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Love & Mercy
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Love & Mercy

2015
Drama
Biography
2h 1m
The life of reclusive Beach Boys songwriter and musician Brian Wilson, from his successes with highly-influential orchestral pop albums to his nervous breakdown and subsequent encounter with controversial therapist Dr. Eugene Landy. (imdb)
Directed by:
Bill Pohlad
Written by:
Oren Moverman Oren Moverman
Starring:
John Cusack John Cusack Paul Giamatti Paul Giamatti Paul Dano Paul Dano Elizabeth Banks Elizabeth Banks Dee Wallace Dee Wallace Jake Abel Jake Abel Kenny Wormald Brett Davern Bill Camp Bill Camp Erin Darke Erin Darke Graham Rogers
More
Genres:
Drama, Biography, Music
AKA:
Love and Mercy
Country:
USA
Language:
English
imdb More information at IMDb
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Love & Mercy

2015
Drama
Biography
2h 1m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 59.54% from 718 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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billyshearsBillyShears
Rated 31 Aug 2015
90
92nd
It's still not finished yet. I'm hearing... more Aboriginal percussionists. And I want an army of didgeridoos. Fifty thousand didgeridoos!
Rated 31 Aug 2015
aflickeringAFlickering
Rated 30 Sep 2015
2
17th
aesthetically very pleasant, but a lot more reductive, conventional and uninterested in the music itself than i was hoping for. the screenplay is pretty yucky. i'd rather just watch dano's excellent wilson strutting his stuff in the studio for a couple hours.
Rated 30 Sep 2015
jerkyJerky
Rated 04 Sep 2019
60
72nd
Good performances all around. Giamatti is at his best when he's playing these weasel dirt bag characters. That Barenaked Ladies song finally makes sense to me now (I'm lying in bed, just like Brian Wilson did)
Rated 04 Sep 2019
suture_selfSuture Self
Rated 16 Jun 2015
6
54th
Accurately portrays Dr. Eugene Landy to be an opportunistic thug, accurately portrays Mike Love to be a whore to industry, and accurately portrays Brian Wilson to be a goofy musical wunderkid that released one amazing album and a few really great songs afterwards. I liked Paulo Dano's look but sometimes disliked his acting. I liked John Cusack's acting but sometimes disliked his look. The weaving of the dual storylines mostly worked. As a Beach Boys fan, I approve, but it's no Amadeus.
Rated 16 Jun 2015
doughbarondoughbaron
Rated 06 Jul 2015
82
86th
I love the way bleak silence juxtaposes the bright, melodic music of the Beach Boys, as if to highlight Wilson's tumultuous highs and lows. Giamatti, as usual, really shines here. The editing and acting are top notch.
Rated 06 Jul 2015
superargoSuperargo
Rated 22 Jun 2015
92
95th
Utterly gripping. The best rock & roll biopic I've ever seen, maybe? Both sides of Brian's story--the 60's, him in the studio battling madness; and the 80's, him in his beach house battling Eugene Landy--are equally fascinating, so there's never a dull moment. I'm a pretty big Beach Boys fan, so I was enthralled throughout, particularly by the towering, original performances from Dano and Cusack. At its best, soaring. At its worst, still pretty frigging great.
Rated 22 Jun 2015
kasperlKasperL
Rated 28 Sep 2016
80
86th
Great performances, particularly from Dano (who I usually can't stand) and Giamatti. Telling the true story with two different actors playing Past and Future Brian Wilson works very well.
Rated 28 Sep 2016
twincinematwincinema
Rated 12 Sep 2015
70
52nd
Thankfully, a somewhat unconventional biopic, as the film looks at two different periods of Wilson's life. Dano is fantastic as a younger Wilson, and Cusack pulls it off, even though he doesn't do anything to look the part. I enjoyed the documentary style shots of the recording sessions of "Pet Sounds" and "SMiLE", which gives the audience a feeling of actually being there and listening in to the sessions.
Rated 12 Sep 2015
frankhowleyFrankHowley
Rated 28 Aug 2015
80
80th
I wasn't a Beach Boys fan before watching this, but now I'm fascinated and finally appreciate Pet Sounds. Great movie.
