Mercy (2026) * *

 

Directed by: Timur Bekmambetov

Starring:  Chris Pratt, Rebecca Ferguson, Annabelle Wallis, Kali Reis, Kylie Rogers, Chris Sullivan

Mercy sounds good on paper and for a while it leans into its whodunit premise effectively, but then it flies off the rails and becomes another in a long line of forgettable chase movies.  The movie centers on an LAPD detective who was a proponent of the new "Mercy Court" in which those accused are strapped to a chair and have 90 minutes to reduce their guilty quotient to 92% (which is considered reasonable doubt) by the AI judge who allows the defendant access to any online files, data, and assists with explaining the dizzying rules of the court. 

However, Chris Raven (Pratt) finds himself hung over and strapped to a chair accused of murdering his estranged wife Nicole (Wallis).  Raven swears he's innocent, but the evidence looks damning.  Of course, since he's the hero, we know he didn't do it, which is perfectly fine as Raven attempts to locate the real killer before his 90 minutes runs out and he's executed on the spot.  The AI judge (Ferguson) coldly provides Raven with advice, but soon maybe due to a program defect, she starts to sympathize with Raven, although it isn't made clear how or why except that the screenplay requires it.

I won't give away the ending of Mercy, except to say that it drifts into mindless action territory.  Mercy sounds like it should be a taut, clever thriller and on paper it is, but despite it's relatively short running time, Mercy starts to drag.  It's a concept that ultimately never flourishes into a film worthy of it.