In the United States, specifically in a near-future Los Angeles setting, Chris Pratt starred in a new sci-fi thriller titled 'Mercy,' released on January 23, 2026. The film was directed by Timur Bekmambetov and presents a dystopian vision where an artificial intelligence known as Maddox serves as judge, jury, and executioner in a radically reformed justice system. The local government had implemented the Mercy justice system amidst an epidemic of rampant crime, claiming it had significantly reduced crime rates in the city. In the film, Pratt's character, Raven, must navigate this new judicial landscape and prove his innocence within a strict time frame of 90 minutes to avoid immediate execution. His guilt is initially assessed at an alarming 97.5%, and he needs to persuade Maddox to lower this rating. The majority of the film unfolds in a visually restrained setting, limiting the narrative dynamic and relying heavily on dialogue to advance the plot. The release of 'Mercy' faced notable challenges, particularly from a financial perspective reflected in its modest production budget of around $60 million. Concurrently, the film debuted during a tough weekend at the box office, which experienced winter storm warnings affecting movie attendance across various states from Texas to Maine. Despite being the new release, 'Mercy' ultimately dethroned James Cameron’s 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' from the top spot, earning $11.2 million in its opening weekend, although it was met with rather harsh reviews—holding just a 20% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes and receiving a B- CinemaScore from audiences. Diving deeper into the reasons behind the unfavorable reception, critics pointed out that the film's reliance on the 'screenlife' genre proved detrimental. This genre, which often involves storytelling primarily through computer, phone, and tablet screens, appeared to result in a lack of visual and storytelling innovation, essentially confining the actors to deliver more 'telling' than 'showing.' As a result, performances by Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson felt somewhat limited and were criticized as underwhelming in the face of their intrinsic talents, exacerbated by a lukewarm screenplay written by Marco van Belle. In light of this performance, 'Mercy' presents as a forgettable entry in the sci-fi thriller genre, demonstrating how even a timely premise involving artificial intelligence and a unique judicial system could fail to resonate effectively with audiences. Amidst shifting viewer preferences and an overabundance of content in the modern cinematic landscape, this film represents a cautionary tale regarding the risks of overly ambitious yet poorly executed screenlife narratives. As January often sees a host of less memorable films, 'Mercy' might go down as another example of what can happen when intriguing concepts do not translate well on screen.