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My Days of Mercy (2017) movie poster

Timeline

My Days of Mercy (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 108 mins · English
JustWatch #3,386 16
Directed by
Tali Shalom-Ezer
Starring
Elliot Page, Charlie Shotwell, Kate Mara, Brian Geraghty, Beau Knapp, Amy Seimetz

The heart takes no sides The daughter of a man on death row falls in love with a woman on the opposing side of her family’s political cause.

On this page (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (13)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like My Days of Mercy
  6. 6 Categories
  7. 7 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch My Days of Mercy (2017)

Where can you watch My Days of Mercy? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Darkroom, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channels and Hoopla: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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13 events in order · contains spoilers

My Days of Mercy Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of My Days of Mercy (2017) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Anti-death penalty protest roots

    Lucy Moro and her older sister Martha are anti-death penalty protestors in a small Ohio town. They live with their parents and travel with their 10-year-old brother Ben in a mobile home as they fight for the acquittal of their father Simon, who is on death row for the murder of their mother eight years ago. The sisters’ activism frames their family life and sets the stakes for the story.

    Where
    Ohio
  2. First meeting with Mercy Bromage

    During a demonstration outside a prison in Illinois, Lucy meets Mercy Bromage. Mercy's father is a police officer with ties to the death penalty case, creating tension between their worlds. Despite this, Lucy and Mercy grow closer and begin to form a connection.

    Where
    Illinois
  3. Communication grows across a distance

    Lucy and Mercy start to keep in contact over Skype as their lives pull them in different directions. The budding relationship develops against the backdrop of ongoing activism and family strain. Their bond becomes a private refuge amid public pressures.

  4. Romance blooms during a Missouri demonstration

    During a solo excursion to a demonstration in Missouri, Lucy and Mercy start a romance. The relationship deepens as they share personal fears and hopes about the case and their futures. The affair adds emotional complexity to the sisters’ already tense circumstances.

    Where
    Missouri
  5. Life on the road with Ben

    The sisters travel to various states in a mobile home, continuing their campaign for Simon’s innocence. Ben, their younger brother, accompanies them, grounding the journey in family duty. The road becomes their temporary home and a crucible for loyalties.

    Where
    Various states
  6. Legal maneuvering: a four-month stay

    Martha hires a lawyer who secures a four-month stay of execution to search for legal loopholes or new evidence. The delay gives the family a fragile thread of hope while the case stagnates in the system. The stakes remain as high as ever despite the temporary reprieve.

  7. Final appeals denied, doubt persists

    The last of the legal appeals is denied and the evidence continues to point toward Simon. The denial crushes the faint hope the family clung to and intensifies the emotional toll on Lucy and Martha. The countdown toward the execution proceeds regardless of their efforts.

  8. Lucy confronts Mercy in Illinois

    Lucy travels alone to Illinois to visit Mercy and confronts the real-world implications of the case. She discovers Mercy still lives with her parents and has a boyfriend, which leads to a painful breakup between them. The visit exposes the fragility of their relationship amid the chaos of the case.

    Where
    Illinois
  9. Execution day and shared sorrow

    Mercy attends Simon’s execution with Martha and Lucy, witnessing the culmination of a long, painful fight. The event marks a defining and devastating moment for the family and Mercy’s involvement underscores the personal stakes for everyone involved. The loss reverberates through the community and their relationships.

    Where
    Illinois
  10. A fresh start proposed

    After the execution, Martha proposes selling the house and moving away for a fresh start. Ben and Lucy agree that a change of scenery may help them heal and redefine their lives. The plan signals a willingness to leave the past behind and seek new beginnings.

    Where
    Ohio
  11. Six months later: a new life in California

    Six months pass and Lucy is working as a waitress in California, building a modest new life. Mercy unexpectedly shows up, hinting at a potential second chance for their relationship. The distant dream of rebuilding something meaningful begins to reemerge.

    When
    Six months after execution
    Where
    California
  12. Mercy’s rekindling attempt

    Mercy arrives in California and attempts to rekindle her relationship with Lucy. Lucy initially rejects the idea, overwhelmed by recent events and the weight of the case. The tension between past heartbreak and possible future keeps them at a crossroads.

