Top critic
Film Companion
Film review ·
6.0
Because Mercury finds context, and not just gimmickry, in its treatment of sound. It remains scary precisely because the actual ghosts are never seen, but only ever heard about. Just like real life.
Mercury
out of 10
Mixedlukewarm or divided
Monk Score · 8 critic reviewsA sensory horror concept that intrigues early but loses its grip by the end.
Verdict tier Mixed, lukewarm or divided, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.
- Praised: Sound design and sensory concept
- Criticised: Weak finale and background score
Audience
User score 4.5 out of 10 from 2 ratings, not enough ratings for a verdict yet
Read 2 audience reviews ↓Not streaming in India
Top cast
Critic consensus
What 8 critics are saying
Critical reception for Mercury is mixed to negative, with most reviewers finding it a flawed but occasionally interesting experiment. The film's use of hearing and speech-impaired protagonists and its treatment of sound drew measured praise from some critics, who noted it added genuine context to the horror rather than mere gimmickry. However, common complaints include a weak and unsatisfying final act, an overly loud background score that undercuts tension, overacting, and a story that feels either oversimplified or pompously conceived. Prabhudheva's villain presence generates some early scares, but is seen as losing effectiveness over time.
How the 8 scores spread
Positive / mixed / negative reviews
Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10
AI-generated summary of 8 critic reviews · may contain errors
Report inaccuracyFrom the papers
Critic reviews (8)
Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated
Top critic
Indian Express
Film review ·
3.0Karthik Subbaraj has had fun with the undead in Pizza, and the unlovely in Jigarthanda, but this one is a much-too stretched out misguided mess, masquerading as a parable.
FridayMoviez
Film review ·
6.0Give it a watch if you want to experience something fresh because Mercury is worth a watch.
Times Of India
Film review ·
6.0Prabhudheva as the entity is scary at first. But there are times when his piercing cries get a little too much and are rendered ineffective. The way how the filmmaker has tried to tie-up corporate disasters to the film's story is commendable, but he also tries a lot to simplify the story which gets in the way of the scary parts considering the film only runs for 108 minutes. However, as thrillers go, this is one of the better ones that we have seen this year.
Fully Hyderabad
Film review ·
5.0At just over 100 minutes, Mercury is quite slick, and there aren't any dull moments until the final act ruins everything and leaves a bad aftertaste. That's just such a pity.
NowRunning
Film review ·
4.0Four lads and a girl are at a school reunion and are happily partying when they accidentally run over someone. They find themselves trapped in an old abandoned factory at the mercy of a madman. The terror is doubled because the protagonists are speech and hearing impaired. It's an interesting experiment but the loud background music fails many, many times. As does the overacting.
Rediff
Film review ·
4.0There's something very pompous about the basic pitch of this movie that slowly chews away at its core..
Sify
Film review ·
4.0Overall, to appreciate any good piece of art, one needs to ruminate to find a meaning in its composition. Despite not breaking any barriers, Mercury offers a lot to ruminate about, not in an organic manner but a forced one.
From our readers
Audience reviews (2)
2 ratings · user score 4.5
- Tejas NairApr 20184/10
For a silent film, Mercury's soundtrack has enough going on. Unfortunately, that is the only thing going on here as you end up being sermoned by director-writer Karthik Subbaraj about the hazards of mercury poisoning in what feels like a contrived thriller at best. Five youngsters - all both deaf and dumb - are out partying at a farmhouse. It is the adolescent nature in them that drives them to go on a quick outing in the middle of the night. What starts like a merry trip with two of them even introducing their love for each other comes to a screeching halt when they find a dead body (Prabhu Deva). Because none of them can hear, the further proceedings in the film become a bit challenging to follow. With Subbaraj throwing flashbacks at you, there's a constant sense of apprehension in the narrative, which even the smartest viewer will find slightly annoying. The use of ambient score earns brownie points here, but this is no Pushpak Vimana (1987) or Raja Harishchandra (1913) which Mercury boasts of being inspired from. This thriller has been meticulously plotted so as to turn it into a silent film, which is how dictionaries around the world define the term "gimmick", even in cinema parlance. Even as a well-shot thriller, it does suffer from huge plotholes and conceptual issues because at one point you have Deva acting like a victim of mercury poisoning (the main theme) and at other he has shades of paranormal activity. The hybrid may be true but writer Subbaraj hardly hints at their combination, instead always focusing on how the camera captures the actors' emotive faces or forcing the audience stoop at their seats awaiting a jump-scare. Mercury starts off well but quickly goes downhill to become a boring stash of a soundtrack-driven drivel. With unintentional humor scattered all over the place and amateur performances by the lead actors, there is only so much to appreciate in this thriller. Which is not enough to justify a ticket price especially when there are better films out there. TN.<br /> <br /> More at www.nairtejas.com/
- Ajay lawyerApr 20185/10
undigestable scenes , idiotic , narration good. script very bad
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