The Chair That Might Break A Career
Chris Pratt is usually the guy jumping off explosions and cracking jokes, but his latest flick Mercy has him strapped down and screaming for a different reason. The futuristic thriller, which just hit theaters on January , features Pratt as a captive detective forced to face off against an AI judge played by Rebecca Ferguson. The premise sounds like a high-stakes ride, but the early numbers are telling a much darker story for the Marvel star.
Instead of the usual action-hero swagger, Pratt spends the majority of this film cuffed to a chair by his hands and feet. During an October Comic Con appearance, Pratt tried to spin the claustrophobic setting as a creative choice to spark real anxiety. He told the crowd that he specifically asked to be strapped down to feel the fear, but insiders are whispering that the lack of movement might have just been a budget-saving gimmick that backfired in a major way.
Rotten To The Core: The Score That Stings
The numbers are in, and they are brutal. Mercy is currently gasping for air with a pathetic percent rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. In the world of Hollywood ego, that is a total bloodbath. To be considered Certified Fresh, you need a percent, and Pratt is not even halfway there. It is a shocking fall from grace for a man who usually prints money at the box office.
The divide between the suits and the seats is massive, though. While the critics are busy sharpening their knives, the audience score is sitting at a suspiciously high percent. This kind of gap usually points to a massive PR campaign to bolster fan sentiment or a complete disconnect between what elitist reviewers want and what the public actually enjoys. Either way, the stink of a flop is lingering around this production like cheap cologne.
Critics Call It A Convenience Store Security Feed
The reviews coming from the heavy hitters are not just bad; they are viciously personal. Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter basically told the entire world to stay home, warning that anyone with a screen addiction should avoid this at all costs. But the real gut punch came from the New York Times, where Manohla Dargis compared Pratt’s character to the audience: a guy unhappily stuck in a chair watching nonsense.
It gets worse. Peter Howell of the Toronto Star compared the film’s energy to convenience-store security footage. When you are paying dollars for a ticket, that is the last thing you want to hear. Another critic even pointed out the omnipresent countdown clock on the screen, calling it a cruel reminder of every second the audience is wasting. It seems the only thing ticking faster than the movie’s clock is the time left on Pratt’s status as a bulletproof leading man.
The LAPD Connection: Hero Worship Or PR Spin
In a desperate attempt to add some gravitas to the project, Pratt made sure everyone knew he spent time with the LAPD homicide division to prepare. He called the officers heroes and talked about the staggering trauma they see daily. While the sentiment is nice, critics are calling it out as a blatant attempt to deflect from the movie’s weak script. Working with real cops is one thing, but if the movie plays out like a bad procedural, the research does not matter.
Some insiders are suggesting that Pratt’s focus on the trauma and the heroism of the police was a way to ground a convoluted AI plot that makes very little sense. The film centers on a -minute trial for the murder of his wife, played by Annabelle Wallis, but the high-concept sci-fi elements seem to be clashing with the gritty realism Pratt was aiming for. The behind-the-scenes chaos of trying to mesh these two worlds is bleeding onto the screen, and the critics are not buying what he is selling.
Fans Fire Back: The Minority Report Rivalry
Despite the critical lashing, the Pratt Pack is out in full force to defend their king. Some fans are even claiming that Mercy is a better film than the Tom Cruise classic Minority Report. It is a bold and controversial take that has sparked a civil war in the comment sections. These loyalists are praising Pratt for not being a one-trick pony and for taking a risk on a role that requires more than just bicep curls and laser guns.
I am tired of critics hating on Chris just because he is Chris. The movie kept me on the edge of my seat and the AI stuff is actually really scary. It is a out of for me.
This movie is a total mess. It felt like it was written by the same AI that was judging him. Don’t believe the fan scores, they are clearly being boosted by stans who would watch him paint a fence.
The drama is reaching a fever pitch as the negative one-star reviews continue to pile up against the glowing five-star defenses. One user called the plot sloppy and convoluted, labeling the whole experience as god awful. With the audience and critics in such violent disagreement, the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle, buried under a pile of bad dialogue and expensive special effects.
The Final Verdict: Is The Countdown Over
As Mercy continues its theatrical run, the industry is watching the box office returns like a hawk. If the audience score stays high and the money keeps rolling in, Pratt might just survive this critical execution. But if the fans start to listen to the experts, we could be looking at the first major crack in the Pratt empire. The movie’s ingenious twists, according to some, might not be enough to save it from the stark reality of a percent rating.
Is this movie a hoot and a half or a tiresome waste of time? The clock is still ticking, and the executioner’s hand is hovering over the button. Pratt took a gamble by limiting his movement and relying on pure acting, but in a world obsessed with action, he may have just handcuffed himself to a sinking ship. The real question is: who will show Pratt some mercy when the final numbers are tallied?
Would you like me to track the second-weekend box office drop for Mercy to see if the fan defense is holding up?
