While you’re catching up on Oscar fare, there’s also a brand-new movie entering the conversation
That would be Mercy, a near-future crime thriller directed by Timur Bekmambetov, a filmmaker who has practically cornered the market on “screenlife” movies, which are films that unfold through surveillance footage, video calls, and digital interfaces. Think Searching, Missing, and the Unfriended films. This time, Bekmambetov steps behind the camera himself.
The premise is provocative: it’s 2029 in Los Angeles, and an experimental justice system uses artificial intelligence to determine guilt. If the A.I. judge says you’re more than 92 percent likely to be guilty of murder, you get 90 minutes to prove otherwise, or you’re executed on the spot.
Chris Pratt stars as Detective Chris Raven, a cop who once supported the system and now wakes up strapped to a chair, accused of killing his wife. His judge? A calm, omnipresent A.I. avatar played by Rebecca Ferguson, who gives him access to evidence, files, and footage — all floating around him as the clock ticks down.
It’s a clever setup. Mercy moves fast enough to keep you watching. But the movie never quite decides what it wants to say. Is A.I. justice a terrifying dystopia? A useful tool gone wrong? Or just a flashy plot device to push us from one twist to the next?
If you’re looking for a fast, slightly chaotic watch between awards contenders, Mercy might scratch that itch.
Just don’t let it distract you from finishing your Oscar homework.
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