The idea of artificial intelligence has long been popular in movies, and it’s especially timely today. An upcoming 2026 film, Mercy, presents a compelling story: a detective suspected of killing his wife has just 90 minutes to convince an advanced AI of his innocence before it determines his fate. Early reviews of this sci-fi action thriller suggest it creates a truly immersive and suspenseful experience, leaving viewers feeling as trapped as the main character.
Chris Pratt stars as Chris Raven, a detective on trial, and Rebecca Ferguson plays Judge Maddox, an artificial intelligence who acts as his judge, jury, and possible executioner. In a review of Mercy, Eric Eisenberg from TopMob criticizes the plot as completely nonsensical, stating that this lack of a solid story prevents the film from being either thought-provoking or enjoyable. He gave the movie a rating of 1.5 out of 5 stars.
“Mercy” relies heavily on stylistic tricks – specifically, its use of the ‘screenlife’ format and real-time storytelling – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Many successful movies are built around interesting concepts. However, in this case, those tricks don’t cover up a weak story, and the film actually gets worse as it goes on. Unless someone is physically forcing you to watch it, it’s best to avoid this one.
According to a recent review in The Daily Beast, the movie Mercy is shaping up to be a contender for the worst film of 2026. Critic Nick Schager jokingly calls artificial intelligence “artificial stupidity” and finds the film, despite its mystery elements, to be dull and lacking energy. He notes that watching characters simply look at screens isn’t engaging, and the story unfolds in a disappointingly weak manner.
The movie Mercy feels stuck and relies heavily on what’s happening on a computer screen. Aside from a few close-ups of the actor looking stressed, the entire story unfolds through quick cuts between digital files and windows, which doesn’t create the same sense of action as real movement.
IGN’s Siddhant Adlakha gave the movie a poor rating of 4 out of 10, criticizing it for wasting potentially good concepts. He also found the visual style difficult to follow, with many windows appearing at different focus levels – a problem he felt was even worse in 3D. Adlakha’s review of Mercy states that…
Mercy is a frustratingly flawed film. While aiming for a fun, tech-driven mystery-thriller starring Chris Pratt, it ends up feeling like a sales pitch for artificial intelligence investors. Instead of a thrilling story about the intersection of justice and AI, it traps both Pratt (literally, as he’s tied to a chair) and the audience in a disappointing experience, and it’s unsettling for all the wrong reasons.
In a review for The Hollywood Reporter, Frank Scheck describes the film Mercy as tedious, comparing it to watching 90 minutes of security camera footage, especially since Chris Pratt spends most of the movie restrained. He notes that a car chase provides a much-needed burst of excitement, and viewers might feel the need to disconnect from screens afterward. Scheck adds that Pratt’s performance is limited by the constraints of his character’s situation.
Chris Pratt shines in action-packed roles like Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy, but relies heavily on his physical presence. In this film, where he’s mostly still and can’t use his usual comedic timing, his performance highlights his limited range. Naomie Harris, on the other hand, delivers a stronger performance, particularly as her character begins to show vulnerability beneath her logical exterior.
Despite its flaws, the new action movie Mercy is getting some positive attention. In a review for Slant, Eli Friedberg gave it 2.5 out of 4 stars, praising its exploration of important themes like privacy, the role of police, and artificial intelligence. Friedberg also notes the film effectively captures the uneasy feeling of endlessly scrolling through bad news. He suggests:
While investigating a complex mystery, Raven navigates a massive amount of data, raising concerns about the sheer volume of personal information available to those who seek it. The film also explores the limitations of data itself – what it can’t reveal and how incomplete information can be misleading. Though not perfect, it’s a thrilling and visually striking movie that captures our current obsession with technology, databases, and chatbots. It’s best experienced in a theater while you can.
Most critics haven’t been impressed with the sci-fi thriller, giving it a low 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But if the story sounds interesting, or you’re a fan of Chris Pratt, you can see Mercy in theaters starting January 23rd. And be sure to look out for a fun cameo from Parks and Recreation!
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2026-01-23 01:39