Runtime:
90 minutes
Release
Date: November 22, 016
Rating:
NR
Director:
Chris Sparling
Mercy
tells the story of an older woman who is near death. Her husband sits
with her for awhile one day before doing downstairs after hearing a
knock on the door. Though a man waits there with a medical bag, the
husband makes it clear that they will not be giving his wife what is
in the bag. The man gives him the bag anyway as a back up before
leaving. We also meet three of the woman's sons, all who have a
different reason for coming home.
Brad
comes home with his girlfriend, Melissa, to see his mom. He tells her
that his mom's husband is actually his step-dad, which makes the two
of the other men his step-brothers. Though he introduces his mom to
his girlfriend, it's pretty clear that his mom doesn't really
understand anything going on around her. There is a slight argument
over “the cure” or whatever is in the bag. Melissa doesn't
understand why they can't just give it to his mom if it will end her
suffering, but he tells her that she just wouldn't get it.
It
doesn't take long before we learn that many of the boys came home in
the hopes of getting an inheritance. It has something to do with
Brad's father and what happened to him. Mom's husband sits his own
sons down to explain that the money is now in a trust in his name
only and that no one will get a dime until his own death.
When
Brad learns of this, he assumes his step-brothers aren't happy. He
and his girlfriend see some strange things that night that end with
two men outside of the house, and Brad assumes that it's his
step-brothers. Brad's brother agrees to sneak outside and go for
help, and while I don't want to ruin it for anyone, this does not go
as plan. As more and more people come out of nowhere and descend on
the house, Brand needs to make a decision to give his mother what is
in the case or possibly lose his own life.
You know
how you sometimes watch a horror movie and see someone sacrifice
their own lives to save a friend while you scream in the background
to just get the fuck out? There is a scene in this movie that goes in
the completely opposite direction when someone leaves a main
character in the hope of saving his own skin. It's actually a little
unexpected, especially given the relationship between the two.
Mercy is
really somewhat of a shocking film because it has so many twists and
turns that you're never quite sure where it might go. It starts out
as a film about kids saying goodbye to their mother, then becomes a
home invasion film, then transitions into a film about crazy people,
and in the end will leave you wondering what the hell you just
watched.
As a
Netflix “Original” (i.e. a film Netflix just distributed), it's
much darker than you might think. After watching the whole thing, I
had to pause for a few minutes just to digest it and give it some
more thought. It's not the kind of film you watch on date night,
unless you're on a date with me, but it's definitely thought
provoking.
