You have to give smaller productions credit for having a story to tell and telling it their own way, with no studio directives getting into the mix. In finding actors who can deliver what both the filmmakers and audience need, self-funding, and having the wherewithal to stay with the process to bring this vision to life, you can see director Perdell Richardson and his cast and crew all pulling as one on the same rope in every minute of Know Mercy, and it’s a unity you can feel. Its DIY qualities lend both a rawness and honesty to this low-key sci-fi tale and keep it in the realm of the possible.
Well, as possible as a story about an immortal who’s witnessed six centuries of history can be. Xavier Avila commits a strong performance as Hanokh, a humanoid sent by an unnamed being to Earth for unspecified reasons. He’s lived through slavery, wars, and all the ugliest examples of man’s inhumanity to man. All the while, Hanokh keeps a low profile, with only a select few knowing his story. It all gets changed as he meets Alicia (Aniyah Williams) – the present-day reincarnation of a love lost centuries before – and gets targeted by wealthy businessman Victor (Donald Fullilove) for reasons that are made abundantly clear when Hanokh’s blood is revealed to have healing powers.
The way Richardson presents it, one can see religious allusions laid in from beginning to end: the title’s allusion to the aphorism “Know God, Know Peace,” Hanokh’s assignment to live among humans, the savior blood, various biblical names that get dropped in, and two specific wounds inflicted during one confrontation. Not to mention the fact that his best friend’s a priest, and there’s the poster image that bears a cross at the top. Know Mercy’s script, written by Richardson, Ella Thomas, and the mononymous Sayrie (the latter two also appear in small roles), certainly couches both Hanokh and Alicia as being on a journey of faith and love; he has to witness human history and its horrible nature, and she has to learn to trust him after being thrust into Victor’s sights by her association with Hanokh.
Richardson makes the most of his resources, with his photography and actors’ performances elevating Know Mercy above its limited trappings. With the slight exception of some CGI shots – the opening and closing scenes feature vortices not unlike the credits of BBC’s “Doctor Who” – this movie doesn’t lack for visual oomph. Aniyah Williams is also an unexpected delight as Alicia, a savvy and inquisitive restaurant server who starts to relish the mystery surrounding Hanokh. She and Avila share a playful and honest balance that keeps Know Mercy moving along; we’re eager to see Hanokh reveal his story to Alicia, and they make a good pair in action.
At times, Know Mercy feels more like a play than a movie; this may be why I’m more open to this movie, having seen my share of D.C. theatre productions. The staging and line delivery feel very theatre-like – bold and hesitant at the same time – but there’s never a moment that doesn’t feel natural, and Perdell Richardson’s direction in this regard is solid. Genuine friendships on Hanokh’s side are felt rather than just talked about, and Donald Fullilove earns his screen time as over-the-top (yet small-time) villain by playing him with curious abandon. Know Mercy is a microbudget indie film with good aspirations, and it rises to them by being allowed to paint a winsome picture with every color in its arsenal.
