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Netflix's new action-thriller show is a dark revenge tale perfect for 'John Wick' fans — and you can binge-watch it now
If you left the theater after watching 'Ballerina' and felt that familiar void only a pulse-pounding revenge thriller can fill, then 'Mercy for None' on Netflix might just be the perfect fix. This gritty Korean thriller that hits all the right notes for fans craving the kind of dark energy the 'John Wick' franchise is famous for (minus the Hollywood gloss).
What surprises me though is that 'Mercy for None' hasn't even cracked Netflix's top 10 list yet after landing on the streamer on June 6. Honestly, I'm worried it'll slip through the cracks and get lost in the endless scroll of new releases, because it deserves way more attention than it's getting.
The show follows a former ruthless enforcer who vanished after sabotaging himself, only to return when his brother is brutally murdered. With his baseball bat in hand, he tears through rival gangs and corrupt cops in a pulse-pounding quest for justice.
So, if you're craving some brutal action with a strong emotional core, 'Mercy for None' is the hidden gem you didn't know you needed on your Netflix watchlist. Here's why you need to binge-watch it now.
'Mercy for None' follows Nam Gi-jun (So Ji-sub), a former ruthless mob enforcer who vanished 11 years ago after deliberately injuring himself to escape the criminal underworld.
Living in exile, Gi-jun's quiet life is shattered when his younger brother, Nam Gi-seok (Lee Joon-hyuk), is found murdered under suspicious circumstances. Forced out of hiding, Gi-jun returns to Seoul determined to uncover who is responsible for his brother's death.
As he investigates, Gi-jun becomes entangled in a fierce power struggle between two rival crime syndicates — the Juwoon Group and the Bongsan Group. Using a baseball bat as his weapon of choice, he violently confronts gangsters, corrupt law enforcement officers, and scheming heirs as he works his way through the tangled web of betrayal.
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So Ji-sub owns 'Mercy for None' as a deeply wounded man hell-bent on revenge. It asks you to overlook a few unlikely moments, but overall, it's a tough, adrenaline-fueled thriller that delivers exactly what you want: a heartbroken guy brutally tossing gangsters around like ragdolls.
And that's the best thing about the show. Anyone watching a revenge thriller is most likely looking for some brutal fighting sequences, and fortunately 'Mercy for None' delivers in that department, with the baseball bat feeling like a character all its own.
There's actually an impressive scene in the first episode where Nam Gi-jun tears through a bunch of smug teens hanging out in a café and it's easily the show's most intense moment.
Aside from the action, it's So Ji Sub's acting that kept me watching, especially with how calm and controlled he stays the whole way through. He comes back to find his brother murdered, and instead of breaking down or losing it, he just starts taking people out.
There are no big speeches or dramatic outbursts either which is something I appreciate. It very much feels like an unofficial 'John Wick' spinoff and I think that's why I was instantly hooked.
The only real thing that lets 'Mercy for None' down is the story. It's a simplistic revenge thriller so don't expect anything grand, and the first episode fails to offer proper context meaning I ended up feeling a little confused.
The show gives you names on screen to help keep track of who's who, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's a lot you're left to piece together on your own. By the time Gi-jun starts his path of revenge, you're already knee-deep in a sea of serious-looking men in suits, and it's hard knowing their roles within each gang. It also would've been nice to see more of an emotional backstory for Nam Gi-jun but the show never fully delves into it.
However, despite the weaker story, 'Mercy for None' still makes for a thrilling watch. There's enough brutal action to keep revenge fans satisfied, and the cinematography is incredibly dark and gritty, giving this a very bleak feel.
'Mercy for None' deserves to be on your Netflix watchlist, not just because it somehow got overshadowed by other newly released shows at the beginning of the month, but because it's an intense kind of revenge story perfect for 'John Wick' fans.
The pacing is solid, the action scenes are choreographed with real weight, and there is plenty of tension from start to finish to keep you clicking 'next episode.' Plus, there are only seven episodes, meaning you can probably binge-watch the entire show in just one weekend.
I'm holding onto hope that 'Mercy for None' might crack the top 10 list at some point, but even if it doesn't, I hope enough viewers will notice it on the homepage and give it a chance. So, if you're after a show to binge that serves up a raw, bloody story of vengeance with a mob enforcer coming back from exile to settle scores, this is it.
You can stream 'Mercy for None' on Netflix now. For more streaming recommendations, see what else got added to Netflix in June 2025.
