MERCY (2026)

Genre: Sci-fi/Action
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Cast: Chris Pratt, Rebecca Ferguson, Kali Reis, Annabelle Wallis, Chris Sullivan, Kylie Rogers, Jeff Pierre, Rafi Gavron, Kenneth Choi, Jamie McBride 
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence & Drug References)
Released By: Sony Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 29 January 2026

Synopsis: In the near future, a detective (Chris Pratt) stands on trial accused of murdering his wife. He has 90 minutes to prove his innocence to the advanced A.I. Judge (Rebecca Ferguson) he once championed, before it determines his fate.

Movie Review:

It doesn’t bode well especially for a movie that was shot two years ago, stars an A-list actor, and is unceremoniously dumped into the quiet month of January. That, unfortunately, seems to be the case for Mercy, a cyber-thriller starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson.

Set in the not-so-distant year of 2029, where crime is rampant across Los Angeles, the film introduces an AI Judge (Ferguson) installed to expedite cases at the Mercy Capital Court. Every defendant is given a strict 90 minutes to prove their innocence in front of the AI judge, using all available online resources or face execution via a sonic blast. It’s a grim, high-concept premise that promises urgency and moral complexity.

The latest defendant happens to be Detective Chris Raven (Pratt), ironically one of the key personnel responsible for initiating the very AI system now judging him. Raven is charged with the murder of his wife, Nicole (Annabelle Wallis), earlier that same morning, and all initial evidence points squarely at him. Plagued by alcoholism and anger issues, Raven appears to be an easy conviction. With the clock ticking, he must rely on his detective instincts and the help of his fellow teammate, Jae (Kali Reis), to uncover the truth while also hoping to reunite with his teenage daughter, Britt (Kylie Rogers).

It’s hard not to wonder whether director Timur Bekmambetov harbours a particular fondness if not a fetish for movies dominated by computer screens, CCTV footage, and smartphone displays. After all, he is also listed as producer on Searching, Missing, and last year’s rather horrendous War of the Worlds. To be fair, this visual gimmick isn’t inherently problematic if used sparingly or with purpose. In Mercy, however, it proves overwhelming, resulting in a chaotic visual presentation that feels ill-suited for what is meant to be a blockbuster spectacle.

Adding to the frustration is the fact that Chris Pratt spends roughly 95% of the film strapped to a chair, effectively stripping him of any opportunity to deliver the kind of physical performance audiences might expect. While he does get moments to emote during several emotional scenes, those anticipating action will likely be disappointed. As Mercy largely functions as a found-footage film, the abundance of blurry body-cam and surveillance shots renders the few action sequences largely meaningless and insipid.

As it stands, the film’s high-concept appeal is surprisingly negligible, though its reliance on old-school detective work manages to keep things momentarily engaging at least until a pointless twist near the end undercuts any lingering tension. That said, the idea of artificial intelligence playing a central role in judicial proceedings does feel increasingly plausible as a future reality, so perhaps the film earns some credit for tapping into that conversation.

Still, the two-decades-old Minority Report remains a far more compelling and exhilarating take on a similar premise involving a wrongly accused man in a high-tech justice system. Mercy, by comparison, lacks the sophistication both visually and narratively that one would expect. It’s almost surprising that it didn’t debut straight on Amazon Prime.

Movie Rating:

(By and large, Mercy is an average sci-fi thriller that ultimately wastes the considerable talents of Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson)

Review by Linus Tee