Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson’s ‘Mercy’ Debuts With Underwhelming Rotten Tomatoes Score

The initial critical response to the new sci-fi thriller ‘Mercy’ has arrived and the results are disappointing for the high-profile cast. Starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson, the film has opened with a Rotten Tomatoes score of approximately 33 percent based on early reviews. This marks a rough start for the movie which places a detective in a high-stakes battle to prove his innocence before an artificial intelligence judge. Critics have not held back in their assessment of the film’s execution and narrative choices.

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, ‘Mercy’ is set in a near-future Los Angeles where capital crime cases are decided by advanced technology. Chris Pratt plays Detective Chris Raven, a man accused of murdering his wife who must clear his name within a strict 90-minute window. Rebecca Ferguson co-stars as Judge Maddox, the AI entity that presides over his fate. The premise promised a tense technological thriller but reviewers suggest the final product fails to deliver on its potential.

Many critics have described the movie as frustrating and lacking in genuine suspense despite the ticking clock mechanism. The film utilizes a style reminiscent of Bekmambetov’s previous work with screen-based storytelling which some found to be gimmicky rather than immersive. Reviews have pointed out that the script feels lazily written and fails to offer meaningful commentary on the dangers of AI in the justice system. The visual format and narrative constraints appear to have hindered rather than helped the performances of the leads.

This negative reception continues a challenging trend for Chris Pratt regarding critical acclaim for his non-Marvel projects. Following low scores for ‘The Electric State’ and ‘The Garfield Movie’, this latest release adds another rotten rating to his recent filmography. While Pratt has proven to be a massive box office draw with audiences regardless of reviews, the consistent critical panning of his sci-fi ventures is becoming notable. His performance in this specific film has been criticized for being limited by the static nature of the production.

On the other hand, Rebecca Ferguson usually enjoys a streak of highly praised projects such as ‘Dune’ and the series ‘Silo’. Her involvement in a critically panned release is a rare occurrence in her recent career trajectory. Some reviewers have highlighted her performance as one of the few redeemable qualities of the movie despite her character being an artificial construct. Her ability to bring nuance to the role of an AI judge suggests she did her best with the material provided.

It remains to be seen if general audiences will disagree with the professional critics once the film sees wide release. Chris Pratt movies often display a significant divide between critic scores and audience enjoyment. Viewers might find the fast-paced concept and star power more entertaining than the reviews suggest. The box office performance will ultimately determine if the film is a commercial success despite the poor critical debut.

Tell us in the comments if you plan to watch the movie in theaters or if the low scores have changed your mind.