Mercy (2026) Movie Review: A High-Concept Sci-Fi Thriller That Loses Its Moral Compass

What if justice had a timer — and mercy was decided by an algorithm? That’s the chilling hook behind Mercy, a futuristic action thriller that arrived in theaters on January 23, 2026, via Amazon MGM Studios. On paper, it sounds electric: AI judges, 90-minute trials, instant execution. In practice? Mercy struggles to fully justify its own existence.

Despite a star-studded cast led by Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson, the film has landed with a thud among critics — currently sitting at 21% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.2/10 on IMDb. And unfortunately, those numbers tell a pretty honest story.

The Premise: Justice at the Speed of Death

Set in a near-future Los Angeles drowning in violent crime, Mercy introduces the Mercy Capital Court — a system where AI judges determine guilt using probability models. Defendants accused of violent crimes have 90 minutes to prove their innocence, or they are executed via a sonic blast.

No appeals.

No delays.Just data… and death.

When LAPD detective Chris Raven becomes the accused — charged with the murder of his wife — the system he once supported turns against him. His guilt probability? 97.5%. His survival threshold? 92%.

From there, the film races against the clock — literally.

A Story With Big Ideas… and Bigger Problems

The film deserves credit for ambition. Themes of algorithmic justice, confirmation bias, surveillance culture, and institutional corruption are baked into the narrative. The problem is execution — and not the sonic kind.

What Works

• The concept is genuinely strong and timely

• The ticking-clock structure creates surface-level tension

• A morally unsettling idea: What if the system refuses to admit it’s wrong?

What Doesn’t

• The script rarely slows down enough to explore its themes

• Emotional beats feel rushed and mechanical

• Moral revelations arrive too late to hit hard

The film keeps telling us the system is flawed instead of letting us feel the consequences.

Performances: Trying to Outrun the Script

Chris Pratt as Chris Raven

Pratt delivers a serviceable performance — intense, frantic, and physically committed. But the role demands psychological depth the screenplay doesn’t fully provide. His internal struggle with guilt, addiction, and grief feels compressed rather than explored.

Rebecca Ferguson & Supporting Cast

Rebecca Ferguson does what she can with limited screen time, while Kali Reis, Annabelle Wallis, Chris Sullivan, and Kylie Rogers fill their roles competently. Still, most characters function more as plot devices than fully realized people.

The standout, oddly enough, is the AI Judge Maddox — whose cold logic becomes more emotionally compelling than many human characters.

Direction & Technical Craft

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, Mercy has flashes of visual flair. The sterile courtrooms, harsh lighting, and omnipresent screens effectively sell the idea of a system obsessed with control.

The score by Ramin Djawadi adds urgency, but it often does the emotional heavy lifting the script avoids.

At 100 minutes, the film moves fast — sometimes too fast. Key revelations feel rushed, and twists that should be devastating come and go with little time to breathe.

The Third Act: Where Mercy Finally Shows… Too Late

The film’s final act introduces its strongest moral turn — exposing how evidence was buried to preserve faith in the Mercy system. It’s the kind of revelation that should redefine the entire story.

Instead, it feels like a footnote.

By the time Mercy fully commits to questioning AI-driven justice, the credits are already approaching. The ending resolves the plot, but not the philosophical weight it promised.

Critical Reception: Why It Didn’t Land

Critics largely agree on the core issues:

• Strong premise, weak execution

• Too focused on action, not enough on consequence

• Missed opportunity for meaningful sci-fi commentary

With a $60 million budget and only $23 million at the box office, Mercy clearly failed to connect beyond surface-level thrills.

Final Verdict: Is Mercy Worth Watching?

Yes — but only if your expectations are realistic.

Mercy isn’t a great sci-fi thriller. It’s an interesting one that never fully becomes what it wants to be. If you’re drawn to high-concept premises, AI ethics, and near-future dystopias, you may still find value here.

Just don’t expect the film to interrogate its ideas as deeply as it should.

⭐ Final Rating: 2.5 / 5

Mercy asks the right questions — it just doesn’t stay long enough to hear the answers.