This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

"The Lure"

World Cinema Dramatic Competition

HHH

For a devilishly dark spin on Hans Christian Andersen, there's nothing like the Polish musical horror flick "The Lure." Silver (Marta Mazurka) and Golden (Michelina Olszanska) are sisters, mermaids who surface in Warsaw looking for human men to lure to the depths for their dinner. Instead they find a family of musicians who convince the sisters to come onto dry land (where their fish tails turn into legs) and join the act as strippers in a fancy disco. The sisters are intrigued by the riches of land living, but things take a dangerous turn with the more innocent Silver falls in love with the bass player, Mietek (Jakub Gierszal). Director Agnieszka Smoczynska creates a crazy kaleidoscope of a movie, shifting from neon-bright nightclubs to the dank recesses backstage, as the sisters are torn between human excesses and the need to feed. It's sometimes a mess, but always a watchable one.

— Sean P. Means

"The Lure" screens again at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival: Tuesday, 11:45 p.m., Egyptian Theatre, Park City; Thursday, 6:39 p.m., Redstone Cinema 1, Park City; Saturday, 3 p.m., Temple Theatre, Park City.