The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep review: classic Witcher monster hunting

The Witcher is in a period of transition right now. While the live-action TV series is shifting to a new lead actor in the role of Geralt as it approaches its finale, the next game will switch things up even more, with Ciri as the protagonist. These are huge changes for the fantasy franchise. And before they happen, we have The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep, an animated film that isn’t burdened with any of that. Instead, it’s a classic Witcher tale: monster hunting with equal parts action, humor, and tragedy.

Based on the short story “A Little Sacrifice,” Sirens of the Deep has Geralt (voiced by Doug Cockle, reprising the role from the games) and his bard pal Jaskier (Joey Batey) together in a seaside kingdom. At the outset, Geralt’s un-witcher-like sense of morality has them strapped for money after he refuses to kill a monster because it didn’t actually do anything wrong. So the pair make a deal: each will take on the next job that comes their way, no matter what it is. For Jaskier, it’s simple enough, as he ends up performing at a local festival. Geralt’s job is a lot more complicated: investigating a murder in hopes of preventing a war.

As it turns out, the kingdom of Bremervoord is dealing with a brewing conflict with the merpeople who live in the waters surrounding it. The merpeople are worried that human development will continue encroaching on their home, while the humans believe that the sea folk are attacking their fishing operations. Complicating matters even further is the fact that the human prince just so happens to be in love with the mermaid princess. Geralt, as always, finds himself caught right in the middle.

Part of what makes Sirens of the Deep work is that it’s focused. When Witcher stories drift toward political intrigue and larger worldbuilding, they get away from the characters and threads that make them interesting. That stuff still exists in Sirens of the Deep, as does Geralt’s occasionally exhausting relationship with Yennefer (Anya Chalotra). But they aren’t the main part of the narrative. You don’t need to worry about what’s going on with the magical school or what king is invading what country. Instead, the movie presents a mostly standalone tale of intrigue and violence, one punctuated with a dry sense of humor and some excellent action sequences that would be impossible in a live-action show.

Sirens of the Deep is perhaps a touch more predictable than most Witcher stories — it’s basically a dark fantasy take on The Little Mermaid, complete with a musical number — but there are enough tragic and heartfelt twists to keep things interesting. More important is that it’s a film that understands the appeal of The Witcher and keeps things centered on putting Geralt (and, to a lesser extent, Jaskier) in difficult situations and watching them make the most of it. Blood is shed, hearts are broken — and hopefully the next iterations of the franchise will follow suit.

The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep is streaming on Netflix now.