Misericordia Review: Queer Tension, Murder, and Mushroom Foraging

Director: Alain Guiraudie

Cast: Félix Kysyl, Catherine Frot, Jean-Baptiste Durand

My Rating: 7.5/10

The Verdict

Misericordia is a wickedly smart, darkly funny, and unsettlingly quiet thriller, and one that proves Alain Guiraudie is still the king of the uncomfortable queer gaze.

I did find the ending slightly more ambiguous than I typically prefer, but the atmosphere of rural French paranoia makes it worth the watch.

The Full Review

Misericordia is basically a queer Fargo set in the French countryside, as we follow Jérémie, played by Félix Kysyl, a young man who returns to his small hometown for the funeral of his former boss, a baker, but instead of leaving after the service he decides to stay in the house of the widow, the legendary Catherine Frot, sparking a wildfire of suspicion, desire, and eventually, disappearances.

The Plot: The Baker, The Priest, and The Prolific Loner

Jérémie’s presence acts as a catalyst for the town’s repressed tensions, and Guiraudie isn’t interested in a typical whodunit here, instead he focuses on the whydunit - why does Jérémie stay, why does the local priest seem so obsessed with him, why does the baker’s son Vincent treat Jérémie with such violent jealousy?

And the act of mushroom foraging becomes a metaphor for the plot, where much like searching for a specific fungus in a forest, the characters are all digging for something hidden beneath the surface, and you feel the tension peak during a sequence in the woods that is both sexually charged and quite terrifying.

Performance: Félix Kysyl’s Poker Face

Félix Kysyl puts in a strong performance here, and he plays Jérémie with a completely blank expression which makes him the perfect mirror for everyone else’s desires - is he a predator, a victim, or a saint - it’s impossible to tell. 

Catherine Frot is equally stunning as the widow, Martine, where their chemistry is deeply strange and touching, as Guiraudie leans into different relationships, handled here with more maturity than in his previous films.

The Sound of Silence

Many films over-score their thrill moments, but Misericordia does the opposite, as it has almost no music during the film’s most intense scenes, which forces the viewer to listen to the environment - the crunch of leaves, heavy breathing, the distant hum of a tractor - and this makes the violence, when it eventually arrives, feel much more shocking.

It shares the same clinical feeling that made me give 5.5 to Stone Cold Fox, though unlike that film, Misericordia actually has something to say about the human condition.

Misericordia vs. Queer

I am going to compare the toxic longing in this film to my recent 7.2 review of Queer, as in Queer, Daniel Craig’s obsession is loud, boozy, and desperate, whereas in Misericordia the obsession is quiet, polite, and arguably much more dangerous, where Guiraudie captures the danger of queer desire a little bit better than Guadagnino, and Misericordia is the tighter script, too.

Misericordia Ending Explained: The Confessional (SPOILERS)

After a major character goes missing, Jérémie finds himself in a confessional with the local priest which turns into something much more intimate, and the final scene is a statement on the weight of secrets, where the priest tells Jérémie that God sees everything, but God is also a witness who stays silent.

The film ends without a traditional arrest or justice scene, showing that in small-town life everyone is a co-conspirator, and the Misericordia of the title isn’t divine, it’s the silence that queer people offer one another to survive in a world that wants to judge them, making for a haunting, if cynical, conclusion.

Misericordia Frequently Asked Questions

Is Misericordia a horror movie?

No, it’s a provincial noir, but while there are no jump-scares, there is a deep sense of psychological dread and occasional bursts of dark violence.

Where can I stream Misericordia?

As of January 2026, it is a flagship title on MUBI, and it can also be rented on Apple TV and Amazon Prime.

Is it in English?

No, it’s in French with English subtitles, and the subtitles are excellent, capturing the dry, sarcastic wit of the dialogue perfectly.

What is the age rating?

It is unrated in some territories, but equivalent to a strong R for sexual content, nudity, and themes of murder.

How long is the movie?

The runtime is 102 minutes, which feels perfect as it doesn’t overstay its welcome like many modern prestige films.