Name: Mercy
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Author: marco van belle
Mould: Chris Pratt, Rebecca Ferguson, Kali Rees, Annabelle Wallis, Chris Sullivan, Kylie Rogers
Style: Science Fiction, Action, Thriller
Rating: 2.5/5
plot
Set in 2029, Chris Raven is an LAPD police officer who wakes up in an electric chair about to be executed and learns that he has only 90 minutes to defend himself against his wife’s murder. It is not so easy to watch a case follow every step of an AI-driven judge, who counts down to the last second and finds him guilty until proven otherwise.
The clock ticking in the background for Chris to save himself coincides with time going on in the real world while the audience is watching the film. With each passing second, it becomes better to immerse yourself in the story, while also being aware of the anxiety that comes with the ticking clock. AI-heavy moments are rare in the film, but there is a moment where Mercy Court Judge Maddox speaks at length about the characteristics of a substance during an ongoing inspection, not giving much thought to the seriousness of the matter and instead going on a descriptive rant. It shows artificial intelligence in its prime for a brief, hilarious moment.
What doesn’t work for kindness
Without giving away any spoilers, it’s safe to say that the twist and culprit finally revealed is jaw-dropping. After digging through his own daughter’s secret social media accounts for dozens of minutes and hijacking every CCTV camera there, power outages and Wi-Fi connectivity issues come to a halt, stalling the investigation into the case. As a viewer it’s almost counterintuitive to see the limits of progress and yet be expected to believe in it.
After 100 minutes of watching a movie talking about AI versus human jurisdiction, you’ll never want to be left with the words, “Human or AI, we all make mistakes.” An apparent attempt to stop the AI-leaning world, coming from the same person who led the project in the film, feels very snobbish and cheesy. It’s like throwing a bucket of water on your head, causing all the immersion of the scene to flood your mind.
acting performance at mercy
Chris Pratt manages to deliver a believable acting performance for the most part, with his expressions limited to irritation and sadness. Rebecca Ferguson, meanwhile, is the film’s biggest letdown, with neither her human nor AI portrayal acceptable as she appears stuck in a limbo, showing more emotion than necessary and interrupting when not needed.
Marcy and Chris Pratt, in particular, try hard to make it worthwhile, but there’s only so much face-acting one can do.
final verdict for mercy
There isn’t much to defend Mercy’s case, with its own ideas piling up by the end of the film. With a rushed race and no casualties, there’s no big message by the end of it. For a viewing, we recommend that you approach it with an open mind to avoid disappointment.
