During 2023’s SAG-AFTRA strike in Hollywood, the term “second screen” gained popularity as movie and TV writers denounced streaming services’ push for dumbed-down scripts people could follow with half attention. Since the success streamers report to shareholders is mostly dependent on the number of hours subscribers tune into their service, their goal is to have stories people can leave on while doing other stuff without feeling frustrated for not understanding the plot. The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep is, unfortunately, classic second screen content, designed to keep you just entertained enough to glance at the bigger screen while still holding your phone without missing any major story beat.
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Loosely based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s short story “A Little Sacrifice,” Sirens of the Deep takes Geralt (voiced by Doug Cockle) to Bremervood, a coastal kingdom at the brink of war with the neighboring underwater community of Merpeople. The humans have depleted the Merpeople’s food resources due to their predatory search for pearls, enraging the sea inhabitants. At the same time, the people of Bremervood have been attacked by a mysterious aquatic creature that leaves death and destruction in its wake. The only thing holding off the bloodshed is the forbidden love of Bremervood’s prince Agloval (voiced by Camrus Johnson) and siren princess Sh’eenaz (voiced by Emily Carey).
Sapkowski’s “A Little Sacrifice” fits perfectly into the author’s dark and broody fantasy setting – bleak ending included. The Netflix adaptation, in turn, blunts the original story’s sharpest edges in favor of clear heroes, obvious villains, and a clean finale. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with this approach, as change is inherent to any adaptation. However, in the case of Sirens of the Deep, the result is a bland script that holds no surprises and paddles toward the finishing line without leaving a lasting impression. Following the second screen philosophy, the whole conflict is simplified to the point where looking away for whole scenes doesn’t prevent you from guessing what happens next.
With few exceptions, the characters never get the time to be more than their specific role in the story demands, and too often, it feels like you’ve seen the same story told somewhere else. That’s a shame, as some of the new characters introduced in the spinoff, such as Essi Daves (voiced by Christina Wren) and Zelest (voiced by Ray Chase), are written around solid concepts worth exploring better. As for Geralt and Jaskier (voiced by Joey Batey), while there’s some fun to be had with their usual banter, Sirens of the Deep doesn’t give either enough agency to affect the course of events in a significant manner. On the contrary, much of the plot unfolds through chaos and coincidence.
To make matters worse, Sirens of the Deep decided to use Disney’s The Little Mermaid as one of its main sources of inspiration. Without spoiling any twists, it suffices to say there is a musical number that is incredibly similar to the classic animated movie. Plus, one of the subplots of Sirens of the Deep revolves around a magical concoction identical to the one in The Little Mermaid. Even Disney’s iconic naval battle at the movie’s end gets rehashed in the film. That’s an odd creative choice, to say the least, as it restrains even more a spinoff deprived of novelty.
Things do get better on the animation front. Like The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf before it, Sirens of the Deep embraces its anime vocation to deliver sleek and fluid action scenes, giving Geralt more mobility than he ever had in the main series or the games. It can take a second for fans of the realistic setting of The Witcher to get used to Geralt’s twirls and flourishes, but this enhanced combat prowess helps each battle feel unique. Sirens of the Deep is all the better when Geralt is floating in the air with a sword in his hands, chopping his way through battalions of sea creatures.
There are some serious editing issues in Sirens of the Deep, even in its best action scenes, as the action ignores the spatial restraints of each setting for the sake of spectacle. Still, ignoring these inconsistencies is easy when the result is genuinely impressive. Studio Mir, who handled the animation, also deserves praise for its use of slow motion, infrequently enough to enhance key scenes instead of slowing down the flow of combat as a whole.
In addition to the animation, the highlight of Sirens of the Deep is its voice cast. Like in the main Netflix series, Batey embodies Jaskier’s chaotic energy, and it’s always great to hear him sing his way out of trouble and into people’s hearts. Plus, while fans wonder if Liam Hemsworth will make a Geralt of Rivia as good as Henry Cavill’s, Cockle’s White Wolf remains the definitive version of the character outside Sapkowski’s books, elevating a lukewarm animated movie just as he elevated CD Projekt Red’s beloved gaming trilogy. The standout voice, however, belongs to Wren. The movie doesn’t give Essi much to do beyond glaring at Geralt with doe eyes, but even so, Wren delivers each line with such heart that it’s impossible not to be charmed by her charisma.
Sirens of the Deep is a flawed spinoff with a few highlights sprinkled over, delivering just enough fun to engage with in a casual watch. For diehard The Witcher fans, it does offer a glimpse at Geralt’s adventures with Jaskier right in the middle of the timeline mess that was the main series’ first season. However, with so much content dropping in so many different streamers every week, Sirens of the Deep had to do a little more to truly stand out. It’s good that Netflix is willing to try out new formats to expand one of its leading properties. Nevertheless, Sirens of the Deep is not the spinoff to convince audiences that The Witcher needs all the content it gets.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep is currently available on Netflix.
