X
- 2018
- Not Rated
- Screen Media Films
- 1 h 52 m
- 2018
- Not Rated
- Screen Media Films
- 1 h 52 m
Summary Yachtsman Donald Crowhurst's disastrous attempt to win the 1968 Golden Globe Race ends up with him creating an outrageous account of traveling the world alone by sea.
Directed By: James Marsh
Written By: Scott Z. Burns
- 2018
- Not Rated
- Screen Media Films
- 1 h 52 m
- 2018
- Not Rated
- Screen Media Films
- 1 h 52 m
The Mercy
60
5.8
Where to Watch
Summary Yachtsman Donald Crowhurst's disastrous attempt to win the 1968 Golden Globe Race ends up with him creating an outrageous account of traveling the world alone by sea.
Directed By: James Marsh
Written By: Scott Z. Burns
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 19 Critic Reviews
60
47% Positive
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
53% Mixed
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 19 Critic Reviews
60
47% Positive
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
53% Mixed
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
It’s one of those limited-release films that few will see, with acting so compact and contained that everyone who loves great screen performances should. Weisz, Firth and Thewlis give us understated, unfussy performances that lift The Mercy, a wonderfully tragic story with a hint of magnificence about it.
Despite the hint of a stiff-upper-lip kind of reserve, this is astonishingly brutal. And Firth’s performance makes this dark, dark story land.
Firth remains in low gear throughout his character’s transition from fuzzy dreamer to desperate schemer to mad transcendental poet. It takes a bit of voiceover to get the job done, but Firth’s steadfast refusal to chew scenery turns out to be the key to his performance
Through all the film’s bumps and scrapes, Firth does invest a lot of commendable energy in helping us grasp Crowhurst’s besieged state of mind. It’s a good performance in shaky circumstances, but at least he honours the man’s contradictions, on top of his terror of public failure, and even greater one of exposure as a fraud.
I walked away from this picture both moved and confused. Because it’s got Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz in top form, The Mercy nails the emotion, but comes up somewhat short as a narrative.
The film is as disappointing as his fate, but it’s worth watching for the rugged, nerve-wracking performance by Colin Firth.
Unlike the steely resilience in the face of disaster of Robert Redford’s character in All Is Lost, watching Crowhurst slowly crack is the cinema equivalent of filling your pockets with pebbles and chucking yourself into the Solent.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 16 User Ratings
5.8
38% Positive
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
56% Mixed
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
6% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 16 User Ratings
5.8
38% Positive
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
56% Mixed
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
6% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Production Company
StudioCanal,
BBC Film,
Blueprint Pictures,
Galatée Films,
Amazon Prime Video
Release Date Nov 30, 2018
Duration 1 h 52 m
Rating Not Rated
Tagline Based on the true story.
Awards
World Soundtrack Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
