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Parents' Guide to

Sea Fever

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Effective, relevant sci-fi/horror monster movie.

Movie NR 2020 89 minutes
Sea Fever Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 14+

Based on 2 parent reviews

FallenMuse
FallenMuse Adult
September 13, 2020
age 13+

This is why I don't go in the ocean lol

My 15 year old and I enjoyed this, we were both entertained. No sex. No nudity *there is a brief shower scene of a man, but nothing inappropriate is shown*. Some cussing. Decent amount of gore. Lots of ocean lol.
nightwatchman
nightwatchman Adult
August 10, 2020
age 14+

Sea Fever does not drift

This is a good movie. It also isn't an overly violent movie. Although there is some gore and blood, it is used sparingly and constructively. There are no sex scenes so parents and their teenagers won't feel the discomfort of a sex scene "popping up" during a family movie night. This movie is especially appropriate and timely for families given the current COV 19 pandemic. It indirectly touches on themes of family and self-sacrifice. Those are things worth remembering during this pandemic. Its also important to remember that this is a lower budget movie and doesn't use a lot of the "flashy" action sequences and CGI seen in big budget movies. Instead, the movie uses CGI sparingly but appropriately. The story line is also strong and each actor contributes significantly based on his/her role. The main protagonist is especially admirable. She is very intelligent and quickly overcomes her initial shyness as she seeks to resolve the crew's dilemma. Her initial cold demeanor also fades as we see her grow close to the crew members. Overall the movie moves at a slow but steady pace and uses a few scares to keep the tension going. It eventually arrives at a conclusion that is very appropriate given the unique nature of the threat that the crew faced. In conclusion, I enjoyed the movie. It is a welcome relief from typical horror movies that rely too heavily on CGI, numerous action sequences, sex scenes, or excessive blood and gore. I think most families will appreciate this movie for its story line, acting, and themes. I felt like the time I spent watching the movie was well worth it. Hence, I gave the movie a solid score of 4 stars.

This title has:

Great messages
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What's the Story?

In SEA FEVER, Siobhán (Hermione Corfield) is a marine biology student who's more comfortable with books than she is with people. Nonetheless, she's assigned to an Irish fishing trawler to assess the ship's fish haul. When she arrives, her long red hair, a bad omen among sailors, sets off alarm bells with the crew. But the captain, Gerard (Dougray Scott), and his wife, Freya (Connie Nielsen), head into an off-limits "exclusion zone" anyway, where the catch is plentiful and checks out just fine. Then, before long, a strange muck starts seeping through the hull. Siobhán dives in to the water to investigate, assuming it's just barnacles, but she finds something far more startling. Worse, a kind of parasite seems to be infecting the crew through the trawler's water supply.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (2 ):

This well-made sci-fi horror movie provides its share of prickly dread and mysterious creatures, has a smart female hero, and addresses interesting issues around quarantining. Written and directed by Neasa Hardiman, Sea Fever makes terrific use of its locations -- the small trawler and the surrounding ocean -- effectively moving back and forth between cramped quarters below and open spaces above. In establishing Siobhán as shy and antisocial, the physical space on the ship around her can become either oppressive or comforting.

Sea Fever is compact and tightly paced, with a clever, enigmatic use of its monster. It suggests more than it shows, keeping the intrigue intact. The interesting cast, led by veterans Scott and Nielsen, help keep things afloat in general. It sometimes feels like certain elements were cut -- such as the idea of Siobhán's red hair being a possible harbinger of bad luck, which is introduced and then never brought up again. Still, her character comes to life as she overcomes her fears to argue for quarantining the unknown sickness, while others panic and wish to return to civilization. It's a powerfully relevant message.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Sea Fever's depiction of violence. How did it make you feel? What's shown, and what's not shown? Is the movie scary?

  • What does it mean to quarantine? What would happen if the characters went to a hospital? What was the right thing to do in this situation?

  • Is Siobhán a positive role model? How does she change over the course of the movie? What does she sacrifice? What are her faults?

  • How do the events of the movie compare with the 2020 coronavirus pandemic?

  • Have you ever felt shy like Siobhán? What is it like to be shy? Is it always a bad thing? What can you do to try to not be shy?

Movie Details

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