Prime Video has just added a crazy 2026 sci-fi action thriller

Written by an Irishman, the movie was only out in cinemas a few weeks ago.

The movie is set in a near-future Los Angeles, which has taken radical steps to combat crime levels surging to an all-time high.

The city has implemented "the Mercy Capital Court", which uses artificial intelligence judges to try defendants in cases of violent offences.

These AI judges allow the defendants 90 minutes to prove their innocence, during which time the accused can use the judges' vast technological capabilities to make their case.

If the defendants are found guilty after the hour and a half passes, however, they are executed via a sonic blast.

While LAPD officer Chris Raven (Pratt) was an early champion of the Mercy Capital Court, he quickly changes his tune when he is accused of murdering his wife (Annabelle Wallis, Peaky Blinders).

Though the evidence against him seems overwhelming, can he convince his AI judge, Maddox (MVP Rebecca Ferguson, Life), that he is innocent?

Mercy is directed by Timur Bekmambetov, best known for helming 2008's Wanted and for producing several screenlife films, including Unfriended, Searching and last year's notoriously ill-fated War of the Worlds reboot.

For those not aware, in a screenlife movie, the events of the story are presented entirely through computer, tablet or smartphone screens.

Much of Mercy plays out like a screenlife film, though if Michael Bay had directed one.

While a lot of the sci-fi is Pratt's cop in conversation with Ferguson's AI judge and scrolling through digital evidence, Bekmambetov still finds a way of staging several big, exciting action sequences.

Many of these set-pieces come from Raven's communications with his cop partner, Jaq (Kali Reis, Wind River 2). We witness her chasing suspects and leading SWAT raids to help her friend on trial, with this action presented as being captured organically through CCTV footage, drones and body cameras.

Penned by Irishman Marco Van Belle (whose upcoming Irish horror Feed we're excited for), we thought Mercy was fun for its first 2/3rds, thanks to its inventive filmmaking and its compellingly silly techno twist on a legal drama.

While it does fall apart at the end, when it feels like the filmmakers are trying and failing to make serious points about AI and the justice system, we'd still say Mercy is a perfectly fine way to spend 95 minutes.

How to watch Mercy

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Mercy is streaming on Prime Video right now.