An Irish crime family takes over a hospital in Washington (state) when the heir of the business is wounded in a clash with law enforcement. A doctor with military experience helps authorities from the inside (Leah Gibson). Jon Voight is on hand as the Irish 'Godfather.'

"Mercy" (2023) is a snappy crime thriller in the mold of "Die Hard," just with a lower budget and a kick-axx woman in the top role instead of Bruce Willis.

Speaking of whom, Leah Gibson shines here and is one of the main reasons for seeing this minor flick that cost $5 million. The only other film I've seen her in is "The Devil's Ground" from 14 years prior where she had the same distinctive doe-eyed face, but with a stick figure; she's thankfully filled out over the years and looks great in tight jeans. Her beauty is well displayed throughout without getting sleazy.

Another positive is that "Mercy" is pro-Conservative. Critics are too hard on it seeing as how it delivers the goods if you're in the mood for a quick action thriller.

The movie is short-n-sweet at 1 hour, 25 minutes, and was presumably shot in the Seattle area (you can see the Space Needle in the distance). I say 'presumably' because I can't find specifics on the locations.

GRADE: B-

"This family is going down whether you like it or not." Yeah well that's great. But first you got to take them out with some vigilante force. Otherwise you'll die an unceremonious death.

So OK, I dug 2023's Mercy and I nervously admit to that. But hey, I wanted it to be more spun-out (and/or drawn-out). Eighty-five minutes is the runtime, a mere snapshot, a flap, a cinematic demo tape. Not a whole lotta backstory on the baddies. Not much of a protracted ending. Some stock side characters. An opening flashback that's well, quick as a flash. Everything in between? Well that gets better. That's Mercy's epicenter. That's the good stuff.

Mercy (whose title feels like an oxymoron) is about an Irish mafia outfit who infiltrates a hospital and takes its patrons hostage, all the while trying to find one of their own who is wounded in said hospital. Mercy, well it doesn't hold your hand as a viewer cause it's mean as a snake, all B-thriller trope-d and relentless and flinty and un-empathetically violent. The film seems to have an unexplained mean streak, ruffled dialogue, and a compulsion of denizens with bomb collars attached to them. Yikes!

Released in May of this year and acting-wise, hammed up for the masses, Mercy stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jon Voight, and Leah Gibson. They're game and committed in a low-budgeted, claustrophobic version of Die Hard in a clinic. People are trapped, the FBI rolls in, mano-a-manos go down, Meyers gets his rage on, and blood is spilled. The antagonist personas are mob types with thick accents, disheveled haircuts, and itchy trigger fingers. The protagonists are John McClane ilk-s who are stealth and can occasionally gibe. In the end it's all machismo compacted into one or two set locations. Mercy? What mercy. There's none here.