The first reviews for Mercy, starring Rebecca Ferguson and Chris Pratt, have arrived.
The film debuted with a disappointing 33% score on Rotten Tomatoes. While there are only 18 reviews so far, the likelihood of its score greatly inscreasing are slim. Critics noted that despite its star-studded cast, the movie does not do justice to its cautionary tale of AI in legal matters.
Additionally, they shared that the film’s message is problematic due to the depiction of invasive surveillance and policing in light of current events. The acting performances are described as limited and flat, with Ferguson being the only one who received positive adjectives to describe her performance.
If Mercy stays “Rotten,” this will be Pratt’s third-straight “Rotten” film, following The Electric State‘s 14% score and The Garfield Movie‘s 36% score. His last “Fresh” movie was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which had a score of 82%.
For Ferguson, this would be her first “Rotten” film since 2021’s Reminiscence. In between then, Ferguson has starred in the two Dune films, Mission Impossible — The Dead Reckoning, and A House of Dynamite, all certified “Fresh.”
The low Rotten Tomatoes score will certainly be a blow to the film in terms of box office results. ScreenRant notes the film has a chance to dethrone Avatar: Fire and Ash, but will likely fail, as its debut is projected $10 to $13 million.
Mercy follows Pratt as a detective who is put on trial for allegedly killing his wife. He has 90 minutes to convince an AI judge of his innocence, or he will die. The cast also includes Annabelle Wallis, Kylie Rogers, Kali Reis, Chris Sullivan, and Kenneth Choi. Timur Bekmambetov directed the film, while Marco van Belle wrote the script.
Mercy hits theaters on January 23, 2026.
Leave a Comment