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The Mercy
The Mercy
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The Mercy
British release poster
Directed byJames Marsh
Written byScott Z. Burns
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyÉric Gautier
Edited byJinx Godfrey
Music byJóhann Jóhannsson
Production
companies
Distributed byStudioCanal
Release dates
  • 28 November 2017 (2017-11-28) (BAFTA New York)
  • 9 February 2018 (2018-02-09) (United Kingdom)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$27 million[1]
Box office$4.5 million[2]

The Mercy is a 2017 British biographical drama film, directed by James Marsh and written by Scott Z. Burns. It is based on the true story of the disastrous attempt by the amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst to complete the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race in 1968 and his subsequent attempts to cover up his failure. The film stars Colin Firth, Rachel Weisz, David Thewlis and Ken Stott. It is one of the last films scored by Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson.

The film was released in the United Kingdom on 9 February 2018 by StudioCanal.

Plot

[edit]

In 1968, English businessman Donald Crowhurst is inspired by Sir Francis Chichester to compete in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, a single-handed, round-the-world yacht race. Though only an amateur sailor, Crowhurst believes that technology and gumption will enable him to succeed in a custom trimaran, thus ensuring financial security for his wife and young children. As delays and costs mount, however, Crowhurst is forced to sign promissory notes pledging his company and home to his main sponsor Stanley Best, should he fail to finish. Barely ready in time for the race, Crowhurst must complete the race or lose everything he holds dear.

During his trip in the Teignmouth Electron he attempts to give an optimistic version of events to both his family and press agent, but inwardly feels under pressure due to his financial situation, physical danger and loneliness. The film cuts between his voyage and scenes at home where his wife Clare is attempting to deal with the situation.[3]

To make matters worse for Crowhurst, his boat is damaged, making his journey forward extremely risky. He begins to falsify his records, greatly exaggerating how far he has sailed each day. Crowhurst decides to be vague in his communications, hinting to the newspapers that he is rounding the cape of Africa, while instead sailing slowly and attempting to go unnoticed before returning home. He surreptitiously lands in Argentina to repair the boat.

At home, his apparent success is bringing significant press attention. Robin Knox-Johnston completes the race, but Crowhurst’s false accounts suggest that he will finish the fastest as all other sailors but one have dropped out of the race. Crowhurst slows down his return trip to avoid the attention that finishing fastest would bring, knowing that scrutiny would reveal he had fabricated his earlier location reports.

Upon learning that the other sailor still in the race has also dropped out because of his false records, he becomes overwhelmed with guilt and fear. He starts to lose his mind and begins to hallucinate and imagines seeing his wife who he confesses to. As his mental health fails, so does his physical health and he is oblivious to harming himself as he attempts to stay occupied by maintaining the radio. Meanwhile the vessel drifts.

As his family, the press and public expectantly wait for his return, he loses all control of his mind and his situation and in despair realises he cannot go home and only has one way out. His vessel is eventually found adrift without Crowhurst onboard. It is not clear if he has jumped or fallen overboard. The authorities deduce from his records that he has lied about his progress during his journey.

In the closing credits it states that Crowhurst‘s body was never found and that he was at sea for 7 months and completed 13,000 miles. Robin Knox-Johnston was the only sailor to finish the race and he donated his prize money to Crowhurst‘s family.

Cast

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Production

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Development

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On 27 January 2015, it was announced that James Marsh would direct the film, which StudioCanal, Blueprint Pictures, and BBC Films would produce. StudioCanal and BBC would finance the film which had been developed by Christine Langan.[6] StudioCanal would handle the international sales at the European Film Market and would also distribute the film in the UK, France, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.[6] The producers would be Peter Czernin, Graham Broadbent, and Scott Burns, with Nicolas Mauvernay and Jacques Perrin of Galatée Films.[6] On 31 March 2015 Rachel Weisz was reported to be in discussions to play Clare.[7] On 20 May 2015 Weisz was confirmed as Clare, and David Thewlis, Ken Stott and Jonathan Bailey joined the cast.[8] This is the second collaboration of David Thewlis and director James Marsh after The Theory of Everything. Bailey's casting was confirmed by Deadline on 27 May 2015.[9]

Filming

[edit]