Rated 28 Aug 2015
icarusIcarus
Rated 04 Oct 2015
92
93rd
A truly humane film. The filmmakers weave the music seamlessly into the proceedings, and employ a patient approach that allows scenes to unfold and characters to develop. The interplay between past and present also works exceedingly well. While the songs of the amazing Pet Sounds made this go down easy, it was really the role of Melinda, filled by Elizabeth Banks, that made this film for me. Her quiet, complex approach to life with Brian engrossed and inspired me--love & mercy, indeed.
Rated 04 Oct 2015
agentsnipeAgentSnipe
Rated 09 Nov 2017
86
92nd
Sad and moving. Paul Dano does terrific work here as the mentally tortured Brian Wilson, veering towards a nervous breakdown. His performance buoys John Cusack who is able to emote good intentioned sweetness and tragedy from beneath a haze of sedatives. A real standout is Paul Giamatti, who could play this kind of role in his sleep, but really plays one of the nastiest film antagonists of recent memory.
Rated 09 Nov 2017
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 12 Oct 2015
40
27th
Transparent hogwash - a bio heavily manufactured for the screen, as most of them are in Hollywood. The text is poor, the cast is all wrong. Only the music is great, but we didn't need a movie for that. It's as watchable as its big budget allows for, but that's it.
Rated 12 Oct 2015
filmfreak88filmfreak88
Rated 07 Jun 2015
85
89th
It feels reductive to call Love and Mercy a biopic because it's so much more. It is, at its heart, a deeply moving portrait of a troubled genius, but made in a manner that feels refreshingly unconventional and symphonically attuned to the creative soul and mental instability of its subject. Excellent performances from all four of the principal actors.
Rated 07 Jun 2015
sirstuckeySirStuckey
Rated 17 Dec 2015
60
36th
A good movie who's problems arise mostly from trying to do too much in too little time. They want to focus so much on 2 important moments of Wilson's life yet the John Cusak version feels bare bones. There is no real explanation as to how and why he is legally bound to be controlled by his "doctor." It also doesn't show much in ways of time passing with the romance so it felt far-fetched that Banks would be into him that much when it seemed like a month had gone by. Does have great sound design.
Rated 17 Dec 2015
shalevshalev
Rated 02 Jan 2016
83
70th
Refreshing to see a musician's biopic that doesn't follow the hardship->talent->success->drugs->self destruction->rehab routine.
Rated 02 Jan 2016
ymyogevymyogev
Rated 22 Oct 2016
70
16th
Made me switch Joaquin Phoenix as my "go-to-male-actor-slash-guycrush" to PD. Elizabeth Banks still mostly sucks. Also, Atticus Ross shows he's more than capable of miraculous sound-tracking sans Reznor. 100$-ish ticket to Brian Wilson Performing Pet Sounds afterwards? Priceless.
Rated 22 Oct 2016
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 10 Feb 2017
65
73rd
Very good.
Rated 10 Feb 2017
snbutlersnbutler
Rated 29 Aug 2016
65
46th
Much stronger in the Dano half than the Cusack one.
Rated 29 Aug 2016
joelwatchesmoviesjoelwatchesmovies
Rated 15 Mar 2016
7
63rd
Maybe it's just the two different actors, but the past and future narratives just never really feel like they share the same protagonist, which is a shame, because each story is still strongly engaging in its own right: One showcasing Wilson's quirky brilliance and burgeoning internal struggles, the other his road to recovery and love from under the thumb of a manipulative psychiatrist, each featuring solid performances, good music, and intentionally artful editing that keeps things interesting.
Rated 15 Mar 2016
cinegeekdecinegeek.de
Rated 07 Mar 2016
70
19th
Das Beste an Bill Pohlads Brian Wilson Biopic ist, dass es im Grunde ein unmöglicher Film ist! Der Aufstieg und Fall und Aufstieg und Fall und Aufstieg und Fall des genialen Musikers scheint eigentlich nicht in einen Spielfilm zu passen... mehr auf cinegeek.de
Rated 07 Mar 2016
nuotionuotio
Rated 20 Nov 2015
65
83rd
Quality biopic about Brian Wilson. It's a pleasure to see John Cusack in a good film for a change, and for once the decision to have two actors play the same role works just fine. That said, I still think that it's Paul Dano whose portrait is the better one. The film utilizes songs from the Pet Sounds era to great effect and is probably one of the most realistic ones to show the inside of a recording studio and the recording process. Still, the film might have worked better as two separate films
Rated 20 Nov 2015
dunder74Dunder74
Rated 27 Mar 2017
6
46th
cusack's half flails around while you wait for the cool shit to come back
Rated 27 Mar 2017
luthar15luthar15
Rated 20 Feb 2016
3
26th
wayofthegunwayofthegun
Rated 06 May 2017
85
78th
Interesting look at a man and a band about which I didn't know much. Strong performances, particularly from Dano and Giamatti.
