Mercy Falls (2023) Review – A Highland Thriller That Lost Its Way
Mercy Falls: Quick Verdict
The Verdict: A disappointingly average survival thriller that squanders the natural atmospheric potential of the Scottish Highlands with a messy narrative and illogical character choices. Mercy Falls attempts to evoke the tension of modern classics like Calibre, but it is ultimately sunk by a protagonist whose motivations are flimsy and a supporting cast that exists purely to be picked off in predictable ways. While Nicolette McKeown delivers a standout performance as the menacing Carla, she is frequently sidelined in favour of a generic survival arc that lacks emotional weight. The cinematography is admittedly beautiful, capturing the vast isolation of the terrain effectively, but the script’s reliance on “white people in horror movies” tropes makes it a frustrating watch for seasoned genre fans. It is a 2.5 star experience that works as a light, undemanding thriller for a lazy afternoon, but it fails to leave a lasting impact or offer any genuine innovation to the genre.
Details: Director: Ryan Hendrick | Cast: Lauren Lyle, Nicolette McKeown, Layla Kirk, James Watterson | Runtime: 1h 43m | Release Date: 2023
Best for: Viewers looking for scenic Scottish locations and those who enjoy “cat-and-mouse” survival thrillers without needing deep narrative complexity.
Worth noting: The film was shot on location in the Lochaber area of the Highlands, which accounts for the stunning, authentic backdrops seen throughout the hike.
Where to Watch: Tubi (Free), Amazon Prime Video
Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
(Beautiful scenery and a great villain, but let down by a messy plot and incredibly dumb characters.)
Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we will be reviewing Tubi Original Scottish horror-thriller Mercy Falls; a slow-burning thriller that suddenly transforms into something of a revenge horror.
Highlights
Lacking in tension
First off, if you need answers for the plot here, check out our Mercy Falls Ending Explained article. Keep in mind, however, that it does have spoilers.
Set in the gorgeous Scottish Highlands, Mercy Falls follows a group of friends searching for a cabin passed down to one of them by their late father. On the way they meet a mysterious woman with a hidden past. Agreeing to allow the woman to come along as their hiking guide, it isn’t long before a terrible accident occurs which stretches the dynamics of the group beyond breaking point.
We love a good, tense thriller here in the UK; be it TV shows or movies, they are fairly common. Take the fantastic Calibre for example, and Calibre is the movie that first comes to mind when watching Mercy Falls. Not just because both movies feature characters with strong Scottish accents, but because of their very similar themes of paranoia, deception and interpersonal tension. The only difference? Calibre is an absolutely fantastic movie and Mercy Falls is about as average as they come.
The story is so messy
Let’s not beat around the bush here, this is a story with a whole bunch of problems. Our protagonist is heading into the woods to find a cabin left by her father — a father who she was estranged from for years. Why, you might ask? Well, because he put a badly injured deer out of its misery when she was a child. This left her so traumatised that she hated him ever since. Yep, his act of mercy caused her to leave him alone and destitute for the rest of his life. Great! There’s no more fleshing out; that’s it.
“Our protagonist hates her father because he put a badly injured deer out of its misery when she was a child. This traumatised her so much she left him alone and destitute for the rest of his life. Great! There is no more fleshing out; that’s it.”
That’s just the start of the bullshit, though. Every single plot point is propped up by a ridiculous and illogical decision. On top of that, there are so many continuity issues that the very backbone of the story itself is brought into question. The whole “how, why, and where” is a complete mess and the motivations of the main character make no sense. The fact that Rhona is even looking for this cabin feels a bit silly and the constant driving force behind her very particular type of personality is ludicrous to say the least.
The thriller aspect doesn’t work, either
It wouldn’t be so bad if the thriller aspect works, but it just doesn’t. The crew invite someone along for absolutely no reason at all… a complete stranger might I add, and shit goes absolutely bananas. Even the action doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.
The kills are completely predictable thanks to characters going out of their ways to set them up. Once again, I don’t want to spoil anything, but some of the moments here are eye-rolling beyond belief. With characters doing the dumbest possible thing just to guarantee that they will be completely alone and primed for the killing. It’s desperately silly stuff and robs the movie of any tension at all.
