Mercy movie review by Movie Review Mom Mercy movie review by Movie Review Mom

MOVIE TITLE: Mercy

This crime mystery is now playing in theaters.

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 1 hour 47 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B

IN A NUTSHELL:

Mercy stars Chris Pratt in a tense, futuristic action thriller about a former detective forced to confront a powerful artificial intelligence system after being accused of a crime he insists he didn’t commit. Set in a near-future society where justice is administered by AI rather than humans, the film explores what happens when technology decides guilt without mercy.

Chris Pratt’s character in the movie is accused of a crime and only has 90 minutes to prove his innocence to the AI judge (Rebecca Ferguson).

The film was directed by Timur Bekmambetov. Screenwriting credit goes to Marco van Belle. The film has been distributed by Amazon MGM Studios.

Film critics have given the film very low scores, but audiences are enjoying it.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be completely bored.
There is moderate violence throughout, including shootings and fight scenes.
Some tense interrogation sequences may be intense for younger viewers.
Mild and crude language is scattered throughout.
No sexual content.
We see a murder scene with a dead, bloodied body.
Teenage smoking

Best suited for teens and up.

THEMES:

Justice vs. mercy
The dangers of unchecked technology
Family loyalty
Redemption
Truth and accountability

THINGS I LIKED:

Chris Pratt brings emotional depth to what could have been a one-note action role. He plays both vulnerability and determination convincingly. I’ve been so impressed with how he reinvented himself from a pudgy loser in Parks and Recreation to a true action star in Guardians of the Galaxy. I also love that he hasn’t been afraid to be vocal about his Christian faith. Some viewers have complained that he just sits in a chair during the entire movie, but that’s actually not true. In fact, he injured his ankle just a few days into the filming.
I adore Rebecca Ferguson, too. She was absolutely stunning in The Greatest Showman. I also loved her character in the Mission Impossible franchise. Her British accent slips through a few times in her role in this film; however, she did a great job, as always.
If you’re a fan of Guardians of the Galaxy, you might get a kick out of seeing Chris Sullivan in this movie who played “Taserface” in Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 in 2017.
I was intrigued by the whole premise of the story. Technology has been a huge blessing to mankind, but also a curse.
The central ethical dilemma about AI-controlled systems is timely and relevant.
Fast pacing and twists keep the story moving.
Strong production design creates a believable near-future world.
The father-daughter relationship adds heart to the film.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Some plot twists are predictable.
The villain feels underdeveloped.
A few action sequences rely heavily on familiar action-movie clichés.
The moral questions raised aren’t explored quite as deeply as they could have been.
We see clips of events that would have been unrealistically impossible to obtain.