No Mercy No Future (1981): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1981, No Mercy No Future is a thriller, drama and horror film directed by Helma Sanders-Brahms, running about 103 minutes.

What it’s about. Doctors say that Veronika, a woman in her 20s, is schizophrenic. She is compliant, which makes her an easy target for men. She's religious, believing she is God's favorite child; she searches for Jesus. She has sent a letter to a filmmaker suggesting her life as the subject for a movie. We see her raped than take up with a series of men she believes are Jesus, each willing or insistent on sex. A young man with his own crisis of faith invites her to join a cult. We see her involuntarily committed to an asylum from time to time where medication and constraints await. Her wealthy parents are helpless. Will a medical professional ever talk to her? If one did, would it help?

Who’s in it. No Mercy No Future stars Elisabeth Stepanek as Veronika Christoph, Nguyen Chi Danh as Der Erste, Karl Heinz Reimann as Kind Gottes and Jorge Reis as Demba, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 4.0/10, No Mercy No Future has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch No Mercy No Future page.

If you liked it. Fans of No Mercy No Future tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, Pulp Fiction, Parasite and Fight Club.