Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

The3Tails Movie: A Mermaid Adventure

By Grace Montgomery, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

YouTube stars' feature film has suspense, product tie-ins.

Movie G 2015 61 minutes
The3Tails Movie: A Mermaid Adventure Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

  • The Wretched Movie: Ben
  • The Wretched Movie: Mallory

Community Reviews

See all
age 10+

Based on 6 parent reviews

trashyfinn
trashyfinn Adult
August 17, 2018
age 5+

CRINGE-WORTHY

this is not worth your time. I cant believe it’s 4.5 stars on Netflix. If you want home made movies with bad acting, then feel free to watch this. otherwise, this was very cringy.
avaclaire4
avaclaire4 Adult
July 19, 2018
age 8+

CRINGE

This movie looked like it was made with imovie. Every time a person talked they zommed into their face. At first I had thought it was a class project because of the horrible acting. I do not recomend this movie at all! At parts it didnt even make sense. Dont waste your time watching this.
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Emily (Natasha Garretón) feels like someone is watching her and starts getting secret notes and messages claiming that someone knows who she really is. But does someone really know that she and her friends Jackie (Sofia Garretón) and Selena (Marlena Lerner) can turn into mermaids? As the girls try to figure out who may know their secret, they find themselves kidnapped by someone looking to harness their mermaid powers. But is this person looking to hurt the girls? Or is it just a misguided attempt to help someone he loves?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6 ):
Kids say (5 ):

Though fans of the 3Tails YouTube series may be excited to see more of these finned friends, viewers who haven't seen the series will probably be left floundering. There are characters who are never explained (it's assumed we know who they are), dangling plot points, and mysteries that never seem to be solved. There's also some painfully amateur effects and acting. It's admirable that a group of young teens -- and their parents -- created a YouTube series, a product company, and now a full-length movie, but unfortunately, it doesn't make for very good cinema.

Ocean lovers will no doubt enjoy the beautiful shots of sea life, and mermaid fans will love seeing the girls swim through pristine waters. But only die-hard fans of the show will probably enjoy this movie, and parents may not be too thrilled about the available product tie-ins.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the myth of mermaids. Why do you think mermaid stories are so popular?

  • The movie shows how plastic and other trash pollute the ocean. How can you help lessen pollution? Do you think you can make a difference?

  • Why do you think so many stars today get their start on YouTube? Why is it such a popular content platform?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate