Mercy Review: Chris Pratt Faces AI Justice in a Real-Time Thriller

Mercy leans on pace and Rebecca Ferguson to sell its high-concept hook.

Moviegoers are presumably in for an onslaught of films with commentary on artificial intelligence for the foreseeable future. In ‘Mercy’, we see an LAPD detective charged with the murder of his wife, and his fate will be determined not by a judge and jury made up of people, but rather an AI court that holds all of the power.

Director Timur Bekmambetov and Chris Pratt, who we also spoke with here, collaborated once upon a time on 2008’s ‘Wanted’, with Pratt in a supporting role. Now Pratt, who is at movie star status, takes center stage to face Rebecca Ferguson as Judge Maddox, an AI that is part of the Mercy program that acts as judge, jury, and executioner.

The Premise and Setup

Pratt is Detective Chris Raven, an LAPD officer with a storied history who wakes to find himself locked in a chair and charged with the murder of his wife, Nicole (Annabelle Wallis). Raven has 90 minutes to prove his innocence to Judge Maddox, an AI designed to have a completely objective opinion in determining the guilt of the defendants. As an AI, Judge Maddox has the entirety of the internet and cellular network at her (its?) disposal as needed.

Action Meets Screenlife Storytelling

The premise results in an interesting genre fusion of action and screenlife, both of which Bekmambetov has experience with. A lot of the plot takes place through the large AI screen where Maddox is housed, showing computer files, video archives, and more to piece together the parts of the case. On occasion, we do cut to the actual action taking place outside of the Mercy Program, but it’s all blended together somewhat seamlessly.

Pratt spends a lot of time in the film strapped to a chair, with a close-up on his face. Pratt is a serviceable enough actor to portray the emotion required of the role, but I can’t help feeling he’s slightly miscast here. While Pratt is a good enough action star, he really excels in comedy, which ‘Mercy’ is almost completely devoid of.

Ferguson is excellent as Judge Maddox, the AI program devoid of emotion set to find Raven guilty or innocent. You could argue that without her notable performance, the whole film wouldn’t work.

Pacing, Mystery, and Payoff

A screenlife movie is only as successful and intriguing as the mystery at hand, and what ‘Mercy’ lacks in good storytelling, it makes up for in action and pacing. The movie never lets off the gas, and the 90-minute countdown of the Mercy Program takes place all in real time. While some of the reveals are easy to see coming or lack real justification, I was able to overlook most of the flaws because I still found it to be so relentlessly entertaining despite itself.

Verdict

‘Mercy’ is far from a perfect moviegoing experience, but it’s so fast-paced and frenetic that it justifies itself as a fun theater experience, especially for a January release. The plot is super simple to pick apart, but a great Rebecca Ferguson performance and breakneck pacing result in a good time.

Mercy releases in theaters on January 23rd, 2026.

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