Dumb and dumber
It doesn’t help that these are some of the dumbest characters I have seen in a movie for a while. It’s always fun to watch old horror movies and laugh at the stupidity of the characters. You know they are going to walk right into the killer; it’s obvious that they will do the wrong thing, repeatedly. It’s part of the charm of old horror. But here we are in 2023 still watching movies that have these traits.
The characters here are so utterly stupid. They repeatedly do the exact wrong thing over and over again to a point where it is just beyond ridiculous. “Shall we split up? Yeah let’s do that, I’ll head down ‘gutted like a fish’ valley while you take ‘hung from your own genitals’ woods. Great plan! If we make it out alive let’s meet up in ‘anally impaled on a meat hook’ farm.” Is it really that difficult to set up kills in a movie?
“I find it hard to believe a character would rather go for an extended walk alone in the spooky woods, while being stalked by a maniacal killer, rather than taking a piss in front of her female best friend.”
Do we really have to dumb ourselves down to enjoy films like this? I am sorry, but I find it hard to believe that a character would rather go for an extended walk alone in the spooky woods – while being stalked by a maniacal killer, I might add – rather than taking a piss in front of her female best friend. Things like this happen repeatedly, as well. It’s classic “white people in horror movies” fodder and, given the theme, feels enormously out of place.
A few moments of hope
There are a few things that elevate Mercy Falls slightly above similar movies. The premise of a strong woman fighting back is always welcome, though it was done in a much better way in Hunted, a movie which Mercy Falls definitely owes a few thanks to as it lampoons its plot heavily in parts.
That’s really not the thing that stands out about Mercy Falls, however, and actually serves to aid its downfall. What this movie has to elevate it is its interesting and well-acted villain Carla.
“Carla is fascinating and makes for a brilliant bad guy. Unfortunately, Carla is pushed to the background to elevate the dull ‘incapable person finds their strength’ narrative.”
Sure, the dramatic presentation of PTSD as a result of military service and trauma deserves a huge amount of scorn, but Carla is fascinating and makes for a brilliant bad guy. Unfortunately, Carla is pushed to the background to elevate the dull “incapable person finds their strength” narrative that the movie so desperately wants to push.
Generally poorly acted
For much of the movie, I couldn’t decide what I thought of Lauren Lyle’s performance as Rhona. She starts off fairly strongly before seeming to run out of energy as the movie rolls on. Her more effective dramatic moments, during the early parts of the story, stand in stark contrast to her lackadaisical delivery later on. She, unfortunately, seems stiff during action scenes which really robs them of some of their drama.
Side characters are all equally lacking with barely anyone deserving any specific mention. Layla Kirk’s character, Heather, will probably annoy people but I thought Kirk did a good job and had a very natural delivery. Managing to seem like she was actually hanging out with a group of friends. It looked like she had a lot of fun. Everyone else is dishwater dull, playing their characters as generically as they can and bringing nothing of note to the film.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum was Nicolette McKeown who was absolutely fantastic throughout. She emotes well, seemed to be having an absolute blast, was extremely capable in the physical parts and adds a ton to the movie purely through facial expressions. I loved her performance and would love to see her in more horror in the future.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The Good
- Nicolette McKeown: A fantastic, energetic performance as the villainous Carla. She is the only character who truly commands the screen.
- Scottish Highlands: The cinematography makes excellent use of the stunning, isolated locations, providing a rich aesthetic backdrop.
- Survival Premise: The core idea of a group of friends being manipulated by a hitchhiker with a military past is a solid hook for a thriller.
The Bad
- Incoherent Script: The backstory for the protagonist is laughably thin, and the plot relies on characters making bafflingly stupid decisions.
- Lack of Tension: Predictable kills and a slow-burn pace that never quite ignites make it difficult to stay engaged.
- Stereotypical Veteran Trope: The film relies on a tired and lazy portrayal of PTSD that feels both unoriginal and unnecessary.
The Ugly: The Decision-Making. Characters repeatedly choose the most dangerous path possible, breaking any sense of immersion or empathy the audience might have for their survival.
Should You Watch Mercy Falls?
Only if you have a high tolerance for illogical horror characters and a desperate need for a Highland fix. It is a 2.5 star thriller that is technically competent but narratively bankrupt. While the acting from Nicolette McKeown is great, it isn’t enough to save a movie that feels like a pale imitation of better survival horrors. If you’ve already seen Calibre and Hunted, this will likely feel like a massive step down.
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