The science-fiction film Mercy, starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson, has recently moved to the PVOD market following an unceremonious theatrical run. Despite a strong audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie proved to be a significant box office disappointment, failing to recoup its reported $60 million budget. This underperformance led to its swift departure from theaters after grossing just over $50 million globally, with approximately $24 million from domestic theaters. In its trajectory, Mercy has now surpassed another high-profile sci-fi misfire, a film that stands as a rare commercial and critical setback associated with director Christopher Nolan.

Mercy faced a challenging debut, opening to poor reviews and an underwhelming $11 million in its initial weekend. Despite featuring two actors, Pratt and Ferguson, known for their roles in successful sci-fi blockbusters, the film struggled to attract audiences. Critics were particularly harsh, with Rotten Tomatoes assigning it a 24% score and a consensus describing it as, "Constricting its two stars inside an airless presentation of a clunky techno-thriller premise, Mercy is tedious enough to make you cry uncle." Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and written by Marco van Belle, Mercy also features producers Charles Roven, Majd Nassif, Robert Amidon, and Bekmambetov himself, with a runtime of 100 minutes.

The AI-themed sci-fi disaster that Mercy has now overtaken at the box office is Transcendence. This film boasted an ensemble cast led by Johnny Depp, alongside Kate Mara, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Paul Bettany, and Rebecca Hall. Transcendence marked the directorial debut of Wally Pfister, acclaimed for his long-standing collaboration as Christopher Nolan's cinematographer. Nolan and his wife, Emma Thomas, were also involved as executive producers.

Released with a substantial reported budget of $150 million, Transcendence was a major disappointment, earning only $23 million domestically and $103 million worldwide. Its critical reception was similarly poor, reflected in a 19% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics' consensus highlighted that while Pfister remained a distinctive visual stylist, "Transcendence's thought-provoking themes exceed the movie's narrative grasp." The film's commercial and critical failure had lasting repercussions, as Pfister has not directed another movie since, nor has he resumed his role as cinematographer for Nolan. For those interested, Mercy is currently available for home viewing.