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In Mercy, Chris Pratt has just 90 minutes to prove he did not murder his wife. There are no lawyers, no jury and no chance to appeal—only an artificial intelligence judge with access to seemingly every database in existence.

The science-fiction thriller places Pratt’s character, Chris Raven, inside a “Mercy Court” in a near-future justice system. His case unfolds in real time, giving every search and decision a sense of urgency as the deadline approaches.

Rebecca Ferguson delivers one of the film’s strongest performances as Maddox, the AI-powered judge overseeing Raven’s case. Maddox relies on facts and data, but the evidence increasingly tests whether those tools alone can reveal the truth. As emotional context becomes more important, the film asks whether an artificial judge can understand concepts as human as justice and mercy.

The story initially makes Raven appear almost certainly guilty. Evidence that seems damning early in the film takes on new meaning as more details emerge, and effective misdirection keeps the case from becoming too predictable. The reversals sustain the suspense even when the plot appears to be moving toward an obvious conclusion.

That premise also feels timely amid current concerns about AI, surveillance and digital privacy. Constant video calls and widespread access to personal data make the film’s dystopian world seem uncomfortably plausible. Although much of the action occurs in one location, brisk pacing and a steady supply of twists prevent the setting from feeling static.

The film does not develop every idea equally well. Several pieces of backstory receive too little explanation, including the major murder case that led to the Mercy system’s adoption. Those gaps leave parts of the narrative feeling hurried and occasionally confusing, as if the movie is balancing more concepts than it can fully explore.

Its vision of a corrupt justice system in a dystopian future is also familiar territory. Still, committed performances and solid writing give the material enough energy to remain entertaining.

Mercy ultimately works as a tense, modern thriller with provocative questions about technology and judgment. More attention to its backstory could have made its themes more powerful, but the film remains an engaging and thought-provoking watch.