What is Death Without Mercy on Paramount+ all about? Everything to know

The 2024 documentary Death Without Mercy, directed by Syrian filmmaker Waad Al-Kateab, will be available on Paramount+ on February 6. The film shows an unfiltered look at the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey-Syria border in 2023, reportedly claiming 50,000 lives.

Following two Syrian families over 10 days, the documentary captures their struggles in the disaster’s wake. The film weaves together CCTV footage, drone imagery, news clips, and firsthand recordings, including moments from under the rubble, to reconstruct the tragedy. It also highlights the corruption, misinformation, and government mismanagement that worsened the crisis.

Through a blend of personal stories and investigative journalism, Death Without Mercy exposes the failures that deepened the suffering of survivors.

---

Death Without Mercy is about the aftermath of 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquakes

Death Without Mercy shows the actual footage of the 2023 earthquakes that took thousands of lives (Image via Dave GoudreauUnsplash)

Produced by MTV Documentary Films, the film follows two Syrian families over a week as they search for missing loved ones amid widespread destruction. It is set to release on Paramount+ on the disaster's second anniversary on Feb 6.

The earthquake, one of the strongest in Turkey’s history, claimed 55,000 lives and was the most powerful since the 1939 Erzincan earthquake of the same magnitude.

Tremors were felt as far as Egypt and the Black Sea, with more than 30,000 aftershocks recorded in the following months. The affected area spanned a region roughly the size of Germany. According to The Wall Street Journal, an estimated 14 million people, 16 percent of Turkey’s population, were affected.

Through personal narratives and investigative reporting, Death Without Mercy exposes the corruption, government failures, and systemic negligence that worsened the crisis. The documentary sheds light on the human toll of the disaster while raising critical questions about accountability in disaster response efforts in its aftermath.

---

How Death Without Mercy was filmed

Death Without Mercy is available on Paramount+ on February 6 to mark the second anniversary of the earthquakes (Image of Derek LeeUnsplash)

Syrian filmmaker Waad Al-Kateab wasn’t in Syria during the 2023 earthquake but quickly took action. She reached out to contacts, including cinematographer Fadi Al Halabi and Fuad Sayed Issa, founder of the refugee-led group Violet, to document the crisis.

In an interview with Variety, Al-Kateab recalled telling them,

“I told them to please, please, please film. I kept telling them to please try to document as much as they could, but at that time, there was no film. For me, the priority was that that big of a tragedy should be documented.”

The project took shape when MTV approached Al-Kateab to produce a documentary. This led to the creation of the film, which premiered at the Sheffield DocFest in 2024. The film combines intimate firsthand footage with TV news reports, social media clips, CCTV recordings, drone shots, archival material, and in-depth interviews.

Al-Kateab describes in the Variety interview the documentary as a tribute to the survivors.

“This film is a testament to their courage, grief, and unwavering determination to hold onto hope in the face of unimaginable loss. Through their stories, I hope to inspire awareness, accountability, and a commitment to ensuring that no community suffers such preventable devastation again.”

---

Death Without Mercy: On corruption and the former president Assad

Death Without Mercy highlights corruption and government mismanagement in the disaster response following the earthquakes (Image via Shvan HarkiUnsplash)

The 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake caused massive destruction, killing thousands and displacing many. Death Without Mercy goes beyond raw footage to examine the government's failure to respond effectively, showing how mismanagement worsened the disaster’s impact.

Assad, who ruled during the Syrian civil war that reportedly killed over 500,000 people, was ousted in December 2024.

Don't miss the documentary Death Without Mercy on February 6, streaming exclusively on Paramount+.