Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- sardonic
- propulsive
- irreverent
- classic western night
- action movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an energetic and stylish spaghetti western elevated by its charismatic cast, political charge, and Morricone-inflected spectacle.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sergei Kowalski tutors and assists Paco while remaining motivated by payment and personal advantage rather than revolutionary conviction.
The Mexican Revolution, village liberations, rodeo disguises, and social banditry are filtered through the energetic comic mode of a spaghetti western.
Paco fights repressive government and powerful landowners but is tempted by the treasures of social banditry.
Kowalski tells how he and Columba fought alongside Paco, with the story moving from a present situation into remembered revolutionary events.
Films like The Mercenary, and why
Companeros
shared spaghetti western style, Mexican Revolution setting, cynical mercenary protagonist, and irreverent political violence
A Fistful of Dynamite
shared Mexican Revolution backdrop, revolutionary ideals, anti-landowner politics, and stylized western action
The Great Silence
shared spaghetti western aesthetics, morally ambiguous gunfighters, revenge-driven conflict, and darkly comic tone
Duck, You Sucker!
shared revolutionary western setting, buddy dynamics, class conflict, and flamboyant genre filmmaking
Movie Details
- Director
- Sergio Corbucci
- Release Date
- 1968-12-20
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (169)
Cast
- Franco Nero
- Tony Musante
- Jack Palance
- Giovanna Ralli
- Franco Giacobini
- Eduardo Fajardo
- Franco Ressel
- Álvaro de Luna
- Raf Baldassarre
- Joe Kamel
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, ScreenPix Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Mercenary about?
- A cynical Polish gun-for-hire and an idealistic Mexican revolutionary clash over whether liberation can survive ambition, wealth, and violence.
- What is The Mercenary like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Mercenary as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Mercenary violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Mercenary as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Mercenary?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an energetic and stylish spaghetti western elevated by its charismatic cast, political charge, and Morricone-inflected spectacle.
- Which films are like The Mercenary?
- Films with a similar feel include Companeros, A Fistful of Dynamite, The Great Silence, and Duck, You Sucker!.
- How long is The Mercenary?
- The Mercenary runs 101 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Mercenary?
- In United States, The Mercenary streams on Amazon Prime Video, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, ScreenPix Amazon Channel .
