The film "Mercy," directed by Timur Bekmambetov and written by Marco van Belle, presents a bold but ultimately flawed premise centered around a countdown clock that dictates much of its narrative. Intended to heighten tension, particularly in a story where a protagonist must prove their innocence within a strict time limit, the clock paradoxically serves as a constant reminder of the movie's duration for the audience. The movie, featuring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson, aims for a high-stakes thriller but falls short, earning a critical rating of one and a half stars out of four.

Set in a near-future Los Angeles, "Mercy" imagines a world where artificial intelligence has been fully integrated into the law enforcement and judicial systems. This AI is designed to streamline the process of combating crime and blight, a potent and thought-provoking concept that could have offered a fascinating exploration of technological progress and its implications. However, the script fails to delve into this potential, leading to a missed opportunity that could have rivaled films like "Minority Report" in its intellectual depth and provocative themes.

The central plot unfolds around Chris Raven (Chris Pratt), an Los Angeles detective who awakens barefoot and restrained in an electric chair within an expansive, holodeck-like room. An IMAX-sized artificial intelligence judge, personified by Rebecca Ferguson's character, informs him that he has precisely 90 minutes to establish his innocence in the murder of his wife, Annabelle Wallis. In this dystopian judicial system, the accused are presumed guilty until proven innocent, with lawyers and juries eliminated entirely. Instead, defendants are granted access to all available digital footprints, from ring cam footage to personal social media accounts, to construct their defense.

Raven faces significant challenges, notably a memory gap covering the crucial period between a heated confrontation with his wife and his subsequent arrest. This personal predicament is further complicated by his past as a vocal proponent of the very AI judge system now condemning him – a narrative thread that a more intricate script might have leveraged for genuine emotional and ethical stakes. Instead, the story frequently devolves into increasingly convoluted plot contrivances, including a recurring subplot about Raven's struggle with alcoholism following the death of a partner.

While "Mercy" maintains ambiguity regarding Raven's guilt throughout, critics suggest it fails to cultivate a genuine investment in the outcome. A particularly puzzling artistic choice is the casting of a real actor, Rebecca Ferguson, to portray the impartial AI judge, Judge Maddox. Rather than exploring the inherent intrigue of an AI creation, the film strips Ferguson of her usual emotional depth and charisma, rendering her performance as tedious as an agonizing customer service call with a robotic voice. This decision undermines the potential for a more thought-provoking portrayal of artificial intelligence in a judicial capacity.

The film's reliance on screens and Chris Pratt's isolated confinement suggests a production perhaps influenced by socially distanced filmmaking constraints, despite being made in 2024. Kali Reis plays Jaq, another LAPD agent who aids Raven from the outside world, investigating leads and hunches. Yet, even her contributions are predominantly depicted through digital interfaces like FaceTime and bodycam footage, mirroring Raven's experience of being largely confined to his chair, acutely aware of the ticking clock. "Mercy," an Amazon MGM release, is rated PG-13 for drug content, bloody images, some strong language, teen smoking, and violence, and has a running time of 101 minutes.