The Mercy

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The Mercy

2018,

1h 41m,

Biography/

Drama

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Watchlist

73%

82 Reviews

Tomatometer

34%

250+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

73%

Tomatometer

82 Reviews

34%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

Yachtsman Donald Crowhurst creates an outrageous account of his disastrous attempt to win the 1968 Golden Globe Race.

Critics Consensus

The Mercy sails on Colin Firth's layered central performance, which adds necessary depth and nuance that the story sometimes lacks.

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Rex Reed

Observer

Nov 30, 2018

2/4

It all seems doomed from the start-and never in the same throat-gripping class with such fateful horrors-at-sea epics as Adrift or Robert Redford's All is Lost.

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Peter Sobczynski

RogerEbert.com

Nov 30, 2018

2/4

The film has been made with plenty of sincerity and no small amount of effort, but with no idea of what it wants to say.

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Kerry Lengel

Arizona Republic

Nov 29, 2018

3.5/5

An engrossing character study of an ordinary man whose extraordinary ambition proves his undoing.

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Diana Tuova

Spotlight on Film

Aug 9, 2024

2.5/5

The Mercy cannot keep itself afloat and never quite manages to raise its sails up, portraying a very predictable (to the point of boring) voyage, with an almost unconvincing and foolish “hero”-character at its centre.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Jun 27, 2020

7/10

This biographical drama is simple, restrained, without much pretense of greatness, but the story it exhibits conveys the sense of tragedy that haunts the protagonist. [Full review in Spanish]

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Simon Reynolds

Den of Geek

Aug 7, 2019

4/5

What's great about The Mercy is how it manages to surprise, both in the story it's telling and how Marsh gradually shifts the tone.

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Mar 18, 2019

The Mercy, basada en una historia real me parece una muy buena pelÃcula biogrÃ¡fica con un casting de primera. La recomiendo.

George W

Mar 9, 2019

Lack of depth or substance. Almost as bad as c.m. If you have a choice between the two, watch this one.

Leia S

Dec 7, 2018

Excellent acting. Worth one watch.

Finn L

Nov 7, 2018

The Mercy follows amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst as he signs up for a solo around the world voyage in 1968 for the simple reason of proving to himself that he can do it and he didn't stand by and watch others have adventures while he lived his day to day life. It's only while at sea he realises his limitations on the journey he has taken as he struggles with boat repairs, sailing proficiency, loneliness and his mind slowly unravelling while everyone at home believes he is actually making record breaking progress against his competitors. It was a very decent story, not something I knew anything about. Colin Firth was very good in the lead role beginning the film bustling with excitement and confidence and ending a frail wreck of a man. Rachael Weisz was somewhat underused but good in the scenes she had. An entertaining true story that's worth watching.

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Han W

Nov 6, 2018

The Mercy follows amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst as he signs up for a solo around the world voyage in 1968 for the simple reason of proving to himself that he can do and he didn't stand by and watch others have adventures while he lived his day to day life. It's only while at sea he realises his limitations on the journey he has taken as he struggles with boat repairs, sailing proficiency, loneliness and his mind slowly unravelling while everyone at home believes he is actually making record breaking progress against his competitors. It was a very decent story, not something I knew anything about. Colin Firth was very good in the lead role beginning the film bustling with excitement and confidence and ending a frail wreck of a man. Rachael Weisz was somewhat underused but good in the scenes she had. An entertaining true story that's worth watching.

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Hermione W

Oct 27, 2018

Colin Firth is outstanding. A desperately sad tale of innocent dreams, thwarted ambition, and a family ripped apart.

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James Marsh

Director

Rachel Weisz

Clare Crowhurst

Colin Firth

Donald Crowhurst

David Thewlis

Rodney Hallworth

Finn Elliot

James

Andrew Buchan

Ian

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Synopsis

Yachtsman Donald Crowhurst creates an outrageous account of his disastrous attempt to win the 1968 Golden Globe Race.

Director: James Marsh
Producer: Graham Broadbent, Scott Z. Burns, Peter Czernin, Nicolas Mauvernay, Jacques Perrin
Screenwriter: Scott Z. Burns
Production Co: Screen Media Ventures, StudioCanal, BBC Films, Blueprint Pictures, Galatée Films
Genre: Biography, Drama
Original Language: British English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 8, 2019
Runtime: 1h 41m

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