New Movies: Misericordia (2024) by Alain Guiraudie: A Rural Noir of Desire and Unsettling Truths

Core Summary

Misericordia (2024) is a French comedy-thriller-drama directed by Alain Guiraudie, known for his distinctive blend of rural settings, queer themes, and genre fluidity. The film follows Jérémie, who returns to his childhood village of Saint-Martial for the funeral of his former boss, the local baker. His brief stay with the baker's widow, Martine, takes an unexpected and increasingly unsettling turn as he becomes entangled in a mysterious disappearance, confronts a threatening neighbor, and observes the suspicious behavior of a local abbot. As events unfold, the film delves into unspoken desires, moral ambiguities, and the dark undercurrents beneath the seemingly placid surface of village life.

Short Summary

Alain Guiraudie's Misericordia (2024) is a French genre-bending film where Jérémie's visit to a rural village for a funeral leads him into a web of mystery, including a disappearance, a menacing neighbor, and a peculiar priest. The film subtly explores hidden desires and moral complexities in its unsettling rural setting.

Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32085997/

Link Review: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/26/misericordia-review-one-of-the-strangest-films-of-the-year

About movie: https://filmsdulosange.com/en/film/misericordia/

Link to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/misericorde (US), https://www.justwatch.com/ca/movie/misericordia-2024 (Canada), https://www.justwatch.com/fr/film/misericorde-2024 (France)

Detailed Summary

Misericordia (2024) is a French film directed by Alain Guiraudie, who also wrote the screenplay. It is described as a unique blend of comedy, thriller, and drama, consistent with Guiraudie's signature style of genre-fluid storytelling, which often incorporates rural settings and themes of desire and societal undercurrents. The film premiered in the Cannes Premiere section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2024, and subsequently won the prestigious Louis Delluc Prize for Best Film in December 2024, solidifying its critical acclaim in France. It was also named the best film of the year by Cahiers du Cinéma.

The plot centers on Jérémie (Félix Kysyl), who returns to his childhood village of Saint-Martial for the funeral of his former employer, the village baker. He decides to extend his stay for a few days, residing with the baker's widow, Martine (Catherine Frot, in her first appearance in a Guiraudie film). What initially seems like a somber but ordinary visit quickly becomes unsettling. Jérémie finds himself embroiled in a mysterious disappearance, faces a subtly threatening neighbor, and observes the "strange intentions" of a local priest (Jacques Develay). The film builds a network of unspoken desires and tensions, particularly between Jérémie and the baker's son, Vincent (Jean-Baptiste Durand), hinting at a complex past relationship. Jérémie also develops a curious fascination with Walter (David Ayala), a reclusive man living on the outskirts of town. As the narrative progresses, it takes on elements of rural noir, infused with absurdity and lethality. Guiraudie, alongside cinematographer Claire Mathon (known for Portrait of a Lady on Fire), crafts a landscape that is both beautiful and eerily portentous, where characters are seemingly "reduced to their base desires." The film delves into themes of empathy, understanding, and the morally ambiguous choices made when actions lead to misery and uncertainty, exploring concepts of Eros and Thanatos, taboo, and transgression without offering easy answers. Produced by CG Cinema, Scala Films, Rosa Filmes, Andergraun Films, and Arte France Cinéma, Misericordia had its French theatrical release on October 16, 2024, and its North American theatrical release on March 21, 2025.

Plot Summary

• Return for a Funeral: Jérémie returns to his childhood village of Saint-Martial for the funeral of his former boss, the baker.

• Extended Stay: He decides to stay for a few days with the baker's widow, Martine.

• Unsettling Discoveries: His presence coincides with a mysterious disappearance, the emergence of a threatening neighbor, and a priest with strange intentions.

• Web of Desires and Tensions: Jérémie finds himself caught in a hidden network of unspoken desires, including a complicated history with the baker's son, Vincent, and a growing fascination with a reclusive villager, Walter.

• Spiral into Intrigue: His stay takes an unexpected turn as the mystery deepens, hinting at a murder at the center of the story.

• Confrontation and Moral Ambiguity: Jérémie's choices and the unfolding events force him to confront moral boundaries and the human capacity for both understanding and self-serving actions.

Director's Vision

Alain Guiraudie's directorial vision for Misericordia (2024) is to create a multi-layered and morally ambiguous narrative that subverts genre expectations while remaining deeply rooted in his characteristic exploration of desire, rural life, and the complexities of human nature. His vision emphasizes:

• Genre Blending: Guiraudie intentionally crafts an "existential drama masquerading as a comedy masquerading as a thriller," fluidly shifting tones and challenging audience expectations without betraying the film's core essence.

