way back to dry land again. But at least he found happiness, away from the bullies that once made his life a constant misery!
Read More: ManFish Movie Review
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