Mercy

By Jeffrey M. Anderson , based on child development research. How do we rate?

Die Hard knockoff is well made but silly, violent, profane.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Mercy is a Die Hard-like action movie about an ex-military doctor (Leah Gibson) who must save the day -- and her son -- when Irish gangsters invade her hospital. It almost works thanks to the strong main character, but it's a bit ridiculous. Expect lots of blood and…

Why Age 16+?

Constant use of words including "f--k," "s--t," "motherf----r," "c--ksucker," "a

Blood and gore. Guns and shooting. Many characters shot. Deaths, killings. Docto

Main character showers; side and bottoms of her breasts visible.

Main villain drinks from flask. Adult drinks bottle of beer. Joke about an "alco

Any Positive Content?

Michelle Miller is a cool, strong single mom who cares about her son. She has re

Movie is largely about choosing to fight only when fighting is the only option -

Michelle (Leah Gibson), who's a White single mom, is a strong female character w

Language

Constant use of words including "f--k," "s--t," "motherf----r," "c--ksucker," "a--hole," "c--t," "t-ts," "goddamn," "bitch," "son of a bitch," "ass," "oh my God," "hell," "damn," "bollocks," "moron," "idiot." "Jesus Christ" (plus "Christ" and "Jesus") used as exclamation.

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Violence & Scariness

Blood and gore. Guns and shooting. Many characters shot. Deaths, killings. Doctor digs shrapnel from wound. Ear sliced off (bloody ear dropped to floor). Two characters have bombs strapped to their bodies and explode. Spurting wound. Blood spatters. Bloody wounds. Scenes of martial arts fighting, hand-to-hand combat, kicking, punching, slamming against surfaces, etc. Woman thrown across top of desk. Woman briefly choked with cord. Child in peril. Exploding bullet. Person forcibly taken off of life support, flatlines. Character electrocuted (lands in puddle of water near live wire). Explosive devices. Characters knocked unconscious. Threats. Cast iron skillet to head.

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Sex, Romance & Nudity

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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Main villain drinks from flask. Adult drinks bottle of beer. Joke about an "alcoholic dog" (a dog that slurps whiskey from its owner's hand). Dialogue about a woman "drinking herself to death." A man takes out a cigarette but doesn't get the chance to light it.

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Positive Role Models

Michelle Miller is a cool, strong single mom who cares about her son. She has regrets about not being able to save her husband and has vowed never to use violence again. But when the time comes for her to step up, she does so spectacularly. Nevertheless, she's protected from consequences by her military service, and the movie clearly considers her a hero for killing.

Positive Messages

Movie is largely about choosing to fight only when fighting is the only option -- it's not about violence for violence's sake or violence begetting violence -- but its message is a little muddled. Pro-military tone.

Diverse Representations

Michelle (Leah Gibson), who's a White single mom, is a strong female character with agency: She's tough, resourceful, and basically a full-fledged action hero. Black hospital leader Dr. Terrence (Bobby Stewart) is sacrificed (an unfortunate cliché in action and horror movies). Black security guard Frank (Marc-Anthony Massiah) is in the film largely for comic relief but does get his own moment of heroism. FBI Agent Cruz is played by mixed-race actor Caitlin Stryker; most other FBI agents are male and White. Some background characters (nurses, a TV news reporter, etc.) of color. All of the villains are White Irishmen.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Mercy is a Die Hard-like action movie about an ex-military doctor (Leah Gibson) who must save the day -- and her son -- when Irish gangsters invade her hospital. It almost works thanks to the strong main character, but it's a bit ridiculous. Expect lots of blood and gore, shooting, fighting, and more. Characters are shot, electrocuted, and blown up with bombs. An ear is severed, and a child is in peril. Language is extremely strong, with near-constant use of "f--k" or "f---ing," plus "Jesus Christ," "c--t," "s--t," "c--ksucker," "motherf----r," "t-ts," etc. One adult drinks a beer, and another drinks from a flask. There's a joke about an "alcoholic dog" that licks whiskey from its owner's hand, as well as dialogue about a person drinking themselves to death. The main character appears in the shower, with the side and bottoms of her breasts visible. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.