With a title like Mermaid Beach, it would seem the story is straightforward. At a quaint seaside town somewhere, a person, probably a girl, discovers a mermaid and befriends it. Seen it a million times, right? Well, screenwriter Christopher Jolley and directors Sam P. Green and Becca Hirani have something different in store; still family-friendly but different.

Lily (Ellie Bindman), her mom, Claire (Marie Wilson), and her little sister Sophie (Georgia Grace) have just moved from London to a little Welsh town nestled by the sea. Being a teenager, the move is the last thing Lily wanted, and she is taking it poorly. She barely talks to her family, including stepdad Jason (Andrew Rolfe), who is nice but cannot find a way to relate to the teen.

One day, while out on the beach, Lily discovers a strange shell. After picking it up, she grows scales and has to rush into the ocean. And just like that, Lily is now a mermaid, though it comes and goes. While exploring underneath the waves, she comes across a strange pipe leading to the town’s main factory. Back as a human, Lily’s inquiries about the pipe are stonewalled. Why is there no publicly available information about the pipe? What was the reason Lily was chosen to transform into a mermaid?

“And just like that, Lily is now a mermaid, though it comes and goes.”

Green and Hirani direct Mermaid Beach with a dream-like quality. This makes the mystical happenings very easy to buy into. The scene in which Lily finds the magical shell is built up very well. She’s sitting on the beach after a bit of splashing about. Then she notices a strange object and picks it up. The way this is edited is very engaging, and the reveal of the full tail works as a magical moment. The co-directors also nail the family drama side of things. They let the tension in the house hang about naturally, never forcing the elephant in the room.

Jolley writes the drama just as well. The teenage Lily sounds reasonably like an actual teen. Sophie is as excitable as any kid. Admittedly, the villain is underbaked and uninteresting, and he’s barely in the first half. Still, the focus is on Lily’s family and protecting the ocean.

Mermaid Beach is a sweet, fantastical drama. Each actor is believable in their respective role. The direction sells the drama and magic very well. The screenplay is at its best when focusing on the family and the mermaid transformation. The big baddie and their motivation are very simple and not explored enough. Still, this is a cute and enjoyable film that the whole family can enjoy together.