Rated 06 May 2017
ofterdingenOfterdingen
Rated 23 Jul 2017
54
40th
Surprisingly episodic and traditional biopic despite the two narratives (that doesn't really gel). Giamatti, Banks and the production design delivers.
Rated 23 Jul 2017
myfavchordsmyfavchords
Rated 05 Sep 2017
83
86th
This is a really interesting film. There are plenty of good performances in this movie. John Cusack, Paul Dano and Elizabeth Banks are all really good here. The scrip is great and it easily jumps back and forth between 2 different decades. Overall I would highly recommend this film.
Rated 05 Sep 2017
lockstarlockstar
Rated 08 Nov 2017
73
58th
Paul Dano good, John Cusack bad.
Rated 08 Nov 2017
hofschneiderHofschneider
Rated 13 Nov 2017
80
65th
More Paul Dano. Always more Paul Dano.
Rated 13 Nov 2017
edwardedward
Rated 21 Feb 2018
98
97th
Screenwriting doesn't get much better. Moverman has crafted a masterpiece here. The ensemble, which is perfectly cast, brings an amazing screenplay to a vibrant, majestic life. I'm a huge Beach Boys fan, I should disclose, but I don't think that's a prerequisite for enjoying this film. Dano and Cusack both got Brian Wilson's idiosyncratic character down perfectly. The only thing missing is a lot of "Shortnin' Bread" and Ronettes references, otherwise perfect filmmaking.
Rated 21 Feb 2018
comepeliculacomepelicula
Rated 03 Jun 2019
50
37th
It's a nice average biopic, but the constant back and forwards in time where distracting and not very useful to the story.
Rated 03 Jun 2019
offlineozofflineoz
Rated 27 Jun 2019
60
43rd
A touching portrait for one of the most brilliant and troubled artists in music. Wilson's depiction of his great music is coupled with a great dual performance, however, it is Dano's towering performance that steals the show and solidifies my pick for this generation's most underrated actor. Cusack's portion is what ultimately drags this film from being excellent to just a good biopic.
Rated 27 Jun 2019
vandelay1Vandelay1
Rated 10 Nov 2019
65
68th
godo mvie
Rated 10 Nov 2019
doyler29doyler29
Rated 03 Jan 2021
70
42nd
This biopic of Brian Wilson is a good film, and half a great film. The two sections are skillfully interweaved over the course of the film, kind of elevating the inferior one.
Rated 03 Jan 2021
calexicoCalexico
Rated 06 Jan 2021
65
23rd
Nothing groundbreaking but a nice biopic with, of course, great music.
Rated 06 Jan 2021
psych0nautpsych0naut
Rated 30 Jul 2021
70
59th
Would have benefited from a more nuanced portrayal of Eugene Landy, whom the real-life Wilson still credits with having saved his life.
Rated 30 Jul 2021
kfolkfol
Rated 03 Nov 2023
77
84th
The use of sound is better than in any other film I've ever watched. I did think that the deleted scenes were better than anything we got in the actual film though. Top performances throughout.
Rated 03 Nov 2023
jpfergusonJPFerguson
Rated 07 Feb 2024
35
8th
Sure, Paul Dano bears a passing resemblance to Brian Wilson, but not for a second do I buy John Cusack as Brian Wilson. Cusack is a conceited prick (in real life and in this), and that's not Wilson at all. And Paul Giamatti seems to think he's the ghost of Phillip Seymour Hoffman playing Eugene Landy.
Rated 07 Feb 2024
flowerpower4578flowerpower4578
Rated 26 Feb 2024
85
65th
Great film, brought out so many emotions for the entire duration. The actors were spot on. The hate I felt for Dr. Eugene Landry was too real. Seeing how Brian lived and the back and forth between past and future Brian was perfectly laid out. Excellent song choices, and the scenes of Brian having episodes felt like I was going through it with him.
Rated 26 Feb 2024
sw1341sw1341
Rated 22 Jul 2015
75
25th
Better than I thought it would be. Paul Dano did a superb job. Elizabeth Banks was great as was John Cusack. But he still seemed an odd choice based on purely on resemblance.