• Empathy and Moral Transgression: As stated by Guiraudie, "For me, Misericordia goes beyond the question of forgiveness, it embodies the idea of empathy and understanding others, transcending all moral boundaries." This suggests a desire to explore the human condition in its rawest, most complex form, where actions may cause "misery, uncertainty, and pain" but are met with a form of understanding.

• The Weight of Silence and Desire: The film explicitly incorporates "the double weight of silence and desire into its detective story," suggesting that unspoken truths and repressed urges drive much of the narrative's intrigue and tension.

• Ambiguous Motivations: Guiraudie prefers to keep characters' motivations and desires ambiguous, leaving the audience to piece together the underlying psychological currents and ethical dilemmas.

• Sensory Rural Setting: Consistent with his previous works, the rural, popular settings of Ardèche are used to create a "highly sensory journey," where the landscape itself becomes beautiful yet "eerie" and "oppressive," mirroring the characters' primal states.

• Casting Choices: While known for casting lesser-known actors, the inclusion of an established figure like Catherine Frot suggests a deliberate choice to ground the film with a recognized presence while still maintaining his artistic integrity.

Key Themes

• Empathy and Understanding: The film's core concept, as articulated by Guiraudie, exploring understanding beyond conventional moral boundaries.

• Hidden Desires and Repression: The pervasive undercurrent of unspoken sexual and emotional longings that influence character actions and relationships.

• Moral Ambiguity: Characters operate in a gray area, making choices that are neither entirely good nor evil, challenging traditional notions of justice and culpability.

• Rural Isolation and Community Dynamics: The small village setting fosters a unique environment where secrets simmer and relationships are intensely intertwined.

• Consequences of Action: The film examines how individual choices, particularly those fueled by desire or desperation, lead to unforeseen and often destructive outcomes.

• Genre Subversion: The playful blending of comedy, thriller, and drama, which itself becomes a thematic element, reflecting the unpredictable nature of life.

Key Success Factors

• Alain Guiraudie's Unique Style: His distinct genre blending and exploration of desire in rural settings draw critical attention and a dedicated audience.

• Strong Critical Acclaim: Winning the Louis Delluc Prize and being named best film by Cahiers du Cinéma indicate high artistic merit.

• Compelling Mystery: The central disappearance and suspicious characters create an intriguing narrative hook.

• Nuanced Performances: The cast, including Félix Kysyl and Catherine Frot, contributes to the film's complex characterizations.

• Evocative Cinematography: Claire Mathon's work enhances the film's atmospheric and sometimes unsettling tone.

Awards and Nominations

Misericordia (2024) has received significant critical recognition and nominations:

• Louis Delluc Prize 2024: Winner - Best Film.

• Cahiers du Cinéma 2024: Ranked 1st Place in their Annual Top 10 Films list.

• Valladolid International Film Festival 2024: Winner - Golden Spike (Best Film) and Best Screenplay (Alain Guiraudie).

• Cannes Film Festival 2024 (Cannes Premiere section): Nominated for Queer Palm.

• César Awards 2025: Received eight nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Alain Guiraudie), Best Supporting Actor (David Ayala, Jacques Develay), Best Supporting Actress (Catherine Frot), Best Male Revelation (Félix Kysyl), Best Original Screenplay (Alain Guiraudie), and Best Cinematography (Claire Mathon).

• Lumière Awards 2025: Nominated for Best Film, Best Director (Alain Guiraudie), Best Screenplay (Alain Guiraudie), Best Male Revelation (Félix Kysyl), and Best Cinematography (Claire Mathon).

Critical Reception

Critical reception for Misericordia (2024) has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly in France, where it has been hailed as one of the best films of the year.

• Cahiers du Cinéma: Ranked it as the #1 film of 2024, a major critical endorsement.

• Cinema Without Borders: Described it as an "existential drama masquerading as a comedy masquerading as a thriller," praising Guiraudie's skill in blending genres and maintaining a "slippery" narrative without losing its essence. It highlighted the "lyrical beauty and eerie portent" of the landscape and the compelling ambiguity of Jérémie's character.

• Sight and Sound (BFI): Called it a "teasing, unsettling exploration" of desire and murder, noting Guiraudie's ability to take "Hitchcock's deadpan sensibility to another level" by keeping motivations ambiguous. It recognized the "ethically skew-whiff world" and its effective use of repetition and escalation.

• RogerEbert.com: Praised it as "A fantastically tender, alluring, and peculiar small-town tale of murder, desire, and repression."

