The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep Review
Director: Kang Hei Chul
Date Created: 2025-02-12 22:06
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The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep Review: Netflix has continued sprawling The Witcher universe with an animated feature this time. Directed by Kang Hei Chul, the film features Doug Cockle returning to voice Geralt, joined by Joey Batey (Jaskier), Anya Chalotra (Yennefer), Christina Wren (Essi), Mallory Jansen (Melusina) and others. Derived from Andrzej Sapkowski’s short story A Little Sacrifice, the film examines a tussle between humans and merpeople, with Geralt in the thick of political upheaval and forbidden romance. A mix of fantasy, romance, and action, the film aims to be an exciting new entry in The Witcher franchise. But does it deliver what it claims? Let’s get into it.
The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep Review
The setup for Sirens of the Deep is straightforward enough: Geralt is contracted to go after some kind of sea monster, but not everything is as clear-cut as expected. The so-called “beast” might not be a threat at all; the true clash has been between the folks of Bremervoord and the merfolk of Ys. There’s a romantic subplot involving Prince Agloval and Princess Sh’eenaz, with the politics that ensue. Geralt, joined by Jaskier and childhood friend Essi, tries to find a peaceful resolution.
This setup has all of the classic hallmarks of a Witcher story — monsters, morally ambiguous choices and political scheming. But here’s the thing: it hasn’t done anything surprising. The movie has clear themes about prejudice and environmental destruction and societal expectations, but in the most doctor-number-two-plot-way possible. The plots progress at a decent clip, but they also lack depth, which strikes me as ironic given that this is literally a story about the politics beneath the waves.
One of the reasons that I really dislike the film is its dialogue. It seems strange and flat and mechanical, its wit not particularly sharp and its emotional stakes not particularly packed, just repeating the plot of the opera. Geralt, whose dry humour and philosophical musings help him let us into his consciousness, feels oddly uninspired here. Jaskier (Joey Batey), typically one of the best parts of The Witcher, isn’t given much of a beyond reacting to what’s happening around him. Even the emotional undercurrents, such as the relationship between Geralt and Essi, feel shorted.
The pacing is another problem. Sirens of the Deep is only 90 minutes long, and it attempts to juggle a monster mystery, a political conflict, a love story and personal character arcs — and ultimately never fully commits to any of them. Some moments fly by, while others take their time, making it difficult to stay fully engaged.
Sirens of the Deep is hit and miss visually. Studio Mir has a strong history with flowing action scenes and rich animation, and there are times where their expertise is evident — especially in hand-to-hand combat sequences and magical effects. But that scene, set under water and expansive at least in the imagination, is too big for this movie’s own good, as is the underwater setting that should have taken my breath away but somehow didn’t.
The ocean world isn’t particularly deep or vivid, and, while the merpeople designs are decent, none will likely be getting a wake-up call for their individuality. Some of the elements look like they were done with a 3D animation tool that didn’t mesh well with the more traditional 2D look of the rest of the scenes, leading to some awkwardness and jarring moments. Considering that both water and aquatic environments have been rendered beautifully in other animated films, I expected something more visually immersive and accomplished.
And now it’s time for me to say something that may get me some flak, but I didn’t love Doug Cockle’s performance as Geralt here. I know, I know—he’s THE Geralt voice in the games, but something about how he delivered the dialogue felt off. This iteration of Geralt is a touch lighter, a touch less serious, yet Cockle’s gravelly, deep voice butts heads with that description. It’s like his tone has no relationship to the motor of the film.
Joey Batey is fine as Jaskier but is rarely given the chance to shine. Anya Chalotra comes back as Yennefer in a minor role, she’s fine, though not memorable. Essi (Christina Wren) is kind of annoying, Mallory Jansen is the best in moments (especially during the singing parts). The rest of the cast is forgettable. They aren’t terrible, but they hardly have any punch.
You might expect an climax that involves a Kraken, a battle royal and a raging ocean to be thrilling, but somehow it ends up being lifeless. Here, the animation and pacing issues really start to shine through, emphasizing just how flat what should have been a bombastic moment feels. The only tension is comical, and the resolution comes too easily; it’s like the writers ran out of time and just wanted to end it already.
Summing Up
The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep isn’t a bad movie, but it isn’t a good one. It was something with potential — a full fantasy world, a reasonable premise, and a studio that is experienced at animation. But there’s something about the weak dialogue, shoddy pacing, uneven animation and lackluster voice performances that keep it from taking hold enough to be truly memorable.
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