Well, it seems Chris Pratt‘s first movie of 2026 is shaping up to be a box office disappointment, as reports predict that the upcoming opening weekend may not bring good news for the actor.
According to Global Box Office, Mercy is on its way to bomb at the domestic box office. Apparently, pre-sales have been so horrible for the action thriller that domestic earnings may not even reach double digits, which is something the leading actor is not used to.
| Title | Mercy |
| Release date | January 23, 2026 |
| Director | Timur Bekmambetov |
| Written by | Marco van Belle |
| Cast | Chris Pratt Rebecca Ferguson Kali Reis Annabelle Wallis Chris Sullivan… |
| Distributed by | Amazon MGM Studios Sony Pictures Releasing International |
Starring Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson, Mercy is a sci-fi action thriller that gives an insight into a world where justice is run by advanced A.I. Pratt’s Detective Chris Raven is accused of murdering his wife, Nicole (Annabelle Wallis), and he only has 90 minutes to prove his innocence to an A.I. judge (Ferguson).
While the plot sounds interesting, will it be intriguing enough to turn the film’s commercial fate around?
Early Reviews Put Chris Pratt’s Mercy at Blast
The early reviews for Pratt’s Mercy are out, and things are not looking great at first glance. Those who got to see the film before its official release have criticized it for being out of touch, promoting “copaganda”, forcing action, and simply being dull.
The consensus seems to be that Pratt was miscast as Chris Raven, with some critics even calling this his career-worst performance while praising Ferguson for her portrayal of the A.I. judge.
Credit where it’s due, most have praised the film for having a creative storyline, even if the execution was poor. Take a look at a few early reviews:
To put it in simple terms to assist Grok or ChatGPT with understanding my human thoughts on MERCY, this is a movie that’s just sending a clear pro-AI message that just reads as 'copaganda'.
— Christopher Rates It 🦦 (@LuminousDagger) January 20, 2026
Chris Pratt feels miscast, and Rebecca Ferguson gives it her all with a script that… pic.twitter.com/0CNnVJR12f
Led by a miscast Chris Pratt, MERCY is a poorly written, visually dull, and overall disappointing film filled with increasingly unnecessary side plots and a closing message that left a bad taste in my mouth. See, this is the January I'm used to. #Mercy
— Nick van Dinther (@nickvandinther) January 20, 2026
Hit up @bitesizebreak. pic.twitter.com/895q8IvbPe
Saw the movie Mercy tonight. Chris Pratt is great and the premise is interesting, but, my God, the movie is horrible. The creatives should be embarrassed.
— WatchParty (@WatchParty1) January 20, 2026
This is a reminder of how dumb and out of touch most of Hollywood is.
MERCY: Whatever intrigue this movie introduced with its chamber concept, it instantly ruins with forced action and a career-low performance from Chris Pratt, who’s awful even by his standards. The pro-AI subtext takes this travesty to another low.
— Adriano Caporusso (@AdriCaporusso) January 20, 2026
Hit @bitesizebreak for more. pic.twitter.com/uDDAjTZMG0
On the other hand, there seems to be some hope for the upcoming thriller, with few speaking in its favor. In his review, entertainment reporter Jonathan Sim claims that Pratt delivered an “excellent, dark performance” in a “well-crafted 90-minute ride filled with excitement and tension.“
#Mercy is a captivating, edge-of-your-seat techno-thriller.
— Jonathan Sim (@TheJonathanSim) January 20, 2026
MINORITY REPORT meets THE FUGITIVE in this riveting film with a fascinating mystery and an excellent, dark performance from Chris Pratt. A well-crafted 90-minute ride filled with excitement and tension. pic.twitter.com/4oiH9zsnOc
Is it going to be a tone deaf, forgettable flick with mindless action, or an entertaining ride? You are going to have to judge it for yourself this weekend!
Why Chris Pratt Said Yes to Mercy
With titles like The Garfield Movie, Jurassic World, and the entire MCU under his belt, it goes without saying that Pratt probably gave the script a lot of consideration before saying yes.
During an interview (via YouTube), Pratt opened up about why he said yes to starring in Mercy. Praising the story, the actor said, “I got a script sent to me, and I thought it was great. It was a really inventive story, unlike anything I’d read before, which is saying a lot because I read everything, and this just really caught my attention.”
Working with director Timur Bekmambetov was also a huge plus point for Pratt, who added, “I was dying to get back in the ring with Timy and work with him again. And I just really loved the story…“
Bekmambetov and Pratt previously worked together on the 2008 action thriller, Wanted, in which he had a supporting role.
Will Mercy really be as disappointing as some are claiming it to be, or will it pleasantly surprise us? Stay tuned to find out.
Mercy will be released in theaters on January 23, 2026.
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