Review of Night Tide (1961) by Eric B — 29 May 2012
A modest little film noir about a sailor falling for a sideshow mermaid who may or may not be the real item. It's easy to have affection for "Night Tide" (which achieves quite a bit with obviously limited resources) but, unfortunately, it has a humdrum ending which wrecks all the preceding story's accumulated spookiness. It also does an annoyingly poor job of tying up one loose end (an older woman who mysteriously stalks the mermaid girl).
Even at just 84 minutes, this simple tale seems longer than it needs to be, but any story about a decrepit, seaside carnival is bound to have plenty of atmosphere. And the secondary characters aren't just placeholders, but add some engaging quirks of their own.
Most people who seek out this film will be motivated by seeing Dennis Hopper in an early role, but his performance is rather indistinct and just repeats the same note of vague, restrained confusion. No flashy anger, and little of his usual intensity. If the lead had been a forgotten actor with talent, the film would be no worse.
This review of Night Tide (1961) was written by Eric B on 29 May 2012.
Night Tide has generally received positive reviews.
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