Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- dreamy
- wistful
- melancholic
- quiet evening
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film charming, atmospheric, and mythically evocative, while noting that its late shift toward realism weakens the dreamlike spell.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Annie interprets Ondine through the selkie myth while Syracuse’s coastal life remains grounded in fishing, illness, and family pressures.
Ondine’s mysterious arrival and hidden identity invite a magical reading that competes with the film’s later realist perspective.
Christopher Doyle’s atmospheric cinematography emphasizes Cork’s sea, fishing waters, isolated cottage, and shifting dreamlike moods.
Syracuse’s sobriety, divorce, daughter’s kidney failure, and relationship with Ondine shape his fear of hoping again.
Films like Ondine, and why
The Shape of Water
lyrical coastal fantasy, intimate romance, and tension between folklore and ordinary life
The Fisher King
contemporary fairy-tale atmosphere, folkloric mystery, and emotionally wounded protagonists
The Green Knight
romantic magical realism grounded in family bonds, grief, and everyday hardship
A Very Long Engagement
dreamlike European-inflected romance blending melancholy realism with mythic possibility
Movie Details
- Director
- Neil Jordan
- Release Date
- 2010-03-05
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (370)
Cast
- Colin Farrell
- Alicja Bachleda-Curuś
- Dervla Kirwan
- Alison Barry
- Marion O'Dwyer
- Tony Curran
- Mary O'Shea
- Gemma Reeves
- Stephen Rea
- Norma Sheahan
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Ondine about?
- A recovering Cork fisherman finds a mysterious woman in his net, awakening his daughter’s belief in selkies and his own fear of hope.
- What is Ondine like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ondine as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Ondine violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Ondine as mild.
- What did critics think of Ondine?
- Critics broadly found the film charming, atmospheric, and mythically evocative, while noting that its late shift toward realism weakens the dreamlike spell.
- Which films are like Ondine?
- Films with a similar feel include The Shape of Water, The Fisher King, The Green Knight, and A Very Long Engagement.
- How long is Ondine?
- Ondine runs 111 minutes.
- Where can I watch Ondine?
- In United States, Ondine streams on Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel.
