“Mercy” is directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Profile, Wanted) and stars Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galxy, Jurassic World), Rebecca Ferguson (Reminiscence, Dune), Kali Reis (True Detective: Night Country, Catch the Fair One), Annabelle Wallis (Annabelle, Peaky Blinders), Chris Sullivan (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, This is Us), and Kylie Rogers (The Whispers, Home Before Dark). This film is set in the near future and follows LAPD Detective Chris Raven, who is put on trial for his wife’s murder. Tied to a chair with no escape, Raven has 90 minutes to prove to an A.I. judge that he is innocent. If he cannot prove himself in time, Raven will face execution.

January… It’s cold. It’s uneventful. And the newly released movies sometimes have you begging for mercy. Interestingly enough, one of the films that released last month just so happens to be called “Mercy.” I saw the trailer one time in IMAX, and I wanted my two minutes back. I am sad to say that, because it stars people I like, including Rebecca Ferguson as an A.I. judge. Leading the charge is Chris Pratt, an actor I also like, depending on what he does. He can be charismatic, but not every role of his has the personality of Star Lord.

That said, this film, from the trailer, looked incredibly lazy. Most of it is set in one location, where we see Chris Pratt’s character strapped to a chair, trying to convince an A.I. judge that he is innocent. The whole idea feels like a slightly more ambitious variant of Prime Video’s “War of the Worlds,” which mostly features Ice Cube staring at a screen. I have also heard some comparisons to “Minority Report,” but this did not look like Spielberg to me…

I ended up seeing “Mercy” in a Dolby Cinema at my local AMC. For those who have never gone to a Dolby Cinema, I believe it is the most immersive non-IMAX way to watch a movie, and you should absolutely check it out.  But I would strongly recommend not wasting money on Mercy regardless of the format. This even applies for a standard matinee or bargain Tuesday price. If there is a movie that is worse than “Mercy” that comes out this year, then I might as well organize a funeral for the concept of imagination.

“Mercy” is unimaginative. Not necessarily because it takes elements from superior films like “Minority Report” and “Searching,” though that notion does play a factor. But as I watched “Mercy,” I felt the same way about it that I felt about “Smurfs” last year, which is that this probably should have gone to streaming. The very idea of this movie sounds exactly like something that was intended for Prime Video, after all it is from Amazon. But I guess someone, somewhere, had just enough faith in the project to put it in cinemas. Then again, it is January, where the collective faith in cinema is about as tiny as the chance of playing through Cuphead for the first time and not dying once.

Another reason why this film felt like straight to streaming slop was because of the dialogue. While the dialogue may not be the worst I have ever heard, there would be a line almost every other minute that seems to be designed for people watching movies and using another device at the same time. You ever watched a movie where a character says something out loud that they probably would more likely be saying in their head? “Mercy” has a couple of those moments.

Also like “Smurfs,” if there happened to be any reason why “Mercy” was put in theaters in the first place, it is probably because of the actors. Not everyone in this film is super well-known, but Chris Pratt has starred in several billion dollar movies. Rebecca Ferguson has made a name for herself in the “Mission: Impossible” and “Dune” franchises. Putting these two box office stars in the same project seems like a winning combo. Then unfortunately, the movie happened.

I am not going to pretend that Chris Pratt is the best actor working today, but every once in a while he can be charming, like in “The LEGO Movie” or “Guardians of the Galaxy.” That said, as this movie started, I was actually surprised by how much Pratt’s character, Chris Raven, captivated me with his performance. His character did not want to be in his current situation and Pratt did an excellent job at capturing that. Sadly, the best moments of his performance are towards the beginning of the film, but I would not say that is entirely his fault. The more I think about it, one could argue the middle of the film, where we dive deeper into the character’s alcoholic tendencies, also makes for some meaty material, but still. This is not Pratt’s best work. Yet I would not say that this movie was capable of delivering his best work. His work here is perhaps as good as the script allows, considering how most of his performance is just sitting in a chair. It is not as physical or action-packed as some of his other movies.

Starring alongside Chris Pratt is Rebecca Ferguson as an A.I. judge named Maddox. This may be controversial, but I do believe actors are capable of giving performances where it does not sound like they are trying. Ferguson in this case, believe it or not, does sound like she is trying her best with her given character. That said, as I watched this character, it felt like someone, or arguably something, that any actor could play. I am not saying that an A.I. should play this character. But based on what I could only assume is the direction of her performance, Ferguson often comes off as flat. Perhaps that is the point. Robots naturally do not sound as lively or expressive as people. In fact, this movie establishes the judge’s inability to feel or emote. If my review for “Bugonia” suggests anything, I can understand the film’s intent while also finding myself incapable of appreciating it. That said, this film lacks personality, kind of like Ferguson’s character. It is not to say the film did not make me feel anything. After all, it did make me sleepy. So, there’s that.

There are some movies that sound engaging on paper or in a pitch meeting. The more I think about the behind the scenes stories of “Mercy,” the more I imagine this film sounding incredible as a pitch, especially in this modern era. There is a common belief that most audiences want fast-paced content that can be told in as little time as possible. Personally, I do not care what the runtime of a movie is as long as every essential bit of the story can be effectively told in said runtime. “Mercy” is a film that likely delivers a solid first impression when being explained in a meeting or over dinner at a restaurant. Yet the movie itself, for whatever reason, comes off as lazy and uninspired. To further my point, this is a film that is honestly at its best when it begins. We see Raven extremely afraid of his current situation and what’s to come, but with each new point that is introduced, the film becomes increasingly convoluted and dull. It was difficult for me to care about the people connected to Raven in his life. By the time the film gets to the climax, I could not feel the stakes or emotions no matter how hard the movie tries give me those things. I do feel one thing though, and that is regret. Specifically, the regret that I wasted my time on this so-called movie, and I literally could have been doing anything else at 4 o’clock on a Saturday afternoon.

In the end, do not waste your time with “Mercy.” This is a movie that is about as engaging and riveting as court itself. Not very. It disappoints me that this film is so bad, because again, this movie reminded me of “Searching,” which is part of the screenlife style of filmmaking. I like that movie. This film’s director, Timur Bekmambetov, happened to produce that movie. In fact, that is not his sole screenlife credit, as he directed “Profile,” which I reviewed years back and gave a positive score. If you were to ask me what happened in “Mercy” a couple years from now, who knows, I might struggle a bit. However, if you were to ask me how the movie made me feel, I would say “bored,” “tired,” and “frustrated.” “Mercy” is one of the worst movies I have seen in some time, and I am going to give it a 2/10.

“Mercy” is now playing in theaters everywhere. Tickets are available now!

Thanks for reading this review! Next week is the 8th Annual Jack Awards! It is the latest edition of Scene Before’s yearly celebration of cinema, where this time, we pay tribute to the movies of 2025. There will be awards, comedy bits, and more! Stay tuned! And if you want to play a role in this year’s show, CLICK THIS LINK TO VOTE FOR BEST PICTURE! The list is mostly based on my top 10 BEST movies of 2025. Your favorite movie cannot win if you do not vote! If you want to see this and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Mercy?” What did you think about it? Or, what is the worst movie you watched in recent memory? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!