NEWS

Starring Chris Pratt as Detective Chris Raven and Rebecca Ferguson as Judge Maddox, "Mercy" sees Detective Raven brought before the "Mercy" court program run by A.I. Judge Maddox. Accused of killing his wife, Raven, who was a key supporter of the program, has 90 minutes to get his guilt probability from a 98% to below a 92% or he will be immediately executed. Raven is also able to use all resources available to the court via AI, including accessing cameras, hacking phones, and contacting witnesses. 

A very relevant film, "Mercy" explores themes like objectivity versus subjectivity. Since programs, by their nature, only think in absolute terms, it is very interesting to see Maddox run a system heavily based in subjectivity and, therefore, be forced to look beyond hard facts. Rebecca Ferguson gives a compelling performance as Judge Maddox. Though meant to be an inhuman program relying solely on facts, Ferguson ends up being one of the most captivating characters in the film. She also manages to convey inhuman aspects as well, glitching out when trying to reconcile hard facts with conflicting evidence. Though it may seem that Detective Raven is the main character, the story actually ends up being more about Maddox than Raven, with far more emphasis on how Maddox is responding to changing information rather than on Raven's court case. 

Though a gripping story for most of the runtime, "Mercy" does suffer from pacing issues in multiple areas. The film takes a noticeable amount of time getting started, with the story being front loaded with buildup and background information. Many events in the film are structured as brief bursts of action followed by an excessive amount of analysis, even for a film centered around a court case. "Mercy" triumphs in its relevancy and character writing but fumbles in its pacing and overdone story. Worth a watch at some point, but not necessarily worth going to the theaters for.

7/10

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