Rated 22 Jul 2015
pluggedinPluggedIN
Rated 07 Jun 2015
50
50th
Brian Wilson's life has been anything but perfect, even as it has been idealized. He's 72 at the release of this film, which leaves viewers with the idea that it was through the love and mercy of someone determined to help him, not exploit or abuse him, that he managed to come through the thick fog of those years to make music once more. Nice tight bows never translate perfectly to real life, but Love & Mercy at the very least celebrates the idea of that happy "ending." (pluggedin.com)
Rated 07 Jun 2015
groovysoulsGroovy_Souls
Rated 10 Jun 2015
85
82nd
Really, really great. While Cusack, Giamatti, and Dano giver performances of a lifetime, Love and Mercy and the whole gravity of Wilson's life is captured so well in too short a time. A really pleasurable viewing despite some of the cliched romantic and psychological tropes. I wouldn't be surprised to see some Oscar buzz here. Great film.
Rated 10 Jun 2015
sputnik84sputnik84
Rated 11 Jun 2015
78
59th
Paul Dano is phenomenal, as always.
Rated 11 Jun 2015
matthew_parkinsonMatthew Parkinson
Rated 14 Jun 2015
70
77th
An incredibly interesting look into the life of Brian Wilson that's compelling from start to finish.
Rated 14 Jun 2015
xacviantxacviant
Rated 14 Jun 2015
86
76th
Two perspectives on the life of Brian Wilson: one, the young Brian (Paul Dano) begins to lose his grip on reality in the late 60s; the other, an older Brian (John Cusack) is in the thrall of the cruel Dr. Landy (Paul Giamatti) and it takes the love of Linda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks) to save him once and for all. The great dual performance of Dano and Cusack forms the core of this vividly directed, often beautiful film (Giamatti and Banks are likewise strong); the script is a bit on-the-nose.
Rated 14 Jun 2015
montycircusMontyCircus
Rated 19 Jun 2015
40
38th
Kind of uneventful, felt like a TV movie. Was just like every other biopic ever. Disappointing. Why so bleak? Certainly the joyful Beach Boys catalog came from some joy somewhere...right?
Rated 19 Jun 2015
movie_opMovie-Op
Rated 22 Jun 2015
8
80th
Director Bill Pohlad uses the music as they would have appeared in Wilson's life, making them thrilling interludes instead of big, narrative-stopping numbers. Paul Dano is great at showing Wilson's obsession and descent, but John Cusack and Elizabeth Banks as the older Wilson and his love interest steal the show. They're the emotional core of this film, and despite some narrative missteps in their story, they manage to make you truly care.
Rated 22 Jun 2015
filliganFilligan
Rated 24 Jun 2015
78
37th
This was better than I expected it to be. Biopic conventions aren't just shirked, they're outright avoided, as we're never given a specific point of reference for time. Pohlad respects audiences to just follow along, as well as isn't interested in specific points in time. This is more about a deeply troubled genius and his struggles, and as well as it works cinematically, I'd argue it works even better audibly. The sound work here is superb.
Rated 24 Jun 2015
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 25 Jun 2015
80
37th
I first heard Pet Sounds eight summers ago, and I've considered it the greatest album ever recorded since then. This is not as good as Pet Sounds, but I am still surprised by how good it actually is.
Rated 25 Jun 2015
neonmanNeonman
Rated 27 Jun 2015
70
38th
Worth watching, even if you're not an explicit fan like myself, the best parts for me is seeing young Wilson hard at work on his music, which is well portrayed by the usually excellent Dano. Older Wilson's story is good, too, with the careful romance story not over-doing things or engulfing the mental illness aspect of the story, though my biggest complaint is seeing a wonderful actor like Giamatti continuously get typecast into the arrogant villain role.
Rated 27 Jun 2015
cowfrappecowfrappe
Rated 30 Jun 2015
77
81st
Surprisingly (though fittingly) artful for a film about a great artist. Excellent performances in a lovely directorial debut.
Rated 30 Jun 2015
nothingsgoodNothingsGood
Rated 06 Jul 2015
75
83rd
I wonder how Kevin Love feels about this film.
