Chris Pratt’s Latest AI Thriller Struggles With Critics, Marking His Lowest Rotten Tomatoes Score in a Decade

Alright, so here's one for anyone still holding out hope for a January surprise at the movies: Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson have teamed up for a new AI thriller called 'Mercy'—and, well, it looks like critics have not been merciful.

What's the Setup?

The premise sounds like it should work: Pratt plays a detective accused of murdering his wife and has just 90 minutes to clear his name—except his judge is an artificial intelligence, voiced (or embodied? unclear, but definitely performed) by Rebecca Ferguson. Yes, they're leaning full-tilt into that near-future, AI-running-our-lives paranoia. It’s a topic pretty much ripped from the headlines, but don’t go in expecting a fresh take.

So... What's the Problem?

The early buzz is mostly groans, not gasps. Most critics agree that 'Mercy' borrows from every moody sci-fi classic you can probably name (think 'Minority Report', 'Blade Runner'), but fails to really bring anything new—other than, maybe, giving audiences a reason to say 'I liked the original better.'

Here's what a few reviewers are saying:

• HeyUGuys' Linda Marric gives it the backhanded compliment of the week:
  'Ultimately, Mercy isn't aggressively bad, it's just really dumb. It borrows the aesthetic of superior sci-fi films, without grasping the soul of the genre.'
• Alonso Duralde (The Film Verdict) argues that it tries to be a warning about AI in the judicial system, but really just pitches mass surveillance as the answer to crime—definitely not subtle, if you were wondering.
• Peter Howell (Toronto Star) isn’t exactly impressed either, calling the film: 'lazily written, chaotically directed and played out with all the zest of a convenience-store security video.' Ouch.
• IndieWire’s Wilson Chapman basically says the whole thing feels rushed and underbaked by everyone involved: 'suggests a first draft, a sense of wanting to get the thing out and move on.' Not what you want to hear heading into opening night.

But Not Everyone Hates It

A couple critics are willing to throw 'Mercy' a bone. Peter Bradshaw at The Guardian calls it 'ingenious and watchable stuff, with cheeky twists,' but admits the big, loud finale kind of jumps the shark. Owen Gleiberman at Variety admits it’s 'a notch or two better than you expect'—which, given the context, feels like damning with very faint praise.

Numbers Don't Lie (And Neither Does Rotten Tomatoes)

At last check, 'Mercy' is limping along with an 18% on Rotten Tomatoes (that’s out of 44 reviews, so not just a couple of people in a bad mood). For Chris Pratt, this puts it right next to 'The Electric State' and the infamous 'Movie 43' as one of his worst-reviewed movies in about 13 years. Rebecca Ferguson hasn’t seen scores this low since 'The Snowman' back in 2017.

Coming Soon, Ready or Not

'Mercy' hits theaters January 23. Do with this information what you will—I’m just saying, if you want smart AI sci-fi, you’ve got options elsewhere. If you want to see Pratt make a sad face at a virtual judge for an hour and a half, here’s your shot.