Mercy – REVIEW

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What is Mercy?

I was really intrigued when I first heard about Mercy – it’s this new AI system they’re testing out in the courts. Instead of a jury, everything is decided by an AI judge, and the whole hearing is supposed to be done in just 90 minutes! The defendant gets that time to prove their innocence, facing a system that calculates a guilt percentage. Detective Chris Raven was a big supporter of it, believing it would make things faster and more efficient… until he became the accused, facing a murder charge in the death of his wife. It’s a total twist!

The story of Mercy…

The film is a dramatic, mostly two-person story where the protagonist uses a special system called ‘Mercy’ to access information and prove he didn’t commit murder. However, if he fails to convince everyone in time, he’ll be executed. The story unfolds in real-time as he investigates his wife’s death, aided by his former detective partner, Kali Reis, who has doubts about his innocence but agrees to help. It’s a frantic race against the clock to clear his name – assuming he’s actually innocent.

That cast…..

Following his roles in the Jurassic World films, the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, and several large-scale Netflix action movies, Chris Pratt continues to star in action-packed roles. He plays the heroic lead opposite Rebecca Ferguson, who delivers a reliably strong performance as Judge Maddox, an AI character who could have easily been portrayed by someone like Amanda Holden with a similarly detached and emotionless demeanor.

That director…..

Despite being largely set in one large, heavily CGI-filled room as the protagonist attempts to clear his name, the film builds to a typical, large-scale action sequence. This is because it’s directed by Timur Bekmambetov, known for visually interesting films like ‘Daywatch’ and ‘Nightwatch’, the action blockbuster ‘Wanted’, the quirky ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’, and the unsuccessful remake of ‘Ben Hur’. For ‘Mercy’, Bekmambetov has toned down the over-the-top action, and the final scene feels reminiscent of the opening of ‘Beverly Hills Cop’, but with a much larger budget and the advantages of modern visual effects. It’s a fast-paced and entertaining film, though the 3D isn’t really needed, and things move so quickly that the plot’s weaknesses are glossed over. Considering January is often filled with forgettable movies, ‘Mercy’ is a welcome and enjoyable piece of lighthearted fun.

Here’s the Mercy trailer….

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2026-01-21 20:23