Mercy Road
| Mercy Road | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John Curran |
| Screenplay by | John Curran Jesse Heffring Christopher Lee Pelletier |
| Produced by | Gary Hamilton Daniaile Jarry Penny Carlin Ying Ye Alex Proyas |
| Starring | Luke Bracey Toby Jones |
| Cinematography | Ross Giardina |
| Edited by | Scott Gray |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Rialto Distribution |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 103 min. |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $5,576 |
Mercy Road is a 2023 Australian psychological thriller film directed by John Curran.[1]
Mercy Road premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) on August 18, 2023.[2][3] The film was later released theatrically in Australia on October 5, 2023.[4][5]
Plot
Former alcoholic Tom is ruining his life step by step, having already lost his family and constantly changing jobs due to bouts of uncontrollable irascibility. Tom's ex-wife and his 12-year-old daughter Ruby now live with her mother's new boyfriend. One day, Tom learns that his underage daughter has been sexually abused by her stepfather. In a fit of rage, Tom kills the man and flees the scene. Immediately after the murder, Tom tries to warn his daughter not to go home. But it turns out that no one knows the girl's whereabouts. After some time, an unknown man contacts Tom and says that Ruby is being held hostage. The stranger makes a number of demands, which Tom is given exactly one hour to fulfill. The mission to save his daughter becomes almost impossible for the father, as the police are pursuing Tom, believing him guilty of kidnapping Ruby.
Cast
- Luke Bracey as Tom
- Toby Jones as the associate
- Alex Malone as Terri
- Huw Higginson (voice)
- Martha Kate Morgan as Ruby
- Susie Porter (voice)
Production
The film is brought to life using real-time in-camera compositing techniques involving LED display and Unreal Engine.[6]
Critical response
The Guardian critic Luke Buckmaster gave the film 4 out of 5 stars in his review, calling it "a strangely surreal film set mostly in a truck. It's part-Speed, part-Phone Booth, all nightmare".[7] Meanwhile, Jonathan W. Hickman in The Times Herald gave the film 6 out of 10, praising the performances of Bracey and Jones. He said: "Mercy Road is an entertaining real-time thriller with horror touches that might leave some viewers perplexed". He also noted similarities to the 2013 thriller Locke.[8]
References
- ^ Jackie Keast (July 11, 2023). "MIFF unveils full line-up, including 'Voices in Deep', 'Mercy Road', 'Rose Gold', 'Monolith'". IF Magazine.
- ^ "Mercy Road". Melbourne International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
- ^ Harry Windsor (2023-08-16). "New Australian films at MIFF". The Monthly.
- ^ Stephen A. Russell (2023-08-18). "Mercy Road review – unreal thriller grinds the gears (MIFF 2023)". ScreenHub Australia.
- ^ John Squires (2023-10-05). "'Mercy Road' Exclusive Clip – A Disturbed Man Has a Concerning Conversation With a Spider". Bloody Disgusting.
- ^ "The 71st Melbourne International Film Festival Has a Line-Up So Good You Can Take it to The Bank". The Curb. 2023-07-11.
- ^ Luke Buckmaster (2023-08-18). "Mercy Road review – there's no other thriller quite like it". The Guardian.
- ^ Jonathan W. Hickman (2023-10-06). "Capsule Film Reviews: Mercy Road, Totally Killer, and She Came to Me". The Times Herald.