    Where
    California
  13. A second chance at love

    After reflection, Lucy decides to give Mercy another chance, signaling a tentative, hopeful new chapter for both of them. Their relationship begins to reemerge amid the quiet, uncertain post-case future. The film closes with the possibility of healing alongside unresolved questions.

    Where
    California

Last updated: February 24, 2026 at 14:21

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Timeline questions answered

My Days of Mercy Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of My Days of Mercy (2017): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why do Lucy and Martha continue fighting to free their father when he was convicted of killing their mother?

Lucy and Martha believe their father Simon is innocent. Despite the evidence pointing to him for their mother's murder eight years ago, the sisters are convinced the conviction is wrong. Their entire activism is built on the belief that Simon was wrongly sentenced to death, making their fight for acquittal central to their identity and family bond.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that the sisters' entire lifestyle revolves around proving Simon's innocence, suggesting this belief is foundational to their family.

  • simon Moro
  • death row
  • father convicted
  • mother's murder
  • wrongful conviction
Q2

Why does Mercy still attend Simon's execution after breaking up with Lucy?

Mercy's attendance at the execution shows her respect for Lucy and the family despite their romantic breakup. Though the relationship ended painfully when Lucy discovered Mercy still lived with her parents and had a boyfriend, Mercy chooses to be present during this devastating moment. Her presence demonstrates genuine connection beyond the romantic relationship and honors what they shared.

Foreshadowing: Their earlier connection was built on shared vulnerability about the case, making the execution a moment Mercy feels compelled to witness.

  • mercy bromage
  • execution
  • breakup
  • support
Q3

Why does Lucy move to California and work as a waitress after Simon's execution?

Lucy moves to California as part of the family's decision to sell their Ohio house and seek a fresh start after the execution. The loss of their father and the end of their years-long activism leaves the family fractured. Lucy chooses to build a quiet, modest life away from the painful memories, working as a waitress in California represents her attempt at normalcy and healing.

Foreshadowing: Martha proposed selling the house and moving away for a fresh start after the execution, which Lucy and Ben agreed to.

  • california
  • waitress
  • new life
  • healing
  • move away
Q4

Why do Lucy and Mercy pursue a romantic relationship despite being on opposite sides of the death penalty case?

Despite Lucy being an anti-death penalty activist fighting for her father's acquittal and Mercy's father being a police officer with ties to the death penalty case, they form a deep personal connection. Their relationship develops through shared moments of vulnerability and mutual attraction. The romance represents an escape from the political tensions that define their daily lives, creating an intimate space where their opposing worlds temporarily dissolve.

Foreshadowing: Their first meeting occurs during a protest demonstration, immediately establishing the tension between their family circumstances.

  • relationship
  • forbidden love
  • opposite sides
  • death penalty
  • mercy bromage
  • lucy Moro
Q5

What is the four-month stay of execution that Martha secures?

Martha hires a lawyer who successfully secures a four-month stay of execution, temporarily halting Simon's death sentence. This legal delay gives the family time to search for loopholes or new evidence that could reopen the case and prove Simon's innocence. The stay represents their last real hope of saving Simon, though it ultimately ends when all appeals are denied.

Foreshadowing: The timeline builds tension around this deadline, with the story progressing toward the execution date.

  • stay of execution
  • legal appeal
  • lawyer
  • martha Moro
Q6

Why does Mercy still have a boyfriend when Lucy visits her in Illinois?

When Lucy travels alone to Illinois to visit Mercy, she discovers Mercy still lives with her parents and has a boyfriend. This revelation devastates Lucy because she had believed their connection was exclusive and serious. Mercy's situation suggests she wasn't fully ready to commit to Lucy or leave her existing life behind, leading Lucy to end the relationship.

Foreshadowing: Their relationship existed primarily through Skype calls and brief meetings during protests, keeping their connection somewhat detached from everyday reality.

  • mercy boyfriend
  • illinois
  • breakup
  • confrontation
Q7

What happens when Simon's final appeals are denied?

When Simon's final legal appeals are denied and the evidence continues to point toward his guilt, the execution proceeds. Despite the sisters' years of activism and the temporary stay, Simon is executed in Illinois. This devastating event marks the tragic culmination of the family's fight and changes everything for Lucy, Martha, and Ben.

