(Pacer Story by Brandon Mochrie / Pacer Graphic by Dylan Sulcer )
‘Mercy’, released on Jan. 23, 2026, and directed by Timur Bekmambetov, is set in the near future of 2029 in a world where artificial intelligence has taken over part of the justice system.
The film is built around the idea that capital crimes – crimes in which the defendant is typically charged with murder or is at least facing the death penalty – are processed by an advanced AI system that acts as judge, jury and executioner. The concept is interesting enough when taking into account the increasing prevalence of AI in areas from education to medicine and even branching into art.
In this movie, Chris Raven (Chris Pratt) is on trial for the murder of his wife by the AI judge he created . He has access to every electronic record in the city of Los Angeles. Every video, photo and record taken on any device connected to the cloud is accessible to Raven.
Given the widespread use of AI in today’s society, the film had an interesting and relevant topic. The constant plot twists were thoroughly engaging for the majority of the 100 minute runtime and the runtime worked very well alongside Raven’s 90 minute trial time. While it wasn’t a one-to-one of time passing, it was very close. The ticking clock on the trial was another concept that was so engaging.
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
The ending was especially meaningful, as it revealed how the first case that the AI court handled ended with the sentencing and execution of a man who was innocent. This was due to the actions of a human police officer who wanted to ensure the success and continued use of the AI judge. The irony in the scene was heavy as well, seeing as the person who had become the main antagonist was now a victim of corruption and a system that put AI first.
All this being said, the movie was not faultless. It unfortunately suffered the same issues that any crime or mystery story can suffer. The antagonist tie in was nice, but having it be the best friend could definitely be seen as predictable by the more sleuth-like audience members.
Overall, it was a great movie with an engaging plot and constant surprises that just kept coming, each more shocking than the last. It was an enjoyable theater experience that offers a potential look into the future with the ever expansive use of artificial intelligence.
Grade: 7/10
