The Little Mermaid Christian Movie Review (2023)

Guidance: Talk Together

The surface content is fairly mild for a PG fantasy, with some peril, storm danger, and a little name-calling. The bigger question for Christian families is the story’s strong pull toward romantic longing, disobedience, and the idea that identity is found by leaving one’s given place behind.

Why This Guidance Level

This is a fairly gentle family fantasy on the surface, but it carries more than simple adventure. The peril is manageable, yet the story repeatedly centers on disobedience, romantic fixation, and a message that personal fulfillment comes from rejecting limits and remaking oneself. That makes it a good candidate for parent-child discussion even though the content itself stays within a mild PG range.

Faith & Worldview Perspective

The film celebrates wonder, courage, family protection, and the desire to explore, but it also treats Ariel’s dissatisfaction with her given life as the path to freedom. Parents may want to discuss how the story links identity to self-invention and romance rather than to God’s good design, and how Christian hope in Christ offers something deeper than escaping one’s place or chasing a dream prince.

Truths Reflected

• Curiosity and courage can be good when guided by wisdom.
• Family protection and sacrifice are presented as real goods.

Tensions to Discuss

• Ariel’s repeated disobedience is framed as admirable independence rather than a serious moral problem.
• The story places emotional weight on romantic longing and self-transformation instead of contentment, obedience, and trust in God.

Content & Discernment Markers

Occult & Spiritual Content

• The film mentions a sea witch, dark magic, and a form-changing spell that comes with a terrible cost. The magic is part of the fantasy world rather than a lesson in real-world occult practice, but parents may want to discuss how supernatural power is portrayed and why Christians look to God rather than magic for rescue or identity.

Sexuality & Relationships

• Ariel’s interest in Prince Lucas drives the story, and she connects his birthday, his future kingdom, and the idea of marriage to her own hopes: “Betrothed to a princess? That could be me if I were human.” The romance is sweet rather than explicit, but it strongly shapes the plot and may be worth discussing as a picture of longing and idealization.

Identity Themes

• Ariel repeatedly says she cannot wait to go to the surface and that she would trade her tail for human legs. The film frames her dissatisfaction with life under the sea as a search for her true self, so parents may want to discuss whether identity is something we invent or something received from God.

Violence & Intensity

• There is storm peril, a ship accident, a frantic rescue from the water, and a fall toward the Endless Trench. The danger is stylized and family-friendly, but the storm sequence and underwater threat give the movie a few tense moments that younger children may feel.

Language & Humour

• Language stays light, with mild insults and teasing such as “idiot,” “tramp,” and a few sharp exclamations. Parents who are sensitive to name-calling may want to note that the speech is more snippy than coarse.

Other Content Notes

• The story repeatedly returns to Ariel ignoring her father’s limits and sneaking to the surface: “You know you can’t go to the surface without your sisters,” and “I couldn’t wait.” That tension matters because the film treats rebellion as exciting, so parents may want to talk about wise authority and trust.

Notable Moments

• Surface curiosity: Ariel insists on going up to the surface because she is tired of the same routine and wants something exciting. The moment captures the film’s central pull toward adventure and away from parental limits.

  “Something exciting is always happening up there on the surface.”

• Disobedient rescue: Ariel goes to the surface without permission and gets caught up in a dangerous rescue after a storm and ship accident. The scene matters because the film treats her impulse as brave, even though it breaks clear instructions.

  “I couldn’t wait.”

• Romantic idealization: Ariel connects Prince Lucas’s birthday and future marriage to her own longing to become human. Parents may want to discuss how easily the story turns a crush into a life-defining dream.

  “Betrothed to a princess? That could be me if I were human.”

• Dark magic warning: The film references a sea witch and magic that changes humans and mermaids at a terrible cost. The scene adds fantasy tension and gives parents a natural opening to talk about spiritual counterfeits and where real hope is found.

  “dark magic, which allowed humans and mermaids to change form, but at a terrible cost”

Discussion Prompts

• Desire and contentment: Why do you think Ariel feels so restless with the life she already has?
  • Biblical guidance: Scripture teaches contentment and warns against letting desire rule us. Talk about how God gives good gifts and how Christ is enough even when life feels ordinary.
  • Scripture: Philippians 4:11-13, 1 Timothy 6:6
• Authority and obedience: Was Ariel wise to ignore her father’s warning and go to the surface anyway?
  • Biblical guidance: The Bible calls children to honor parents and listen to wise authority. Discuss how obedience is not about losing freedom, but about trusting God’s good order.
  • Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-3, Proverbs 1:8-9
• Identity and transformation: What does the movie say makes someone truly happy or complete?
  • Biblical guidance: Christian identity is received from God, not built by chasing a new body, a new world, or a romantic dream. In Christ, believers are made new in a deeper way than outward transformation.
  • Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 3:1-3
• Romance and priorities: Why do you think the story gives so much weight to Ariel’s feelings for the prince?
  • Biblical guidance: Romance is a gift, but it should never become an idol. Talk about loving people well without making them the center of hope, which belongs to God alone.
  • Scripture: Matthew 6:33, Song of Solomon 2:7