The Wasteland Reviewer

Mercy (2026) Written Review

How hard will you fight to prove your innocence when your life is on the line? Mercy is a new high concept crime thriller in the same vein of classic science fiction like Minority Report. Justice has been passed into the hands of artificial intelligence as the judges in the new Mercy program are A.I. programs who give those on trial 90 minutes to prove their innocence. The whole city of Los Angeles is under surveillance and the watchful eye of A.I. giving those accused access to a whole cache of data to explore. Chris Pratt is the leading detective in Mercy cases who finds himself on trial for the murder of his wife…. start the clock! 

How does Timur Bekmambetov, the director of the film, bring this high concept to life? Most of this story takes place within the confines of a high-tech courtroom with Pratt strapped in a standing seat as he looks upon his A.I. judge (Rebecca Ferguson). Where the film finds its dynamic layers is through visual effects and A.I. Some of the videos that are piped into the film look cheap and unconvincing. But there are some immersive effects that are wholly engrossing and quite impressive. The frustration is rooted in the inconsistency. The action is similarly inconsistent. The hand-to-hand action is over edited and clunky. But there is a chase sequence at the end of the film that is thrilling and will get you on the edge of your seat. Ramin Djawadi layers in some solid music that increases the tension. 

But does the story from screenwriter Marco van Belle deliver something compelling? The mystery of who killed Pratt’s wife is the core of the film. This mystery keeps you engaged for the most part even when the film spirals into a giant conspiracy that somehow wraps all around itself in the end. The convoluted plot becomes overbearing but there are some solid details-oriented elements that do close the loop quite well. The dialogue in the film feels so clunky and blunted that it will get you rolling your eyes half the movie. The themes have plenty of potential as it explores our increasing reliance on A.I. and the meaning of justice in our society except van Belle’s script never digs deep enough to make something compelling. The characters are quite one-note as well. Mercy does not have the strongest script to be working with, and it will leave a lot to be desired. 

Does the cast deliver at least? Pratt is such an interesting case of an actor. He delivers well on humor which this film rarely leans on. He can also deliver some inspired emotion when properly built up to that point. This performance struggles to convey the needed emotion. When Pratt leans into a more serious persona, things just feel flat and that is the case for much of this performance. Ferguson does his best as a program who is just constrained to a big screen. Ferguson finds the little moments and details in her facial expressions that give this A.I. a little bit more intrigue. Most of the rest of the cast of actors do their thing with limited space to expand with. Kali Reis and Chris Sullivan both feel a bit shackled by their underwritten characters. Most of the other performers fall flat quite consistently. 

Is Mercy a pleasant surprise for the January movie season? Unfortunately, Mercy embodies that expectation that most people have with January films. There was plenty of potential with the high concept idea, thematic layers, and the effects but most of it never reached it there. Pratt does not deliver the strongest central performance so that is not ideal. There might be enough crazy twists and thrills to scratch that itch for some, but this is quite the shaky experience.