Principal photography on the film began on location on 20 May 2015 in the United Kingdom.[8] In early June 2015 filming was underway in Teignmouth, Devon,[10] and in mid-June, the production was spotted filming at the Isle of Portland in Dorset.[11] By late July, filming had moved to Malta,[12] where some scenes were planned to be shot in the water tanks at Mediterranean Film Studios in Kalkara.[12][13] During the filming, Colin Firth was hospitalised with a hip dislocation.[citation needed] The Mercy was also part shot at West London Film Studios.[14] Some scenes were filmed at Chatham Dockyard in Kent, where HMS Gannet was used as the port where the wives of the competition sailors posed for the press. As well as filming at Bewl Water reservoir in Kent, which features as the Teignmouth inlet where Donald Crowhurst (Colin Firth) sails locally alone and with his family.[15]

For the purpose of this film, a full-scale replica of the Teignmouth Electron was constructed by U.K. boatbuilders Heritage Marine,[16] and was used for film sequences shot in England and in Malta. After completion of filming, the replica was purchased by artist Michael Jones McKean, who also owns the original Teignmouth Electron which remains beached at Cayman Brac; the replica is currently dry docked in storage on the island of Malta.

Music

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Release

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In November 2017, Lionsgate acquired US distribution rights to the film, planning to release it through its subsidiary Roadside Attractions.[17] It was initially scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom on 27 October 2017,[18] but was eventually moved to 9 February 2018.[19] Despite this, it was screened for awards consideration to members of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in New York City on 28 November 2017,[20] followed by two screenings in Renfrew Street, Glasgow on 5 December[21] and Fountain Park, Edinburgh on 7 December that year.[22]

Noting that another film based on the same story was also being produced, Studiocanal (the producers of The Mercy) purchased the rights to its competitor Crowhurst, promising to release it soon after the release of the larger-budget production.[23]

Reception

[edit]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 74% based on 82 reviews, with a weighted average rating of 6.24/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The Mercy sails on Colin Firth's layered central performance, which adds necessary depth and nuance that the story sometimes lacks."[24] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 60 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[25]

See also

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References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
The Mercy is a British biographical drama film directed by James Marsh and written by . Starring as the protagonist and as his wife Clare, it dramatizes the true story of Crowhurst's ill-fated entry into the 1968 , a pioneering single-handed, non-stop race around the world. An inexperienced sailor and struggling electronics entrepreneur, Crowhurst set sail from , , on October 31, 1968, aboard his Teignmouth Electron, but soon realized his vessel was unseaworthy and his skills inadequate for the challenge. Desperate to avoid financial ruin and for his family, Crowhurst abandoned the race route in the South Atlantic and began fabricating entries from December 5, 1968, to falsely portray himself as a leading contender who had successfully rounded . As other competitors dropped out or faced perils, his deception positioned him as a potential winner of the £5,000 prize for the fastest completion, heightening the pressure on him. In June 1969, overwhelmed by guilt and isolation, Crowhurst penned a final aboard his vessel before presumably taking his own life by abandoning ship; his empty was discovered adrift 700 miles west of the on July 10, 1969. Produced by , , , and Galatée Films among others, The Mercy explores themes of ambition, delusion, and the fragility of the human psyche against the vast ocean. The film features a supporting cast including , , and , with cinematography by Éric Gautier and a haunting score composed by Jóhann Jóhannsson. It received a world premiere in on February 6, 2018, followed by a theatrical release on February 9, 2018. Critically, it earned a 73% approval rating on based on 82 reviews, with praise centered on Firth's nuanced portrayal of Crowhurst's descent into madness, though some noted uneven pacing and a reluctance to fully confront the story's darker elements.

Background

Donald Crowhurst

was born in 1932 in Ghaziabad, , during the , where his father worked as a superintendent on the . The family returned to in 1947 following India's independence, settling with limited financial resources after his father's death shortly thereafter. Crowhurst left school early and trained as an apprentice at the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough, later attending briefly before his education was interrupted by family financial constraints. In 1948, he joined the Royal Air Force, serving until 1954. He then briefly joined the army, from which he was discharged due to a misconduct incident involving a stolen vehicle. After his , Crowhurst worked as a travelling salesman for an electrics company and later as chief at an electronics firm in . In 1962, he founded Electron Utilisation Ltd., a small business aimed at developing innovative devices for the marine industry. Among his inventions was the Navicator, a handheld radio direction-finding , which initially attracted from Pye Radio but ultimately failed to gain traction due to technical and market challenges. By the mid-1960s, the company faced severe financial difficulties, including mounting debts and impending bankruptcy, exacerbated by the withdrawal of key backers and unsuccessful product launches. Crowhurst married Clare O'Leary, an Irish woman from , and together they had four children: Rachel, Simon, Roger, and James. The family lived in a comfortable house outside , , but the business failures threatened their stability, prompting Crowhurst to enter the Golden Globe Race in a desperate attempt to secure sponsorship and the £5,000 prize to rescue his company. Known as an optimistic and charismatic inventor with a headstrong, romantic personality, Crowhurst was an enthusiastic amateur sailor but lacked extensive ocean-going experience, often charming others with his persuasive ideas despite his limited .

