# Misericordia (2024 film)

Misericordia (French: Miséricorde) is a 2024 thriller film written and directed by Alain Guiraudie. It stars Félix Kysyl and Catherine Frot.
The film premiered in the Cannes Premiere section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on 20 May 2024, where it competed for the Queer Palm. It was theatrically released in France on 16 October 2024, by Les Films du Losange. The film received the Louis Delluc Prize for 2024. It received eight nominations at the 50th César Awards, including Best Film, but won none.

## Plot

Jérémie returns to his hometown of Saint-Martial to attend his former boss's funeral. He stays for a few days with the widow Martine. His presence angers her son Vincent. This causes a fight between the two men, which ends with Jérémie killing Vincent. He manages to conceal his crime with the unexpected help of the village priest, who provides him with an alibi in exchange for his affection.

## Cast

* Félix Kysyl as Jérémie Pastor
* Catherine Frot as Martine
* Jacques Develay as Priest
* Jean-Baptiste Durand as Vincent
* David Ayala as Walter
* Sébastien Faglain as Gendarme
* Tatiana Spivakova as Annie
* Salomé Lopes as Young Colleague
* Serge Richard as Jean-Pierre
* Elio Lunetta as Kilian

## Production

The film was produced by Charles Gillibert at CG Cinéma, in co-production with Scala Films, Arte France Cinéma, Andergraun Films (Spain) and Rosa Filmes (Portugal).
Principal photography began on 30 October 2023 and wrapped on 15 December 2023. The film was shot in southern Aveyron along the border of Gard. The village of Sauclières was used as the location of the film's fictional Saint-Martial setting. The film was also shot in the nearby villages of Millau, Nant and Saint-Jean-du-Bruel. Other scenery included the Dourbie gorges, the Mont Aigoual forest and Suquet ridge. Claire Mathon served as the director of photography, after having worked on the cinematography for Guiraudie's earlier films Stranger by the Lake (2013) and Staying Vertical (2016).

## Release

Misericordia was selected to be screened in the non-competitive Cannes Premiere section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 20 May 2024. Shortly after, Sideshow and Janus Films acquired the North American distribution rights. International sales were handled by Les Films du Losange, which also theatrically released the film in France on 16 October 2024. Karma Films is scheduled to release theatrically the film in Spain on 14 March 2025.
The film made its North American premiere at the 51st Telluride Film Festival. It also screened in the Special Presentations programme of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, as well as in the Main Slate section of the 62nd New York Film Festival. It was also selected for the 69th Valladolid International Film Festival, and had its South Asian premiere at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024 in the World Cinema section.

## Reception
### Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 22 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 83 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". On AlloCiné, the film received an average rating of 3.9 out of 5, based on 34 reviews from French critics.
The film was named the best film of the year by the storied French film magazine Cahiers du Cinéma.

### Accolades

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| Cahiers du Cinéma | 2024 | Annual Top 10 Lists | Misericordia | 1st Place |
| Cannes Film Festival | 25 May 2024 | Queer Palm | Alain Guiraudie | Nominated |
| César Awards | 28 February 2025 | Best Film | Misericordia | Nominated |
| César Awards | 28 February 2025 | Best Director | Alain Guiraudie | Nominated |
| César Awards | 28 February 2025 | Best Supporting Actor | David Ayala | Nominated |
| César Awards | 28 February 2025 | Best Supporting Actor | Jacques Develay | Nominated |
| César Awards | 28 February 2025 | Best Supporting Actress | Catherine Frot | Nominated |
| César Awards | 28 February 2025 | Best Male Revelation | Félix Kysyl | Nominated |
| César Awards | 28 February 2025 | Best Original Screenplay | Alain Guiraudie | Nominated |
| César Awards | 28 February 2025 | Best Cinematography | Claire Mathon | Nominated |
| Louis Delluc Prize | 4 December 2024 | Best Film | Misericordia | Won |
| Lumière Awards | 20 January 2025 | Best Film | Misericordia | Nominated |
| Lumière Awards | 20 January 2025 | Best Director | Alain Guiraudie | Nominated |
| Lumière Awards | 20 January 2025 | Best Screenplay | Alain Guiraudie | Nominated |
| Lumière Awards | 20 January 2025 | Best Male Revelation | Félix Kysyl | Nominated |
| Lumière Awards | 20 January 2025 | Best Cinematography | Claire Mathon | Nominated |
| Valladolid International Film Festival | 26 October 2024 | Golden Spike | Misericordia | Won |
| Valladolid International Film Festival | 26 October 2024 | Best Screenplay | Alan Guiraudie | Won |