Madaline’s mother, and her dying father, Frank, don’t seem to want her around. The nuns, postulates, and even the Mother Superior at Mercy convent don’t take too kindly to her either, except for one of Madaline’s fellow postulates, August (a delightfully creepy Lily Newmark). Madaline is terrified and keeps hearing ominous whispers and having flashbacks and dreams related to her childhood and a well inside a shed on her family’s property.
“IFC Midnight has released a lot of great films this year, and I’m happy to say that Welcome to Mercy is one of them…”
My one complaint about Welcome to Mercy is that all the big action occurs in the last third of the film, which is when you finally get a hint as to what’s actually happening with Madaline and her family. The cinematography, production design, costume design, and most especially the sound design create an ominous unease that almost made me too uncomfortable, but the build-up is well worth the ending, which was definitely not what I expected. IFC Midnight has released a lot of great films this year, and I’m happy to say that Welcome to Mercy is one of them, even if it is somewhat flawed in the pacing department. If you can handle a super-slow burn, though, Welcome to Mercy is right up your alley.
Welcome to Mercy (2018) Directed by Tommy Bertelsen. Written by Kristen Ruhlin. Starring Kristen Ruhlin, Lily Newmark, Eileen Davies, Ieva Siglina, Dainis Grube, Toms Liepajnieks.
6.5 out of 10 stars