Golden Globe Race

The Sunday Times Golden Globe Race was announced in March 1968 as the first competition to determine the fastest solo, non-stop, unassisted of the globe, inspired by Francis Chichester's recent one-stop solo voyage. Organized by the British newspaper , the event had no fixed route but required an eastward solo, non-stop, unassisted of the globe, passing south around the major continents and typically involving the great southern capes such as , the , and . There was no entry fee and minimal qualifications, reflecting the era's pioneering spirit in single-handed ocean racing. Key rules stipulated that participants must depart from a British port between June 1 and October 31, 1968, sail solo without stopping in any port or receiving outside assistance, and complete the eastward. Prizes included a Golden Globe trophy for the first to finish and £5,000 for the fastest overall time. Nine sailors entered, including experienced adventurers like on the 32-foot Suhaili, who became the sole finisher after 312 days, arriving in Falmouth on April 22, 1969. French veteran , aboard the 39-foot steel Joshua, rounded on February 5, 1969, but abandoned the race poetically midway, launching a stating he was "saving my soul" from commercial pressures before continuing for a second and stopping in . British officer , sailing the 40-foot trimaran Victress, led briefly but sank due to structural failures off in December 1968 after pushing to match reported speeds, requiring rescue. Donald Crowhurst, an amateur sailor and electronics engineer with limited experience on small boats, entered late as a for his struggling business, Utilisation Ltd. Sponsored by local businessman Stanley Best with a £1,000 , he departed from on October 31, 1968—just before the deadline—aboard the untested 41-foot Teignmouth Electron, which had faced construction delays and incomplete fittings. Early equipment failures, including a faulty radio direction finder, left him lagging; by December 5, 1968, facing withdrawal and financial ruin, Crowhurst began falsifying logbook positions to simulate a competitive , reporting fictitious daily runs up to 243 nautical miles while actually circling in the South Atlantic. He maintained from January to April 1969 to avoid scrutiny, descending into isolation and philosophical distress documented in his private journals. As Knox-Johnston neared completion and Tetley's sinking exposed vulnerabilities in trimarans, Crowhurst's deception risked unraveling; in late June 1969, after 243 days at sea, he wrote a final entry expressing resignation from "the game" unless played by proper rules. Presumed to have committed by jumping overboard around July 1, 1969, his body was never recovered, but was found adrift on July 10, 1969, 700 miles west of the , with both real and falsified logs aboard. A British inquest ruled the death a , and Knox-Johnston donated his £5,000 prize to Crowhurst's widow and four children. The tragedy underscored the psychological toll of the race, contributing to its legendary status in sailing history.

Synopsis and cast

Plot

The Mercy is a biographical based on the true events of the 1968 Golden Globe Race, a solo, non-stop yachting competition around the world. The film centers on , a struggling inventor and amateur sailor facing financial ruin with his electronics business, who enters the race in hopes of winning the £5,000 prize to secure sponsorship and provide stability for his family. Desperate to prove himself, Crowhurst agrees to a rushed sponsorship deal that funds the construction of his , the , despite its untested design and his limited sailing experience. Preparation proves fraught with challenges, as delays in building the boat strain Crowhurst's resources and heighten tensions with his backers, including a flamboyant press agent who hypes his entry to the media. On October 31, 1968, Crowhurst departs from , , waving goodbye to his supportive wife Clare and their three children, promising regular radio updates on his progress. Initial communications portray an optimistic voyage, with Crowhurst reporting steady advances to Clare and his sponsors, masking the mounting difficulties of the unproven vessel. As the journey progresses, Crowhurst grapples with profound isolation in the vast , where technical failures—such as leaking hulls and malfunctioning navigation equipment—threaten his survival and force him into increasingly desperate measures. Moral dilemmas intensify as he faces the pressure to maintain a competitive position through fabricated radio reports, blurring the lines between ambition and deception while yearning for his family's encouragement from afar. The narrative delves into themes of unchecked ambition driving personal risk, the strain of familial bonds across distance, and the psychological devastation of prolonged at sea. The story builds toward Crowhurst's deepening mental unraveling, marked by introspective logbook entries that reflect on existence, failure, and the human spirit, culminating in a poignant examination of his inner turmoil without resolving his fate.

