When Netflix acquired the rights to various adaptations of Andrzej Sapkowski's “The Witcher” universe, fans were initially delighted, but the first shots from the TV adaptation put everything in its place. This is the same example when the authors don't seem to fully understand why people love the original source. That's why the ratings of the TV series “The Witcher” fall from season to season.
However, Netflix is also trying to tell the stories of Geralt and his friends in an animated format. “The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf” / The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf tried to go in this direction first, telling the story of a young Vesemir. It was a good-animated film, but nothing more. However, “The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep” / The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep loses in quality even to such a predecessor.
| Назва | "Відьмак: Сирени з глибин" / The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep |
| Жанр | фентезі |
| Режисер | Канг Хей Чхол |
| Ролі озвучували | Даґ Кокл, Джої Бетей, Аня Чалотра, Крістіна Рен, Емілі Кері, Камрус Джонсон, Саймон Темплмен, Рей Чейз, Меллорі Дженсен, Синтія Кей Маквільямс та інші |
| Студії | Studio Mir, Netflix |
| Хронометраж | 1 година 31 хвилин |
| Рік | 2025 |
| Сайт | IMDb |
The plot of the film focuses on the story “A Little Sacrifice” from the book “The Sword of Destiny” (1992), the second collection of short stories about The Witcher. Geralt of Rivia finds himself in the middle of a conflict between humans and sea creatures, which is at the same time much more complex and personal than it might seem at first glance. At the same time, “The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep” adapts the original source only indirectly, so the story will try to surprise even those who have read the original.
As a standalone adventure, The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep offers a new take on a familiar setting and adds to the knowledge of the Witcher universe. However, the script came out boring and bland. It can't be called terrible or bad, some effort was definitely put into it. But it still feels as if the authors failed to put original or even just sincere meaning into another order. It seems like another portion of content that Netflix hastily added to its vast catalog. There are no special reasons to watch the film, except for warm feelings for The Witcher as a work of art.
The lack of emotional depth makes this film just another spinoff that doesn't claim to be a significant addition to the series. However, the potential for future adventures is still there. The writers have carefully laid out hints about the development of individual characters and entire storylines. This doesn't make “Sirens of the Deep” particularly better, but it gives hope that potential new adaptations in the animated format will be better.
The voice acting of Doug Cockle, who returns to the role of Geralt from CD Projekt RED's The Witcher series, is also perceived in two ways. His voice has long become iconic for video game fans, but in this film it sounds too monotonous, not adding new shades to the hero. Frankly, even his acting in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is still debatable. But the mere presence of a familiar voice creates a sense of unity of the universe across different media formats, which is an undoubted plus.
As for the story, it has a good pace and some interesting plot decisions, however, like the main series from Netflix, “The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep” / The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep cannot avoid problems. The script feels superficial, and the final act develops predictably, leaving the viewer with no real sense of catharsis and, accordingly, satisfaction while watching the credits. Although here, too, the platform creates additional features: Netflix will automatically suggest you watch something else, even without having finished watching the credits with the names of those who worked on the film. This seems like a somewhat cynical statement about the current state of the streaming entertainment industry. Overall, the hour and a half running time of the story feels longer — due to the boredom that will almost certainly arise while watching.
However, if we consider the film as a simple adventure for an evening, it copes with its task quite well. The main problem is the lack of significant conflicts and deep moral dilemmas that would make the story truly exciting. The world of “The Witcher” traditionally features difficult choices and gray morality, but here these aspects are presented only superficially. This makes “Sirens of the Deep” more of an entertaining film than a significant part of the universe, and the rather straightforward positioning of Geralt somewhat pushes the depths of his image away from the books and video games.
“The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep” is Netflix's attempt to create a quality animated spinoff, which has its pluses, but overall leaves the feeling of another mediocre project. It is not a failure, but it is not exceptional either. It is a good introduction for newcomers to the franchise, but at the same time another reminder that Netflix does not understand how to develop the world of “The Witcher” and what to do with the rights to it.