Mercy is a 2026 American science fiction thriller film written by Marco van Belle, directed by Timur
Bekmambetov, and starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson. The plot involves a detective (Pratt), who is accused
of murdering his wife, and must prove his innocence to an artificial intelligence judge (Ferguson). The film also
stars Kali Reis, Annabelle Wallis, Chris Sullivan, and Kylie Rogers. Mercy was released in the United States by Amazon MGM Studios and internationally by Sony Pictures
Releasing International on January 23, 2026.
In 2029 Los Angeles, the Mercy Capital Court responds to a surge in crime by using
artificial intelligence (AI) judges to try defendants for violent offenses. To
assemble evidence, all devices are also registered to the municipal cloud to
allow the AI judge to pass judgement. The AI judge also gives the defendants
all available resources to find and provide all the evidence needed to prove
their innocence in 90 minutes, or be executed via a sonic blast.
Los Angeles Police Department Detective Christopher
"Chris" Raven, a strong proponent of the court, is strapped to a
chair, put on trial for his wife Nicole's murder, and is given 90 minutes to
persuade the AI judge of his innocence. Presiding over his case is the AI Judge
Maddox. All the evidence points to Chris having killed his wife, as her blood
was found on his clothing and doorbell camera footage places him at their home
shortly before her murder. Chris's guilt probability is 97.5%, which qualifies
him for execution unless his evidence lowers it to 92% for reasonable doubt and
80% for a Mercy Trial. Since AIs are not allowed to take a human life, the
chair is set on a 90 minute timer not controlled by the AI, and it is the
defendant’s responsibility to lower their score and this allows the AI to
unlock the chair before the timer runs out.
Via Maddox's unrestricted
access and abilities, Chris learns that Nicole was seeing another man, Patrick
Burke. Chris's partner Jacqueline "Jaq" Diallo finds Patrick who
confides that Nicole felt unable to communicate her troubles to Chris about
work. Her work email records show reports of missing chemicals. Recalling
hosting a work barbecue with Nicole, Chris reviews footage to better identify
her co-workers.
While looking for evidence,
Chris confronts his relapse in sobriety following the murder of his former
partner, Ray Vale, and regrets not shooting the suspect who was later
acquitted. Relapsing into alcoholism led to Chris's aggression toward Nicole,
and she began to consider a divorce.
Maddox shows Chris records
of one co-worker, Holt Charles, who had financial issues and had discussed the
chemical disappearance with Robert "Rob" Nelson, Chris's sobriety
sponsor. Suspecting Holt may have killed Nicole, Chris tries to contact Rob.
Holt instead answers the phone and he explains that Rob is responsible for the
missing chemicals. Chris reviews his daughter Britt's social media posts, which
reveal that a stranger had been hiding in their basement since the barbecue.
His neighbor's security cameras display a rustling in the bushes, and Rob is
seen exiting the neighbor's trunk in parking lot surveillance footage.
Chris sends Jaq to Rob's
house, warning her and her team that he might be armed. The SWAT team arrive at Rob's house,
finding it empty, but uncover detailed plans in the shed to craft a bomb.
Maddox discovers that Rob's brother, David Webb, who was separated from him
after Rob was adopted and given a new name, was the first person Mercy Court
executed for murder. Chris realizes that Rob is orchestrating revenge against
him and the Court. Chris is officially acquitted for the murder, but refuses to
end the trial to exploit Maddox's unrestricted access. He tries to contact
Britt, but footage from her grandparents' front door shows Rob kidnapping her
and taking her into a stolen semi-truck. A bomb goes off in the shed killing
most of the SWAT team.
Jaq pursues Rob, who is
transporting explosives toward Mercy Court to destroy the building with Chris
inside. The police divert Rob away from Mercy Court, and Jaq, assuming command,
orders the task force to blow up the truck. Chris pleads with Jaq but she
refuses to yield to him. The bomb fails to detonate and Jaq attempts to shoot
Rob directly. Rob arrives at Mercy Court, crashing into the building and
causing a network glitch that requires a system reset. Maddox reboots in time
to release Chris from the chair before the trial ends with his execution.
Chris confronts Rob, working
with Maddox to distract Rob by having Mercy Court reopen David Webb’s case and
demanding Rob to submit his new evidence immediately. Chris then disarms Rob as
he speaks and wants to kill him, but is talked down by Britt. Jaq arrives and
shoots Rob. Rob provides new evidence that he was on the phone with David when
the murder took place, but the police would not listen. Maddox confirms the
call's timing and location which placed the phone away from the crime scene.
Then Maddox retrieved footage that showed Jaq retrieving that phone from David,
removing it from evidence, and dumping it in the river. Jaq explains she wanted
to ensure that David was found guilty in the first judgement issued by an AI
court to prove the system worked. Jaq and Rob are both taken into custody while
Britt reconciles with Chris, whose case is formally dismissed. Maddox and Chris
admit mistakes were made by humans and AI and they must learn from their
mistakes.
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