Cast

The principal cast of The Mercy features in the lead role as , an optimistic but increasingly overwhelmed amateur sailor who enters the 1968 Golden Globe Race in a desperate bid for success and financial stability. Firth underwent significant physical preparation for the part, including substantial to depict Crowhurst's deteriorating condition during the voyage. Rachel Weisz portrays Clare Crowhurst, Donald's supportive wife who manages the family and mounting pressures at home while grappling with uncertainty and media scrutiny. Weisz emphasized the character's emotional resilience in interviews, highlighting Clare's role in holding the family together amid the unfolding tragedy. The supporting ensemble includes as Rodney Hallworth, the flamboyant publicist who promotes Crowhurst's participation and amplifies the race's publicity. plays Stanley Best, the pragmatic local businessman and key sponsor who provides financial backing for Crowhurst's boat but with strict conditions. appears as Ian Wheeler, a young associate involved in the boat's preparation and the early stages of the endeavor. Additional notable roles feature Simon McBurney as Sir Francis Chichester, the celebrated sailor whose solo circumnavigation inspires the Golden Globe Race; Mark Gatiss as Ronald Hall, a race organizer; and Adrian Schiller as Mr. Elliot, another figure in the sailing community. The Crowhurst children are depicted by Finn Elliot as James, Kit Connor as Simon, and Eleanor Stagg as Rachel, underscoring the family dynamics strained by the father's absence. This ensemble effectively conveys the interpersonal tensions and broader societal fascination with the race, drawing from the real-life figures central to the story.

Production

Development

The screenplay for The Mercy was written by , who first encountered the story of through the 2006 documentary Deep Water and subsequently delved into Crowhurst's logbooks and audio recordings of his transmissions during the voyage. Initial drafts by Burns emphasized the psychological turmoil and themes of and central to Crowhurst's experience, drawing inspiration from the 1970 book The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst by Nicholas Tomalin and Ron Hall, which provided detailed accounts of the event. In January 2015, James Marsh was attached to direct the film, selected for his prior work on biographical dramas such as The Theory of Everything (2014), which earned multiple Academy Award nominations. The project was co-produced by BBC Films and , with providing financing and securing international distribution rights; the budget was set at approximately £20 million (equivalent to about $27 million at the time). For authenticity, the production team incorporated Crowhurst's personal writings and collaborated with the filmmakers of Deep Water to access archival materials, while lead actor met with surviving family members, including Crowhurst's widow Clare, to gain insights into family dynamics; additional research drew from accounts by Golden Globe Race participants documented in Tomalin and Hall's and consultations with maritime experts to ensure accurate depiction of sailing conditions.

Filming

Principal photography for The Mercy, directed by James Marsh, commenced on 20 May 2015 in the United Kingdom and extended over several months, incorporating both land-based and maritime sequences. Filming took place primarily in , , to recreate the departure scenes from the eponymous town, with additional UK shoots around Portland and Weymouth on the south coast. Ocean sequences were captured off the coast of , including at the Mediterranean Film Studios in and in open waters several miles offshore to minimize horizon visibility issues from land or passing vessels. A full-scale replica of Donald Crowhurst's , the , was constructed in specifically for the production to ensure period-accurate visuals. Due to the vessel's confined interior, separate set pieces were built on a in for close-up scenes, while water tanks facilitated controlled simulations of rough seas. The production faced significant logistical and environmental hurdles, particularly during sea shoots. In the UK, variable weather, strong winds, tides, and waves frequently caused delays and required adaptive scheduling. Malta's intense heat and extended 8- to 10-hour offshore days strained the crew, limited to just eight members on the support for mobility. protocols were stringent, featuring a dedicated boat alongside ribs for camera operations, a director's vessel, and a mothership supplying essentials like food, water, and facilities to sustain long exposures at . These measures, combined with real-location filming, prioritized authentic maritime dynamics over extensive green-screen work.