• The Irish Times & Collider: Also gave strong positive reviews, with Collider calling it a "strong and highly watchable thriller that shouldn't be missed."

While some minor criticisms mentioned elements of "sluggishness" or not fully "sticking the landing," the prevailing sentiment is one of admiration for Guiraudie's bold and unique vision.

Reviews

Reviews for Misericordia (2024) consistently praise its distinctive tone and the nuanced performances.

• Reviewers often highlight the film's ability to create a palpable sense of unease and tension from unspoken desires and hidden conflicts, despite its seemingly quiet rural setting.

• The performances of Félix Kysyl as Jérémie and Catherine Frot as Martine are particularly noted for their subtlety, with Kysyl's "stillness and openness" adding to the character's intriguing ambiguity.

• The blend of dark humor and suspense is frequently commended, creating a unique viewing experience that can be both disturbing and absurd.

• Cinematographer Claire Mathon's work is lauded for enhancing the atmospheric quality of the film, transforming the Ardèche landscape into a character itself.

• The film's exploration of themes such as repressed urges, moral compromise, and the elusive nature of "mercy" resonates deeply with critics.

Box Office

Misericordia (2024) has had a limited theatrical release. Its French theatrical release was on October 16, 2024. It was released in Belgium on October 23, 2024, and in Italy on January 16, 2025. It had its North American theatrical release on March 21, 2025, distributed by Sideshow and Janus Films. Its global box office revenue, as of available data, is approximately $350,525, with $180,926 domestically (US) and $169,599 internationally. This is typical for an arthouse European film.

Production Summary

Misericordia (2024) is a French, Spanish, and Portuguese co-production. It has a runtime of 102 minutes and is primarily in French. Alain Guiraudie directed and wrote the screenplay. Charles Gillibert produced the film through CG Cinema. Co-production companies include Scala Films, Rosa Filmes, Andergraun Films, and Arte France Cinéma. Key crew members include Claire Mathon (Cinematography), Jean-Christophe Hym (Editing), and Marc Verdaguer (Music). The film received financing from institutions like the Centre National du Cinéma et de L'Image Animée (CNC) and the Région Occitanie.

Production Companies

• CG Cinema (France)

• Scala Films (France)

• Rosa Filmes (Portugal)

• Andergraun Films (Spain)

• Arte France Cinéma (France)

Sales Companies

Les Films du Losange handles international sales for Misericordia (2024). They have sold the film to various distributors worldwide, including Movies Inspired (Italy), Praesens (Switzerland), Zeta Filmes (Brazil), Salzgeber (Germany), Imagine Film (Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands), and Sideshow and Janus Films (North America).

Distribution Companies

• Les Films du Losange (France - theatrical)

• Sideshow and Janus Films (North America - theatrical and VOD)

• Imagine (Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands - theatrical)

• Movies Inspired (Italy - theatrical)

• Salzgeber & Co. Medien GmbH (Germany - theatrical)

• Panda Lichtspiele Filmverleih GmbH (Austria - theatrical)

• Karma Films (Spain - theatrical, scheduled March 2025)

• Nitrato (Portugal)

Streaming Release Date

Misericordia (2024) became available for digital streaming (VOD and digital platforms) on June 10, 2025. It is also scheduled to be available on The Criterion Channel for SVOD subscribers on June 10, 2025, at 8 PM ET.

Theatrical Release

Misericordia (2024) had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2024. Its French theatrical release was on October 16, 2024. It saw limited theatrical releases in other territories, including Belgium (October 23, 2024), Italy (January 16, 2025), Germany (March 6, 2025), and the United States (March 21, 2025). It is scheduled for a theatrical release in Spain on March 14, 2025, and in Austria on June 13, 2025.

Why to Recommend the Movie

• Masterful Genre Blending: It seamlessly weaves together elements of comedy, thriller, and drama, creating a unique and unpredictable viewing experience.

• Deep Psychological Exploration: The film delves into complex human desires, moral ambiguities, and unspoken truths beneath a seemingly calm surface.

• Alain Guiraudie's Distinctive Vision: Fans of his previous works (like Stranger by the Lake) will appreciate his signature style applied to a new narrative.

• Highly Acclaimed: Awarded the prestigious Louis Delluc Prize and praised by top critics, it's recognized for its artistic merit.

• Intriguing Mystery: The central disappearance and suspicious characters keep the audience engaged and questioning.

Why to Watch the Movie

• If you enjoy arthouse cinema that challenges conventions: Guiraudie's films are known for their unconventional narratives and themes.

