Mercy Black: Directed By Owen Egerton
Reviewed By Fiona Dodwell
“Do you know Mercy?
Do you know her name?
She’ll take away your hurt
if you promise her your pain”
Mercy Black is an American horror film currently available on Netflix. I watched it recently and knew nothing of it – I hadn’t heard of the title previously – but I took a gamble on the movie during one bored afternoon whilst on lock-down. I was glad I gave it a chance; I really enjoyed it.
The film follows our central character, Marina, who has recently been released from a psychiatric unit. She was diagnosed as mentally ill after being involved in a serious crime as a child. Now, suddenly free from the shackles of the psychiatric unit, Marina reaches out for her sister, and asks to stay with her whilst she gets her life together.
As the movie progresses, we learn more about Marina and her childhood. She had once believed in the urban legend of Mercy Black, and blamed the frightening being for the crime she committed as a child. Of course, now Marina is older and she is mentally well, she has no more time for childhood urban legends… or does she? The film takes a turn for the creepy and weird, leaving the viewer wondering for most of the movie if Mercy Black is real – or whether she’s simply part of Marina’s imagination.
One thing that struck me about the film is the way it focuses much more on the psychology of belief (in this case, the effect of believing in urban legends and the supernatural) than the creepy figure of Mercy Black herself. The viewers get a chance to really see the effects of faith/belief and how it impacts not just a person, but a whole community and town. It’s an interesting slant.
I found myself engrossed in Mercy Black. The cast did a solid job of bringing the story to life with their performances, and I’ll certainly be watching out for more from the director. I thought it was a fun movie with lots of creepy scenes and a few well-timed jump-scares, and it stayed with me long after I pressed ‘Stop.’
I personally love the theme of urban legends in movies and books, so I enjoyed the way this film created a new one of its own – Mercy Black! She certainly is a frightening figure.
If you fancy a good movie and you have Netflix, give it a go. You won’t be disappointed.
Mercy Black
A woman is sent to a mental institution after stabbing her classmate in an attempt to conjure an evil spirit called, Mercy Black. Fifteen years later she’s released, and must save her nephew, who has become obsessed with the phenomenon.
You can watch Mercy Black on Netflix
Fiona Dodwell
Fiona Dodwell has been writing fiction for almost 10 years, with several horror/paranormal titles released under various publishers. Alongside this, she is a freelance writer for various websites and magazines. She has written features for Warner Music, Made In Shoreditch Magazine, Music-news.com and Tremr.
Fiona has studied Psychology, Film Studies, Theology and Health & Social Care.
Her biggest passion is reading dark fiction, as well as creating new stories of her own – the creepier the better!
To find out more about Fiona:
Twitter: @Angel_devil982
Books: Amazon Store
Leave a Reply