Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- contemplative
- foreboding
- reflective evening
- historical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film competently made and anchored by Colin Firth's layered performance, while judging the storytelling less substantial and sometimes sluggish.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Donald Crowhurst risks his business, home, and family to enter the Golden Globe Race despite an unfinished boat and limited preparation.
The Teignmouth Electron becomes both the setting for Crowhurst's solitary voyage and a visual expression of his mounting pressure.
Crowhurst's voyage is interwoven with Clare and the family awaiting his return, creating parallel emotional perspectives.
The 1968 Golden Globe Race, press attention, sponsorship pressures, and Crowhurst's inventor identity place the story within an era of public adventure spectacle.
Films like The Mercy, and why
All Is Lost
shared true-story maritime adventure, psychological pressure, and morally fraught protagonist
The Walk
shared biographical drama, solitary endurance, and tension between ambition and family responsibility
The Deep
shared oceanic isolation, survival drama, and emotionally restrained treatment of obsession
The Lost City of Z
shared historical adventure, family sacrifice, and psychologically driven exploration of ambition
Movie Details
- Director
- James Marsh
- Release Date
- 2018-02-09
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (307)
Cast
- Colin Firth
- Rachel Weisz
- David Thewlis
- Mark Gatiss
- Genevieve Gaunt
- Jonathan Bailey
- Andrew Buchan
- Simon McBurney
- Eleanor Stagg
- Ken Stott
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Mercy about?
- An ambitious amateur sailor enters a perilous solo race around the world, finding his dream steadily overwhelmed by isolation, pressure, and impossible expectations.
- What is The Mercy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Mercy as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Mercy violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Mercy.
- What did critics think of The Mercy?
- Critics broadly found the film competently made and anchored by Colin Firth's layered performance, while judging the storytelling less substantial and sometimes sluggish.
- Which films are like The Mercy?
- Films with a similar feel include All Is Lost, The Walk, The Deep, and The Lost City of Z.
- How long is The Mercy?
- The Mercy runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Mercy?
- In United States, The Mercy streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
