Film Review: Mercy (2026): A Crackerjack Thriller Set in an A.I. Controlled L.A. That Will Hold the Viewer’s Interest
Mercy Review
Mercy (2026) Film Review, a movie directed by Timur Bekmambetov, written by Marco van Belle and starring Chris Pratt, Rebecca Ferguson, Kali Reis, Annabelle Wallis, Chris Sullivan, Kylie Rogers, Jeff Pierre, Rafi Gavron, Kenneth Choi, Jamie McBride, Ross Gosla, Mark Daneri, Haydn Dalton, Noah Fearnley, Konstantin Podprugin, Philicia Saunders and Jay Jackson.
Filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov’s daring science-fiction film, Mercy, is an action-packed look at Artificial Intelligence and how it could, potentially, change our justice system in both good ways and bad. This new picture stars Chris Pratt as Chris Raven, a man accused of murdering his wife, Nicole (Annabelle Wallis). In the futuristic L.A. the movie pictures, a convicted murderer can be executed within hours of committing a crime, if proven guilty. As the A.I. Judge Maddox, Rebecca Ferguson has fun with her serious and pivotal role in the action here. Maddox is determined to give Chris every possible opportunity to clear his name in a mere 90-minutes. This is a nail-biting thriller that uses modern day technology and enhances it for a story that is certainly involving even if there are holes in the plot that are big enough to drive a truck through.
Serving as Chris Raven’s daughter, Britt, is Kylie Rogers. Britt cuts off communication with Chris after news of Britt’s mom’s death arises. However, when given a phone call by the Judge, Chris is able to communicate with Britt briefly and he tries to convince her that he’s not guilty. Of course, Chris probably isn’t guilty. This film’s presentation of its premise is what makes it so enjoyable. Pratt’s character is mostly sitting in a chair for the whole movie awaiting his probable execution as he tries to clear his name. This film opens windows of surveillance footage and real-time character interactions as Chris desperately tries to clear his name against the backdrop of a ticking clock.
There are several supporting characters who become immersed in the suspense. Chris’s wife was cheating on him with a man, Patrick (Jeff Pierre), who appears to potentially be the real murderer. However, if it were as simple as that, there would be no movie. Kali Reis plays a colleague of Chris (who is a cop) named JAQ. Reis is super in her role within the film as we don’t know which way she’ll turn to help Chris who is already on the verge of being executed. Chris Sullivan plays Rob, a friend of Chris’s who seems to have a history that is slowly revealed and could potentially tie him into Chris’s wife’s murder.
This movie definitely feels, at times, like it has the ambition of Kathryn Bigelow’s fantastic, Strange Days. Unfortunately, the movie sells itself short towards the end as it turns from a clever futuristic thriller into something more routine that is in the vein of a basic cop story. However, Mercy is hugely entertaining with plenty of twists that are unveiled one at a time with some of them making more sense than others.
As the A.I. Judge, Rebecca Ferguson is top-notch. Ferguson plays the character as strait-laced and by the book, but she seems to grow a heart and a conscience as the movie progresses. She forms a bond with Chris that makes her want to help him even though she’s basically been programed to be a simple (or complex, rather) computer. This complexity drives the plot and keeps it interesting. Chris Pratt is solid, as always, as the cop accused of murder and Chris is likable enough to keep the viewing watching and rooting for him from opening to close.
Mercy is also playing in 3-D. I saw it in 3-D and enjoyed its visuals immensely. The movie is sort of like Searching, only with a more advanced plot and more thought-provoking story details. Yes, it’s a shame the movie gets bogged down in police movie cliches towards the end, but getting there is certainly an intense ride. Pratt and Ferguson play off each other with the kind of tight precision that gives the movie an edge and makes it nothing short of suspenseful to behold. While not perfect, it’s a thrill ride that will certainly command the viewer’s attention.
There are some great things about Mercy. It takes big risks that pay off in the plot for so much of the film’s running times that it’s easy to expect a more complicated conclusion to all of it. Though the ending has a very big twist, it comes at the cost of plausibility. Still, Mercy is a tense ride with some chase scenes that will captivate and provoke thought. What if you had an hour and a half to live, but had that amount of time and the latest technology to effectively clear your name if you used the said technology at your disposal accordingly? That’s the question at the essence of Mercy and its one that will keep you talking even after the movie reaches its somewhat mediocre conclusion. Pratt and Ferguson (in A.I. mode) are a cinematic dream team and make Mercy worth seeing.
Rating: 7/10
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