Mercy Trailer, Fun Facts & Review

Mercy Synopsis:

Detective Chris Raven (Chris Pratt), who is suddenly framed for his wife's murder and subjected to a futuristic trial: he must prove his innocence to the advanced A.I. Judge Maddox (Rebecca Ferguson), a system he helped create, within a strict 90-minute deadline or face immediate execution.

Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Thriller, Crime

Release Date: In theaters January 23rd, 2026

Mercy Fun Facts:

Method Acting:
To intensify the sense of confinement and urgency, Chris Pratt requested that the crew physically secure him to the chair for extended periods while shooting. He had his hands and feet cuffed for the scenes where his character faces judgment from the A.I.

Reunion with the Director:
This movie reunites Chris Pratt with director Timur Bekmambetov. They previously worked together on the action movie Wanted (2008).

The Producer's Pedigree:
The film is being produced by Charles Roven, one of the producers of this film, who has a history of making huge blockbusters successes. His past work includes Christopher Nolan's hit films, like The Dark Knight Trilogy and Oppenheimer.

A Sci-Fi Face-Off:
The two major sci-fi/action stars, Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World) and Rebecca Ferguson (Dune, Mission: Impossible), face off with intense confrontation as the accused detective and the cold and emotionless A.I. judge.

Professional Boxer in the Cast:
The movie features former professional boxer and actress Kali Reis (True Detective: Night Country), alongside other well-known actors like Annabelle Wallis and Chris Sullivan.

Dangers of Automated Justice:
In the movie Mercy, a lot of the visual storytelling comes from high-tech evidence such as camera feeds, door-cam footage, video calls, digital files, and the A.I.'s recreation of the crime scene, all used by the AI-powered court to deliver judgement. The movie explores the dangers of automated justice by advanced emotionless AI, and the ultimate question is: can a machine ever understand or deliver mercy?

Source: youtube, wikipedia

Mercy Review:

Timur Bekmambetov’s new movie, Mercy, hit the theaters this past weekend. While the movie managed to take the number one spot, beating out Avatar Fire and Ash at the box office weekend, its ticket sales were disappointing. The movie is a sci-fi thriller with a fast-paced action style shown through computer and smartphone screens. However, the final result is messy and chaotic.

The story takes place in a dystopian Los Angeles in 2029; the city has replaced its slow legal system with the "Mercy Capital Court," where an AI acts as the judge, jury, and executioner. Detective Chris Raven (Chris Pratt), who helped create this harsh system, finds himself on the wrong side of the chair. Accused of killing his wife, Nicole (Annabelle Wallis), Raven is strapped into the deadly device and given precisely 90 minutes to navigate the city's vast surveillance system to prove his innocence to Judge Maddox (Rebecca Ferguson), a lifelike yet emotionless AI hologram.

In a digital era, Director Timur Bekmambetov is changing how we watch films. He uses a style called "screenlife"; instead of normal filming, he fills the screen with pop-up windows, video calls, door-cam footage, and surveillance feeds. By mixing regular movie shots with these digital screens, the film captures how overwhelming life can be in a future where everyone is always connected to technology.

Rebecca Ferguson delivers a chilly performance as AI Judge Maddox; her performance is very calm and precise. She is able to switch back and forth between being very calm and precise, caring only about facts, to showing empathy even though it's just part of her programming. These moments are some of the only times the movie feels truly intense and exciting.

Mercy moves at a very fast pace; since the story happens in real-time with a 90-minute countdown, the movie is never boring and always filled with thrilling moments. However, there are certain parts of the story that don't make sense and can be confusing at times because it moves so quickly.

Chris Pratt plays an alcoholic police officer who is strapped to a chair for most of the film. Critics have noted his performance feels unnatural because he was confined to a chair, giving him less mobility, which may have affected his emotional intensity needed for the character. The audience also finds it difficult to care for his character mainly because of his aggression caused by heavy drinking, which also affected his marriage.

The biggest issue with the movie is that it can't decide what it wants to be. At first, it warns the audience about the danger of AI and lack of privacy due to constant surveillance, but towards the end, it seems to be hinting that the AI system is a good thing and should be celebrated. The message can be confusing for the audience.

Mercy is an ambitious movie but doesn't quite work; it features two of Hollywood's major stars and an interesting concept, but the story is messy and doesn't have the thoughtful depth to keep the storyline consistent throughout the film. The movie wastes a fantastic performance by Rebecca Ferguson on a storyline that can't decide what it wants to be. Mercy is a "popcorn movie" for the modern age of AI: the visuals are stunning, it is fast-paced, but it lacks storyline consistency.