Rated 06 Jul 2015
capodelnullacapodelnulla
Rated 03 Feb 2016
65
48th
brian wilson'a dair ilgisinde boğulmayan sürükleyici bir biopic. ortalama insan arzusuna, günden farklı bir şey çıkarma isteğinin çarpık düşüşüne dair çarpıcı da bir hikaye çıkıyor ortaya. ama iki farklı zamanın beraber anlatımı bunun haricinde bir anlam ifade etmiyor. yani pet sounds dönemiyle wilson'un landy'yle yaşadıklarının paralel anlatımı *tribute* ile *esin* arası bir yere sıkıştırıyor filmi.
Rated 03 Feb 2016
mandymandy
Rated 23 Jul 2015
7
73rd
Very well put together with the sometimes intrusive soundtrack reflecting the mood of the film. Superb performances.
Rated 23 Jul 2015
dmcrimsonDMCrimson
Rated 26 Aug 2015
79
52nd
I'm not a fan of the two storylines in parallel. It feels like someone thought of a Brian Wilson romance story and threw in Pet Sounds recording sessions, albeit ending up as the more interesting part of the movie. A movie just about the Pet Sounds sessions would be a much better and focused movie (think of the Pyrrhic victory of making a truly classic album while going insane, redemption with the Smile album in 2004). Bonus point for correctly bashing Mike Love.
Rated 26 Aug 2015
aceysaid10AceySaid10%
Rated 08 Sep 2015
83
75th
-2 points for cusack
Rated 08 Sep 2015
damildamil
Rated 14 Sep 2015
75
81st
I thought the film did a really great job of representing his state of mind and all of his anxieties - I could really feel it. The direction and sound design in general was excellent. Cusack and Dano were both really good. Dano's singing voice couldn't quite match up to the real life version, though. Banks and Giamatti were also very good in the supporting roles. Overall, it's a really solid and surprisingly artful biopic about a music legend.
Rated 14 Sep 2015
letskillrobotsletskillrobots
Rated 29 Sep 2015
25
75th
Paul Giamatii plays a great jerk.
Rated 29 Sep 2015
snallygastersnallygaster
Rated 25 Oct 2015
44
40th
I'd like someone to point out the oft-mentioned "unconventional" or "experimental" elements of this film, because I didn't catch any. The studio scenes and 60s atmosphere are good, and I believe it's pretty historically accurate. Of course, the music is great. The drama and romance are by-the-numbers and the colour grading is obnoxious.
Rated 25 Oct 2015
mattorama12mattorama12
Rated 26 Oct 2015
71
64th
I really loved the scenes showing young Wilson at work in the studio and arranging the songs. The way those scenes were shot and acted was great. The older Wilson scenes felt like sort of generic biopic stuff. I don't really know much about his story of mental illness, and unfortunately I feel like I didn't learn much more than the basic outline.
Rated 26 Oct 2015
timon88Timon88
Rated 05 Nov 2015
57
52nd
Perhaps paranoid schizophrenia isn't all that cinematic an illness, or maybe it's that I don't find The Beach Boys inherently interesting enough to carry a movie like this, but the overall effect is a bit underwhelming. Paul Dano, though, gives a really subtle, imaginative performance.
Rated 05 Nov 2015
duderDuder
Rated 12 Nov 2015
65
59th
Very well directed and acted, and a very very interesting story that I did not know much about. It's a good movie if you've never listened to the band, but if you're a fan, it probably earns a few extra scores.. Dano is amazing as always, he never skips a beat. He is going to be one of the greatests in the future.
Rated 12 Nov 2015
rthornhillrthornhill
Rated 23 Nov 2015
88
63rd
solid biopic of the the troubled life of the genius behind the beach boys....
Rated 23 Nov 2015
overratedoverrated
Rated 17 Jan 2016
82
91st
Cusack is fine but man this would have been so much better off just focusing on the Paul Dano Pet Sounds/descent into madness storyline.
Rated 17 Jan 2016
yoohooyoohoo
Rated 27 Jan 2016
85
82nd
A fantastic character study of Brian Wilson, the genius creator of the Beach Boys sound and the man responsible for pushing them beyond simple surf rock, this biopic shows his descent into mental illness while still trying to innovate new sounds and work in the studio. Using flash forward techniques, it splices up his life into when everything was going mad and the near present. Dano is absolutely fantastic at portraying this mad genius and was a delight to watch. Cusack was merely good.
Rated 27 Jan 2016

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