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The new sci-fi thriller "Mercy" presented a fast-paced, intense story exploring artificial intelligence in the justice system. Set within a future scenario of a trial with an advanced AI judge, the film's Chinese premiere on Jan. 20 has amazed audiences.
A poster for "Mercy." [Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment]
The film is brought to life by visionary filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov, director of "Wanted" (2008) and "Ben-Hur" (2016). His unique style and format, seen in films like "Unfriended" (2015), "Searching" (2018) and "Profile" (2021), have advanced cinema by integrating aspects of the digital world. It is as if cutting-edge visual technology narrates just as much of the story as the actors on the big screen.
"Mercy," set in the near future, involves a detective (played by Chris Pratt) who is on trial for the accused murder of his wife. He has 90 minutes to prove his innocence to the advanced AI judge (Rebecca Ferguson), a technology he once championed before it determined his own fate.
This exploration of AI in the future justice system allows audiences to watch the AI judge access footage from police body cams, doorbell cams, cellphone images, social media accounts, and public surveillance databases to counter the protagonist's arguments for his innocence. Every move he has made was stored in the cloud, accessible to a legal system reliant on AI to process suspected criminals in an increasingly violent society. This narrative lays out scenarios and possibilities that demonstrate both AI and humans being capable of critical errors with extremely high stakes.
Though set several years in the future, "Mercy" echoes the current moment, with growing apprehension about AI and its moral questions. Today AI experts are already grappling with ethical and moral issues closely related to this film. Screenwriter Marco van Belle explained that he molded old and new ideas for his forward-thinking script. He then watched as real life caught up with this kinetic mystery thriller.
Director Bekmambetov pointed out, "'Mercy' is a very intense, thrilling mystery, a new approach to the Screenlife language with a very entertaining, serious, impactful subject. I loved this story not just as a Screenlife movie, but as a traditional movie. It involves how we behave and interact with technology."
Lead actor Pratt believes "Mercy" is a "multi-genre" film. "It's a courtroom drama, a thriller, a mystery, and an action film, and it utilizes Screenlife, a genre curated by Timur. 'Mercy' really takes all of that to the next level."
His co-star Ferguson added that "Mercy" highlights the shortcomings in a world where AI is growing, but is still very limited when it comes to actually revealing the truth. "The problem is that we expect accuracy, and more and more we need to question what the online world is telling us," she said.
To render the ideas behind "Mercy" as truthfully as possible, the filmmakers even sent Marco van Belle's script to an AI ethics expert for feedback.
The film's themes and setting required an innovative visual scheme, leading the team to curate a library of found footage and user-generated content, and draw inspiration from experimental artists who pixelate or distort images when conventional approaches would not work. The project was highly experimental in scale, utilizing emerging filmmaking technologies in unprecedented ways and breaking new ground in virtual production stages.
Furthermore, to intensify the immersive experience of this human-versus-machine showdown, "Mercy" has achieved a significant upgrade on the audiovisual front. The film was shot entirely under the Filmed for IMAX program, with 62 minutes of its key sequences presented in IMAX's special expanded aspect ratio.
The movie was released nationwide in China on Jan. 23, with advanced screenings taking place in 140 cities across the country from Jan. 20 to 21.
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