Misericordia

Misery Loves Company

Credit: Janus Films

French Writer/Director Alain Guiraduie’s Misericordia is a black comedy of errors that makes us uncomfortable in the best of ways:  characters with unsavory intentions, squirm-inducing humor, genuine suspense. 

Latin for “mercy,” Misericordia (aka Miséricorde) follows the shady Jérémie—unforgettably played by brooding cosmopolitan Felix Kysyl—who returns to his rural hometown for a funeral.  Jérémie’s understated charm piques the interest of local townsfolk … and his abrupt decision to stay in town doubles his mystique.  This unwanted attention wouldn’t matter so much if he weren’t hiding a dark secret—known only to him and the viewer.  As our hapless protagonist goes to increasingly absurd lengths to closet his skeletons, hapless villagers become even more intrigued.

The outcome is excruciatingly funny.  We cringe as Jérémie is entangled in his own lies; while we debate his next move, the film keeps us at arm’s length and discomfort grows faster than fungus.  Emotional realism, elevated. 

Known for queer narratives with tonal precision and relaxed pacing, Guiraduie’s latest doesn’t disappoint.  Packaged like a Turkey-Trot but paced like a Marathon, this film feels deviously slow … even at 103 minutes. It also manages to stay engaging while milking every drop of schadenfreude.

Misercordia is not an easy recommendation.  Instead of catering to his audience, Guiraduie favors the unexpected, even the surreal.  More Ari Aster than Tim Robinson, the cringe-comedy here is grounded but twisted:  a neo-noir quality carried by the film’s remarkable cast—so honest in their oddities that we struggle to plumb their interiors. 

But psychic distress is part of Misericordia’s charm.

It all feels like a wink from Guiraduie.  For anyone sick of sameness in cinema, this is a uniquely self-assured ride, the “feel weird”-movie of the summer:  hilariously deranged, charged with existential tension.  Just don’t expect emotional catharsis. 


Reviewed at NYFF 2024.

103 min.

Where to Watch: The Criterion Channel, Apple TV

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