In the near future, a detective (Chris Pratt) stands on trial accused of murdering his wife. He has 90 minutes to prove his innocence to the advanced A.I. Judge (Rebecca Ferguson) he once championed, before it determines his fate.
Posted: February 19, 2026
I’ve been looking forward to checking out Mercy starring Chris Pratt, and I have to say, it delivered a pretty solid experience. It’s not without a few flaws, but overall I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone in the mood for a good sci-fi thriller. That said, the entire time I was watching it, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d seen something very similar before. If you’ve ever watched Minority Report with Tom Cruise, you’ll probably pick up on some familiar themes here too.
Set in a futuristic society where artificial intelligence determines guilt or innocence, the film follows Chris Raven (Pratt), who wakes up strapped into the “Mercy” chair with just 90 minutes to prove he didn’t murder his wife. An AI Judge has already reviewed the evidence, and unless he can change the outcome, he’ll be executed. The twist? He has no memory of committing the crime. Everything points to him being guilty, but he’s convinced he’s been framed and races against the clock to uncover the truth.
The comparisons to Minority Report are hard to ignore. In Mercy, Chris is a police officer who helped develop the very AI system now judging him. In Minority Report, Tom Cruise plays a cop instrumental in building the pre-crime division, only to be accused of a future murder himself. While there are differences in tone and execution, the core premise is strikingly similar: a law enforcement officer must prove his innocence after being accused of a crime he insists he didn’t commit.
If I’m putting the two side by side, Minority Report still comes out on top. It has bigger action sequences, deeper world-building, and a more layered story overall. But that doesn’t mean Mercy falls short. With AI becoming more prominent in real-world conversations, it makes sense that a movie like this would emerge. Mercy taps into that fear of technology having too much control, and it does so in a way that feels relevant, even if the story beats aren’t entirely new.
As for the performances, the cast does a great job across the board. Chris Pratt carries the film well, though I’ll admit I had a slightly hard time buying him as a recovering alcoholic with anger issues. It’s not the typical role we’re used to seeing him in, and his natural charisma makes that darker edge a little harder to fully accept. Fortunately, that aspect doesn’t play a major role, so it’s easy enough to move past.
I also found myself questioning Judge Maddox, the AI judge portrayed by Rebecca Ferguson. Her performance was strong, but there were moments where the character seemed almost too emotional. Subtle facial expressions and near-tearful reactions made it feel like she genuinely cared about Chris’s fate. While that added some dramatic weight, it did blur the line a bit. After all, an AI wouldn’t realistically show human emotion. It’s not a dealbreaker by any means, just something that stood out to me.
I won’t get into any spoilers, but I’ll leave it at this: Mercy is a well-made, engaging sci-fi thriller that, despite borrowing familiar elements, still manages to be entertaining. There are a few things I personally would have tweaked, but overall, I had a good time with it. If you enjoy high-stakes stories about technology, justice, and fighting against the system, it’s definitely worth a watch. And if you liked Minority Report, chances are you’ll enjoy this one too. If you haven’t seen that film yet, I’d recommend adding it to your list as well.
Overall Verdict: If you liked Minority Report, chances are you'll enjoy this one as well. It has enough action and mystery behind it to keep it entertaining and the performance by Pratt is exactly what you'd expect from him.
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