Chris Pratt Faces AI Justice in Gritty New Sci-Fi Thriller

Chris Pratt’s latest cinematic outing, Mercy, sees him stepping into the shoes of Chris Raven, a detective ensnared in a race against time. Accused of his wife’s murder, Raven is given a mere hour and a half to convince an artificial intelligence judge of his innocence, with the spectre of capital punishment looming large. The premise alone is enough to set nerves jangling, but it’s not just Raven who finds himself at odds with technology—Pratt himself admits the experience was a proper challenge.

“It was definitely a challenge, and something I hadn't done before,” Pratt confides. The film, helmed by Timur Bekmambetov, a director with a penchant for screenlife storytelling, thrusts all evidence and witness accounts into the digital ether of Los Angeles’ so-called ‘municipal cloud’. Every resident is obliged to upload their devices, and the entire trial unfolds on a screen before Raven’s eyes.

Locked In and Under Scrutiny

Throughout the proceedings, Judge Maddox—portrayed by Rebecca Ferguson—presides over the case, while Raven remains physically restrained. Shackled at both wrists and ankles, he’s confined to a chair for the duration. Pratt reflects on the physical demands:

“It was a big challenge. But then restricting yourself by having your hands and feet locked and being stuck in a chair all day, it was a challenge,”

he says.

“I asked them to actually lock it so I could wrestle against it. And also, you know, if I was sweating and it was itching my face, I couldn't scratch it. I thought those restrictions might lend themselves to a better performance.”

Such constraints, both digital and physical, lend the film a claustrophobic intensity. The tension is palpable as Raven battles not only the clock but the cold logic of an algorithmic arbiter, with every move scrutinised and every word recorded.

Mercy’s Reception and Release

Despite the high-concept premise and star power, Mercy has not exactly set the critical world alight. The film has garnered one of Pratt’s lowest Rotten Tomatoes scores in over a decade, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by fans and industry watchers alike. Whether it’s the unrelenting focus on technology or the unorthodox narrative structure, audiences seem split on whether Mercy delivers on its promise.

Mercy is set to arrive in UK cinemas on 23 January. For those keen on what’s next in the world of science fiction, it’s certainly one to keep an eye on—if only to see how far the genre can push the boundaries of both storytelling and audience patience.