Chris Pratt is in trouble. Not the "I said something weird on Instagram" kind of trouble, but the "an AI judge just sentenced me to death" kind.
Honestly, the timing for Mercy couldn’t be weirder. We are currently living through a period where every other headline is about a new chatbot or an algorithm that can predict your shopping habits. Now, Pratt is handing us a movie that suggests those same algorithms might eventually decide if we deserve to live. It’s a lot to process.
The movie, which hits theaters on January 23, 2026, isn’t your typical Star-Lord adventure. There are no quips. There’s no 70s rock soundtrack. Instead, we get a detective named Chris Raven who is literally running for his life against a clock that he helped build.
The 90-Minute Execution Clock
Here is the premise, and it’s kinda terrifying. In the near future, the justice system has been "upgraded." Instead of human juries who get tired or biased, the state uses Mercy Capital Court. It’s an AI-driven legal system. If you’re accused of a capital crime, you don’t get a lawyer and a year of discovery. You get 90 minutes.
90 minutes to prove you didn’t do it. If you fail? The system executes you immediately.
Chris Pratt plays Detective Chris Raven, the guy who actually championed this system. He thought it was the future of "perfect" justice. Then, he wakes up and finds himself accused of murdering his own wife, played by Annabelle Wallis. Talk about irony.
He’s facing Judge Maddox, an AI voiced by Rebecca Ferguson. If you’ve seen her in Dune or Mission: Impossible, you know she can do "cold and calculating" better than anyone. Having her voice a literal machine that refuses to acknowledge human emotion is a stroke of genius. It’s basically a high-stakes bottle movie. Pratt is often trapped in a chair, arguing with a computer while his partner (Kali Reis) tries to find evidence in the real world to save him.
Why This Isn't Just Another Sci-Fi Flick
Most people expect Chris Pratt to be the charming hero who saves the day with a smile. He's the guy from Parks and Rec and Jurassic World. But Mercy feels like a pivot. It’s gritty. It’s small. It’s directed by Timur Bekmambetov, the guy who did Wanted and Profile.
Bekmambetov is obsessed with how we interact with screens. In Profile, the whole movie took place on a computer desktop. In Mercy, the "screen" is the entire world. Raven has to use the "cloud"—every camera, every digital footprint, every sensor in the city—to retrace his steps and find the real killer.
A Cast That Actually Makes Sense
- Chris Pratt as Det. Chris Raven: The architect of his own nightmare.
- Rebecca Ferguson as Judge Maddox: The AI that doesn't care about your "feelings."
- Annabelle Wallis: The wife whose death starts the whole clock.
- Kali Reis: The partner on the outside who actually does the legwork.
It’s worth noting that Pratt actually got hurt filming this. He posted some pretty gnarly photos of a swollen ankle back in 2024. He’s clearly doing his own stunts here, which suggests the "action" part of this "action-thriller" isn't being ignored.
What Most People Get Wrong About Pratt’s 2026
If you think Mercy is the only thing he’s doing, you haven't been paying attention. The guy is everywhere. By the time this movie comes out in late January, we’ll already have seen him in The Electric State on Netflix (which came out in March 2025).
There's also a massive rumor mill regarding his return to Marvel. Word on the street is that Peter Quill shows up in Avengers: Doomsday later in 2026. Some even say he's roommates with Vision in the VisionQuest series. It sounds ridiculous, but in the Multiverse, why not?
But Mercy is different because it’s not a franchise. It’s an original script by Marco van Belle. In a world of sequels and reboots, a standalone sci-fi thriller with a $320 million budget (wait, no, that was Electric State—Mercy is a more focused Amazon MGM production) is a rare beast. It’s getting a full IMAX 3D release, which tells you the studio thinks the visuals are going to be insane.
The Reality of AI Courts
Is the movie realistic? Sorta.
We already use algorithms to determine bail amounts in some states. We use AI to screen resumes. The leap to an AI "Judge Maddox" isn't as big as we’d like to think. That’s the "itch" this movie scratches. It plays on the very real fear that we are handing over the steering wheel to something that doesn't have a soul.
The film reportedly leans into the "popcorn" vibes, according to early trailer reactions, but the core concept is haunting. It asks: if you had 90 minutes to prove every second of your life for the last 24 hours, could you do it? Every time you turned off your GPS? Every time you walked into a dead zone? The "Mercy" system sees those as "data gaps." And data gaps look like guilt to an algorithm.
How to Prepare for the Premiere
If you’re planning on seeing Mercy on January 23, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, check if your local theater is doing the IMAX 3D showing. Bekmambetov's style is very kinetic, and seeing those digital overlays and "cloud data" visualizations in 3D is probably the intended way to watch it.
📖 Related: Lucas Frost and Sara Jay: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
Also, maybe re-watch The Tomorrow War on Peacock. It’s Pratt’s other big sci-fi swing, and it gives you a good idea of how he handles the "distressed father/husband" trope. He’s getting better at the dramatic stuff, and Mercy looks like the final exam for that transition.
Actionable Steps for Fans
- Watch the Second Trailer: The one released in December 2025 shows way more of Rebecca Ferguson’s AI interface.
- Clear Your Schedule: The movie is a tight 100 minutes. It's meant to be a sprint, mirroring the 90-minute trial in the story.
- Keep an Eye on Prime Video: Since this is an Amazon MGM Studios film, it’ll likely land on streaming by summer 2026 if you miss the theatrical window.
This isn't just a "Chris Pratt movie." It’s a litmus test for how we feel about technology in 2026. Whether it’s a hit or a miss, it’s going to spark a thousand "is this actually happening?" op-eds. Get ready for the conversation.