The 2017 film The Mercy is directed by James Marsh and the screenplay is by Scott Z. Burns. It is based on the true story of amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst. It stars Colin Firth as Donald Crowhurst, Rachel 
Weisz as Clare Crowhurst, Simon McBurney as Sir Francis Chichester and David Thewlis as Rodney Hallworth.
The film is set in England in 1968 and begins with an announcement by a newspaper on a contest to sail around the world. Sir Francis Chichester who was the first man to sail around the world makes an appearance and gives a speech. Donald Crowhurst who is in the crowd seems impressed by Chichester, but he does not seem to realise that he does not possess Chichester’s talent or capability and is only an amateur sailor who is bound to fail if he undertakes this voyage.
Donald is happily married to Clare with whom he has three children. You wonder why he abandons his wife and children to undertake this suicide mission. Donald is delusioned in believing that he can succeed in this voyage and is insane to undertake it and surprisingly Clare does not advise him against it. Donald deceives Clare and the public about his misadventure by lying about his progress and eventually descends into madness.
The film explores the inner workings of the mind of a complex individual whose motives and decisions are puzzling.
