Greetings again from the darkness. Artificial Intelligence ranks with politics as one of the hottest topics of conversation these days. Of course, we don’t yet know what role AI will play in society; however, we are pretty certain all aspects of our world will be touched in some form. This story from writer Marco van Belle and director Timur Berkmambetov (WANTED, 2008) is set only three years in the future, and the premise is that AI judges now decide criminal cases. As with most stories steeped in science fiction, your enjoyment of the film will depend on your willingness to buy into a concept that seems a bit far-fetched. But that buy-in will likely leave you entertained, rather than rolling your eyes (ok, maybe both), by what’s on screen.
Detective Chris Raven (Chris Pratt) awakens from his drunken stupor to find himself locked down in a chair in front of AI Judge Mattox (Rebecca Ferguson, A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE, 2025) in Mercy Court. This new system is designed to quickly administer serious cases by assuming guilt unless innocence is proven. Raven is informed he is charged with the murder of his wife Nicole (Annabelle Wallis, “Peaky Blinders”) and has 90 minutes to reduce his likelihood of guilt from 98% to 92%, or face immediate penalty of death (in the chair). What follows is an overwhelming onslaught of video evidence through security cameras, video doorbells, cell phone records, etc. The initial impression is that Chris deserves to be the leading suspect. He also has access to all of the available video and technology data that the government collects.
Chris calls his teenage daughter Britt (Kylie Rogers, BEAU IS AFRAID, 2023) to proclaim his innocence (despite his blackout memory due to drunkenness). His other calls are to his AA sponsor and friend Rob (Chris Sullivan, “This is Us”), and his police partner Jaq (Kali Reis, REBUILDING, 2025), the latter of whom hops on a futuristic air travel scooter to assist with gathering evidence for Chris. The thing meant to grab the viewer is the detective work by Chris as he races the clock. Of course, there is a political statement made in that Mercy Court doesn’t seem to be much a deterrent given the chaotic red zones within the city (but this isn’t the movie to look for rational thought). We can’t help but think of the superior MINORITY REPORT (2002), and as silly as this film gets at times, we can’t miss the point that we simply don’t know the risks of Artificial Intelligence, and that waking up while locked down in the ‘Mercy’ chair would be most anyone’s nightmare. Mr. Pratt does all he can while spending most of the time in that chair, and Ms. Ferguson makes an effective AI-generated judge (is that a compliment). Again, those who buy-in will be entertained.
Opens in theaters on January 23, 2026
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. Alien invasion movies have long been a favorite of science-fiction filmmakers, as well as platform for those who strive to caution us to our societal missteps and wrong choices along life’s muddy path. Within the past couple of weeks I watched JULES (2023), a cute, heart-warming story about an alien who crash-lands in Pennsylvania and is cared for by Ben Kingsley’s character. Going back further we have the thoughtful ARRIVAL (2016), the outlandish MEN IN BLACK (1997), the precious E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982) from Spielberg, the frightening ALIEN (1979) by James Cameron, the often-re-made WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953), and the classic FORBIDDEN PLANET (1956). Of course, this is but a tiny portion of the complete list, but it gives some idea of the long-lived fascination.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 