YNOT at the Movies

The French writer-director Alain Guiraudie's enigmatic new film "Misericordia" (Miséricorde | France/Spain/Portugal, 2024 | in French | 104 min.) is a masterfully crafted thriller that blurs the lines between desire, morality, and suspense. It continues the thematic exploration found in his previous acclaimed film "Stranger by the Lake" (L'inconnu du lac | France 2013), a provocative thriller about sex, desire, love, and murder.

Set in the quiet countryside of Occitanie, France, during the vibrant fall season, the film follows Jérémie (Félix Kysyl), an unemployed baker who returns to his hometown for the funeral of his former mentor, the village baker. What begins as a brief visit soon turns into a deeply unsettling entanglement with the deceased man's widow, Martine (Catherine Frot), his resentful and volatile son, Vincent (Jean-Baptiste Durand), and Vincent's best friend, Walter (David Ayala). Adding to the intrigue is an enigmatic priest, L'abbé (Jacques Develay), whose omnipresence raises more questions than answers. As relationships between these characters slowly unfold, buried secrets and hidden desires emerge. After a murder occurs, their moral compasses are further tested, deepening the film's intricate web of lies and deceit.

Guiraudie masterfully crafts a story that explores the dangerous pull of desire, the murkiness of human intentions, and the ways in which passion can blur moral boundaries. He takes a melancholic, autumnal approach, situating his characters in a setting where past wounds and long-buried secrets gradually resurface. The rural village and its surrounding forest, with their rich autumnal hues, become a psychological battleground, heightening the film's eerie and enigmatic tone.

The film thrives on ambiguity, both in its characters and its moral inquiries. Jérémie's motives remain elusive: is he simply nostalgic, yearning for connection, or does he have deeper, more self-serving intentions? The film resists the traditional dichotomy of heroes and villains, allowing its characters to exist in shades of gray. It compels the audience to reconsider their allegiances as the mystery unfolds, raising profound questions about guilt, redemption, and the hidden impulses that drive human behavior.

Félix Kysyl delivers a mesmerizing performance, shifting effortlessly between vulnerability and quiet menace as Jérémie. Catherine Frot lends Martine a depth that captures the complexities of grief, loneliness, and unresolved attraction. Meanwhile, Jacques Develay as the priest brings an unexpected blend of warmth and unease, his philosophical musings driving the film's deeper themes of mercy and judgment.

While "Misericordia" contains the hallmarks of a psychological thriller, it leans more heavily on the moral complexity of its characters. At its core, it is a meditation on human desire and the eerie ways in which the past and present intertwine. Much like "Stranger by the Lake," it subverts audience expectations, offering no clear moral ground.

"Misericordia" opens in theaters in the San Francisco Bay Area on Friday, April 4, 2025. Alain Guiraudie will present the film at a 6:30 PM sneak preview on March 24, 2025, at the Roxie Theater.