Foreshadowing: The four-month stay was always a temporary measure while searching for new evidence that apparently was never found.

  • execution
  • appeals denied
  • simon Moro
  • death row
Q8

Why does Mercy show up in California six months later?

Mercy travels to California six months after Simon's execution to attempt to rekindle her relationship with Lucy. Despite their painful breakup and Lucy's new life as a waitress, Mercy hopes to reconnect. Lucy initially rejects her, but eventually decides to give their relationship another chance, suggesting unresolved feelings remain between them.

Foreshadowing: The film's ending hints that their connection was never fully severed, despite the heartbreak.

  • mercy california
  • reconciliation
  • second chance
  • relationship
Q9

Why do Lucy and Martha travel in a mobile home with their brother Ben?

Lucy and Martha live in a mobile home while traveling between states to protest for their father's acquittal. This lifestyle allows them to maintain their activism full-time while staying together as a family. Their ten-year-old brother Ben accompanies them, making the mobile home their family home as they campaign across different states.

Foreshadowing: The film opens with this mobile home lifestyle, establishing the nomadic existence that defines their family.

  • mobile home
  • travel
  • activism
  • ben Moro
  • family
Q10

What creates the political tension between Lucy and Mercy's families?

The tension stems from Lucy and Martha's anti-death penalty activism for their father Simon, while Mercy's father is a police officer whose work connects him to the death penalty case that sent Simon to death row. This places their families on opposite sides of a politically charged issue that directly impacts both of their lives.

Foreshadowing: Their first meeting occurs at a protest demonstration, immediately highlighting this fundamental conflict.

  • death penalty
  • police officer
  • political tension
  • family conflict
  • mercy father

Movie threads

More Movies Like My Days of Mercy, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes My Days of Mercy tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about forbidden love and grief like My Days of Mercy

Romantic connections that bloom defiantly in the face of grief and moral conflict. If you were captivated by the angsty, forbidden romance in My Days of Mercy set against a backdrop of grief, you'll find similar emotionally charged stories here. These films explore love that defies circumstances, often featuring heavy themes and bittersweet conclusions.

  • forbidden romance
  • angsty
  • grieving
  • tense
  • melancholic
  • defiant
  • Tone: bittersweet, tense, angsty
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories typically follow characters from opposing sides of a painful conflict—be it legal, familial, or ideological—who find solace and passion in each other. Their romantic journey is constantly tested by the weight of their external circumstances, forcing them to navigate loyalty, loss, and the possibility of a new beginning.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they share a specific emotional mix: a high-stakes, forbidden romance intertwined with profound grief or moral dilemma. The pacing is steady, allowing the relationship and the surrounding tension to develop organically, leading to an ending that is rarely simple, often leaving characters—and viewers—with a sense of poignant, bittersweet resolution.

Dramas about family crises and moral conflict like My Days of Mercy

Stories where families are tested by profound ethical dilemmas and personal loss. For viewers who appreciated the deep exploration of family loyalty and moral conflict in My Days of Mercy, this thread features similar intense dramas. These movies delve into how families fracture and attempt to heal under the weight of a devastating event or an impossible choice.

  • family drama
  • moral conflict
  • grief
  • loyalty
  • sibling relationships
  • tense
  • Tone: melancholic, tense, strained
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a family confronted with an event that challenges their core beliefs and bonds, such as a crime, a legal battle, or a political cause. The plot delves into the differing responses of family members, creating internal conflict and forcing characters to confront their values, often leading to estrangement and a painful, complex path toward some form of reconciliation or acceptance.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their focus on the heavy emotional weight of a family in crisis. They share a steady, deliberate pacing that allows for deep character exploration, a medium to high intensity generated by the high-stakes situation, and a tone that is often melancholic and tense, resulting in endings that are ambiguous or bittersweet, reflecting the scars left by the conflict.

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Categories

Movie Lists Featuring My Days of Mercy

My Days of Mercy appears in these hand-built movie categories. Each one groups movies by a specific mood, theme or story type, with their plot summaries and endings explained.

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Every angle

My Days of Mercy (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about My Days of Mercy in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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