Mercy (2026)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A detective accused of murdering his wife must prove his innocence to an artificial intelligence judge within a 90-minute window.
The story
In 2029 Los Angeles, the Mercy Capital Court utilizes artificial intelligence judges to try defendants for violent offenses. Detective Christopher "Chris" Raven is apprehended and placed on trial for the murder of his wife, Nicole. He is granted 90 minutes to provide evidence to the AI Judge Maddox to lower his guilt probability. To succeed, Chris must navigate a high-stakes trial where the court's data is pulled from a municipal cloud. With a ticking clock and a literal execution device ready, Chris must find a way to prove his innocence before the timer expires and the AI determines his fate.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2029 Los Angeles, the Mercy Capital Court uses AI judges to try violent crimes. Detective Chris Raven is put on trial for his wife Nicole's murder. He has 90 minutes to lower his guilt score from 97.5% to 80% to avoid execution. During the trial, Chris discovers Nicole was seeing another man, Patrick Burke, and learns of a conspiracy involving missing chemicals. He identifies Rob Nelson, his AA sponsor, as a primary suspect. While Chris's partner, Jaq, investigates Rob's location, Chris discovers Rob is a radical seeking revenge against the court. Rob kidnaps Chris's daughter, Britt, and attempts to destroy the Mercy Court building. After a series of explosions and a chase, Jaq and Chris are separated. Rob crashes into the building, causing a system reset that allows the AI to release Chris. In the final confrontation, Chris and the AI distract Rob while Jaq eventually shoots him. It is revealed that Jaq had previously tampered with evidence to ensure a previous conviction. The trial is dismissed, and Chris is reunited with Britt.
- First release year
- 2026
- Runtime (minutes)
- 99
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Timur Bekmambetov
- Writers
- Marco van Belle · writer
- Cast and characters
- Chris Pratt · Det. Christopher "Chris" Raven; Rebecca Ferguson · Judge Maddox; Kali Reis · Jacqueline "Jaq" Diallo; Annabelle Wallis · Nicole Raven; Chris Sullivan · Robert "Rob" Nelson; Kylie Rogers · Britt Raven; Kenneth Choi · Ray Vale; Rafi Gavron · Holt Charles
- Genres
- science fiction; thriller
- Themes
- artificial intelligence; justice; surveillance
- Tone and mood
- tense; dystopian
- Setting
- Los Angeles, 2029
- Premise and plot tags
- legal thriller; police procedural; science fiction
- Reception
- The film received generally unfavorable reviews from critics, with some praising its visual dynamism and tense atmosphere while others criticized its writing and lack of depth regarding its themes.
- Production trivia
- It was the first IMAX film to be released via the Screen Unseen and Monday Mystery Movie programs.; The film was originally scheduled for release on August 15, 2025.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…