Little Fish Parent Guide

Emma and Jude(Olivia Cooke and Jack O’Connell) are small fish caught in a big ocean of uncertainty. A pandemic called Neuroinflammatory Affliction (NIA) is sweeping across the globe. The illness is similar to dementia or Alzheimer’s because it robs the inflicted of their memories.

At first the condition effects only strangers, people unknown to either Emma or Jude. Then it hits one of their friends (Raúl Castillo), causing the usually gentle man to turn angry and violent. Eventually it is Jude’s turn to experience the slipping away of life’s little details.

Desperate not to lose her husband to the incurable ailment, Emma searches for answers in textbooks and signs Jude up for a risky experimental procedure. While waiting to see if those paths will lead to answers, Emma tries to be the keeper of the pair’s memories and constantly quizzes Jude in an effort to exercise his mind.

Like the spread of the fictional NIA, the movie’s pacing ebbs and flows. Sometimes it meanders into portrayals of day-to-day survival, such as Emma’s work as a veterinarian technician and the heartbreaking task of having to euthanize pets who have been forgotten by their owners. Or it rushes past Jude’s confession to former substance abuse. Then it trickles through romantic episodes, sensual sequences and depictions of kissing. The current does pick up though when a disoriented man pulls a knife on his live-in partner, believing she is a stranger. The only constant throughout the script is its flood of profanity (especially its use of a strong sexual expletive) which pushes this unrated movie into Restricted territory.

Releasing when a real pandemic is ravaging the world, this film has the opportunity to mirror timely issues. By depicting a disease similar to one afflicting many seniors, the script also has the chance to reflect on a true challenge for a vulnerable portion of society. But it does neither of those things.

Instead, Little Fish is an intimate portrayal of private struggle—even though it is surrounded by a world full of others facing the same tragedy. Presenting the story in a broken timeline, the screenplay offers a whirlpool of moments where we witness Jude’s fading cognition swirled with scenes of Emma’s valiant attempts to remind him of their meeting, courtship and marriage. Unfortunately, rather than charting a course to a memorable ending, this creative approach just muddies the waters and drowns any of the movie’s hoped-for genius.

About author

Donna Gustafson

Donna Gustafson has been involved with her husband Rod's work since the beginning. Handling many of the behind-the-scenes tasks, she also creates preview pages for up-coming movies, acts as managing editor and occasionally writes reviews.