• For a mystery with a unique twist: It's not a straightforward whodunit but a deep dive into human nature.

• If you appreciate films with strong atmosphere and evocative settings: The rural Ardèche landscape is beautifully and eerily captured.

• To see powerful, nuanced performances: The cast navigates complex emotional terrain with subtlety.

• If you are interested in exploring themes of desire, morality, and hidden truths in an unexpected context.

Movie Trend

The film follows the trend of Genre-Fluid Arthouse Cinema, where directors intentionally blend elements from multiple genres (comedy, thriller, drama) to create unique and often challenging narratives that defy easy categorization. It also aligns with the ongoing interest in Rural Noir or "pastoral gothic," exploring dark secrets and moral decay beneath the seemingly idyllic surface of isolated communities. Alain Guiraudie's work consistently contributes to Queer Cinema by exploring themes of homosexual desire and identity within unconventional narrative structures, even when not explicitly central to the plot.

Social Trend

The film implicitly addresses the social trend of Secrets and Unspoken Truths within Communities, particularly in close-knit or isolated environments where societal pressures can lead to repression and moral compromise. It delves into the complexities of Human Desire and its Consequences, often in ways that challenge conventional morality, mirroring contemporary discussions on sexual freedom and societal norms. While not overtly political, its exploration of "empathy and understanding others, transcending all moral boundaries," reflects a broader societal push for Nuance and Compassion in interpreting human behavior, even in the face of unsettling actions.

Final Verdict

Misericordia (2024), directed by Alain Guiraudie, is a masterful and unsettling film that defies easy categorization, blending elements of comedy, thriller, and drama into a unique rural noir. As Jérémie returns to his childhood village, he becomes entangled in a mysterious disappearance and a web of unspoken desires, forcing him to confront moral ambiguities beneath the tranquil surface of village life. Highly acclaimed with a Louis Delluc Prize win and top critical rankings, Guiraudie's distinctive vision, coupled with Claire Mathon's evocative cinematography and nuanced performances, creates a compelling and thought-provoking cinematic experience. It's a testament to the power of cinema to explore the depths of human nature and desire with both dark humor and profound empathy.

Recommendations for filmmakers

• Embrace Genre Fluidity: Don't be afraid to mix and match genres (e.g., comedy, thriller, drama) to create a unique tone and unexpected narrative shifts, as this can lead to critically acclaimed and distinctive films.

• Explore Moral Ambiguity: Develop characters and situations that operate in shades of gray, prompting audiences to question conventional morality and delve into the complexities of human motivation.

• Utilize Setting as Character: Allow your chosen locations, especially rural or isolated ones, to become integral to the film's atmosphere, themes, and narrative progression.

• Prioritize Subtlety in Performance: Encourage actors to convey complex emotions and intentions through nuanced expressions and understated delivery, rather than overt displays, to enhance mystery and psychological depth.

• Trust Your Unique Voice: In a competitive industry, cultivating and staying true to a distinct artistic vision, even if unconventional, can lead to critical recognition and a dedicated audience.

Recommendations for Movie Industry

• Support Auteur Directors: Continue to champion and invest in filmmakers with strong, singular artistic visions, even if their work pushes boundaries or defies easy commercial categorization.

• Promote Genre-Bending Films: Recognize the artistic and intellectual value of films that blend genres, as they often offer fresh perspectives and engage audiences in unique ways.

• Facilitate Arthouse Distribution: Ensure robust distribution channels (theatrical, VOD, streaming) for critically acclaimed international and independent films, helping them reach appreciative audiences globally.

• Recognize Subtle Storytelling: Value films that rely on atmosphere, psychological depth, and ambiguous narratives, understanding their capacity for profound impact beyond mainstream appeal.

• Invest in Diverse European Co-Productions: Support collaborations between European countries, as they often lead to culturally rich and artistically innovative cinematic works.

Final Conclusions

Misericordia (2024), directed by Alain Guiraudie, is a masterful and unsettling film that defies easy categorization, blending elements of comedy, thriller, and drama into a unique rural noir. As Jérémie returns to his childhood village, he becomes entangled in a mysterious disappearance and a web of unspoken desires, forcing him to confront moral ambiguities beneath the tranquil surface of village life. Highly acclaimed with a Louis Delluc Prize win and top critical rankings, Guiraudie's distinctive vision, coupled with Claire Mathon's evocative cinematography and nuanced performances, creates a compelling and thought-provoking cinematic experience. It's a testament to the power of cinema to explore the depths of human nature and desire with both dark humor and profound empathy.