Music

The score for The Mercy was composed by Icelandic musician , an Academy Award nominee known for his work on films such as Arrival (2016) and The Theory of Everything (2014), selected to capture the emotional depth of isolation and human struggle central to the story. Jóhannsson's score blends minimalist orchestral elements with atmospheric textures, featuring , , strings, and subtle synth layers to evoke a sense of epic intimacy and heroic majesty, mirroring the nautical isolation and psychological tension of Donald Crowhurst's voyage. The music incorporates nautical-inspired motifs through rhythmic strings and light, sparkling percussion, drawing on recordings with the Air Lyndhurst String Orchestra to reflect rhythms and . It also integrates select tracks from Jóhannsson's earlier albums Orphée (2016) and Englabörn (2002) to enhance the emotional layers without prominent licensed songs. Key thematic cues include "The Good Ship ," which underscores Crowhurst's maritime journey with swelling strings and ambient drones; gentler passages for family scenes, such as "Boating for Beginners," emphasizing tenderness through piano and ; and climactic motifs in "A Without Shores" that build tension with orchestral swells. The full score runs approximately 45 minutes across 22 tracks, focusing on conceptual progression rather than exhaustive detail. The original motion picture soundtrack was released by on February 2, 2018, shortly before the film's UK premiere, and received acclaim for its evocative , earning Jóhannsson a posthumous World Award win.

Release

Premiere

The Mercy had its world premiere on 6 February 2018 at the Curzon cinema in , . The event marked the debut of the film, drawing a star-studded crowd including lead actors , , and , alongside director James Marsh and members of the production team such as screenwriter and producer Simon Channing-Williams. Publicity efforts surrounding the premiere included red-carpet interviews and press conferences where the cast and crew emphasized the film's commitment to biographical fidelity in depicting Crowhurst's tragic participation in the Golden Globe Race. Promotional materials, notably the official trailer released in November 2017 by , focused on the high-seas drama and Firth's portrayal of Crowhurst's psychological descent, underscoring the story's basis in real events. The premiere generated media buzz ahead of the film's wide UK release three days later on 9 February 2018.

Distribution

The Mercy was released theatrically in the United Kingdom on February 9, 2018, distributed by StudioCanal across 254 theaters. The international rollout included simultaneous releases in Ireland on the same date and in France on February 11, 2018, with StudioCanal handling distribution in key European markets such as the UK, France, and Germany. In the United States, the film received a limited theatrical release on November 30, 2018, through Screen Media Films. There was no wide distribution in Asian markets. For home media, issued the DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on June 4, 2018. By late 2018, the film was available for digital streaming and purchase on platforms including and . As of November 2025, it is available for streaming on platforms such as Peacock, , and . Promotional tie-ins extended to sailing publications, with features in magazines such as Classic Boat and Latitude 38 tying the story to the 50th anniversary of the Golden Globe Race, alongside appearances on biographical podcasts discussing Crowhurst's legacy.

Reception

Critical response

The Mercy received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the lead performances but found fault with the film's narrative execution and emotional depth. On , the film holds a 73% approval rating based on 82 reviews, with the consensus noting that it "sails on Colin Firth's layered central performance, which adds necessary depth and nuance that the story sometimes lacks." On , it scores 60 out of 100 based on 19 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Critics frequently lauded the performances of as and as his wife Clare, highlighting their ability to convey the emotional toll of the sailor's ill-fated journey. Firth's portrayal was particularly commended for its subtlety in depicting Crowhurst's descent into and despair, bringing likability and humanity to a flawed character. Weisz's supporting role was praised for adding emotional resonance to the family dynamics, grounding the story in personal stakes amid the high-seas adventure. Director James Marsh's visual style was also appreciated for its authentic depiction of maritime isolation, evoking the vastness of the ocean through that captured both beauty and peril. However, several reviewers criticized the film's pacing, particularly in the extended sea sequences, which slowed the momentum and diluted dramatic tension. The narrative was faulted for portraying Crowhurst in an overly sympathetic light, emphasizing external pressures over his personal deceptions and avoiding a fuller exploration of his moral failings. Some noted a lack of gripping suspense in the deception plot, resulting in a story that felt more observational than urgent. Notable reviews included a positive assessment from , which awarded 3 out of 5 stars and praised Firth's nuanced acting while critiquing the film's reluctance to confront the tragedy's horror. In contrast, gave it 2 out of 4 stars, arguing that despite sincere efforts, the film lacked a clear thematic focus. The underwhelming box office performance may have contributed to limited critical buzz post-release.

Box office

The Mercy had a production budget of approximately £20 million. The film earned a worldwide gross of $4.5 million. In the United Kingdom, it opened in seventh place with £300,541 from 254 screens during its debut weekend in February 2018. Its limited U.S. release generated $29,538 in total domestic earnings. The film's modest performance was influenced by its niche subject matter, centered on the lesser-known biographical story of amateur sailor , which limited international appeal beyond the market. Additionally, it faced stiff competition from major blockbusters such as , which dominated early 2018 releases. Overall, The Mercy underperformed relative to its budget, resulting in financial losses for its distributors. The mixed further contributed to subdued audience attendance.

References

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