MERCY
(director: Timur Bekmambetov; screenwriter: Marce van Belle; cinematographer: Khalid Mohtaseb; editors: Lam T. Nguyen, Austin Keeling, Dody Dorn; music: Ramin Djawadi; cast: Chris Pratt (Chris Raven), Rebecca Ferguson (Judge Maddox), Kali Reis (Jacqueline ‘Jaq’ Diallo), Annabelle Wallis (Nicole), Chris Sullivan (Rob Nelson), Kylie Rogers (Britt), Jeff Pierre (Patrick Burke), Rafi Gavron (Charles Holt), Kenneth Choi (Ray Vale), Jamie McBride (Dan Vogel), Ross Gosia (David Webb); Runtime: 100; MPAA Rating: PG-13; producers: Charles Roven, Timur Bekmambetov, Robert Amidon, Majd Nassif; Atlas Entertainment/Amazon MGM Studios; 2026)
“The techie production values are good, but the story and the acting are not good.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
Russian filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov (“Ben-Hur”/”Escape From Hell”) directs this slick and shallow dystopian thriller about facing a so-called flawless judicial system where the accused are guilty until proven innocent. It’s absurdly written as a futuristic sci-fi tale by Marce van Belle that asks so-called probing questions in regard to A.I. and police.
In 2029, the LAPD Detective Chris Raven (Chris Pratt) must prove in 90 minutes to an onscreen A.I. judge (Rebecca Ferguson) he did not kill his wife (Annabelle Wallis) or he will be executed immediately after the trial.
The stylish setting takes place among screens within screens within an IMAX 3D screen, as the digital clock runs down the 90 minutes while the accused is strapped into an electric chair (called a Mercy Chair) as he shouts out in anger at his beastly treatment while the judge calmly smiles.
Since no lawyers are allowed, the accused can push a button and dial-up a defense. He thereby calls on his new detective partner Jaq (Kali Reis) to testify for him onscreen, as his former cop partner (Kenneth Choi) was killed-in-action. Cellphone video also shows Raven with his dead wife and spoiled teenage daughter Britt (Kylie Rogers), and other scenes from the detective’s life become filler-material allowing for some added on length and visuals.
The techie production values are good, but the story and the acting are not good. I felt as if strapped into my seat and forced to watch this nonsense. The mercy was when the film ended.
REVIEWED ON 1/26/2026 GRADE: C-
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