Movie of the Week
‘Mercy’ runs murder trial under AI rule
The sci-fi thriller follows a detective, accused of killing his wife, who has 90 minutes to prove his innocence to an AI system.
Mercy plunges viewers into a future where criminal suspects are judged by the cold precision of artificial intelligence (AI).
The sci-fi action thriller is screening in Ster-Kinekor cinemas and Nu Metro theatres from today (23 January 2026).
Set in 2029 Los Angeles, the movie follows detective Chris Raymond, who must prove his innocence to an advanced AI judge after being accused of murdering his wife. The AI being used is the same technology he once championed.
With only 90 minutes to convince the system before a final ruling is issued, Raymond is placed under constant pressure. The process unfolds in real time, with no opportunity for appeal or intervention once the countdown begins. Each statement made during the hearing directly influences the outcome.
Chis Prat as detective Raymond. Photo courtesy Amazon MGM Studios.
As the deadline approaches, the film focuses on the mechanics of an AI-driven justice system and its impact on human decision-making. The narrative examines how automated judgement handles context, emotion and moral complexity, particularly when applied to cases involving personal loss and conflicting evidence.
Set almost entirely within the time-limited evaluation, Mercy centres on the tension between efficiency and fairness in a system designed to remove human bias. The film aims to raise questions about accountability, trust in automated authority and the consequences of delegating life-altering decisions to artificial intelligence.
Raymond is played by Critics Choice-nominee Chis Pratt (Quill/Star-Lord in the Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy). He is joined by Rebecca Ferguson as the AI Judge Maddox. The cast includes Annabelle Wallis, Chris Sullivan, Kenneth Choi, Kylie Rogers, Rafi Gavron, Jeff Pierre, Tom Rezvan, and Ryan Hailey Governor.
Rebecca Ferguson as Maddox, an AI judge. Photo courtesy Amazon MGM Studios.
Early reception for the film has been polarised. Some responses have been strongly critical, with objections raised to the film’s premise, visual execution and reliance on screen-based storytelling, which has been described as disorienting rather than immersive. Others have been more receptive to its technical ambition and near-future setting, noting its attempt to present a justice system shaped entirely by AI.
The real-time structure and confined perspective have drawn both praise for sustaining tension and criticism for potentially limiting pacing and emotional range, while performances, particularly the lead role’s restrained approach, have been viewed as one of the film’s more consistent elements.
