Mercy: Mercy drops the second official trailer as Chris Pratt’s sci-fi thriller turns darker

The makers of Mercy, the new sci-fi thriller led by Chris Pratt, have released the second official trailer and shared a new poster for the film.

The trailer shows a lot more emphasis on high stakes, urgent and dramatic tension than the previous trailer of the film. Chris Pratt plays a detective who is accused of murdering his wife. However, he is not judged by the human judicial system; instead, he is judged by an artificial intelligence, played by Rebecca Ferguson, who will make the final decision within 90 minutes of Pratt's first appearance in court.

Mercy will officially premiere on January 23, 2026. It is a science fiction action thriller and will be available to viewers in theatres with the option of seeing the movie in 3D or IMAX format.

Mercy trailer ups the tension and the stakes

The second trailer for Mercy comes across much darker and more intense than the first teaser did. In it, Chris Pratt's character, Detective Raven, is strapped to a high-tech chair. He is accused of killing his wife, and his fate rests on convincing an AI judge that he is innocent. If he fails, he faces execution.

This setup is simple yet chilling. A man, alone and bound, fighting for his life against a system he helped create. The danger is immediate, and the pressure is severe as there are 90 minutes, but only one chance. The urgency is real, and the trailer makes you feel it.

Visually, the trailer seems to ramp up the intensity. Body-cam footage, surveillance clips, and a claustrophobic courtroom setting suggest a story told through screens, monitors and digital evidence. That gives the movie a cold, high-tech vibe. Because the judge is not human, but an AI, the sense of isolation and impersonal justice becomes stronger. That may capture viewers who like thriller films with a modern, technological edge. Some of the previous coverage of the film already said it was shot to feel like a "screenlife" story, a movie that unfolds through devices, screens and witnesses recorded on camera.

What do we know about Mercy and what to expect?

Timur Bekmambetov, who has worked on a variety of films that include action elements, science-fiction elements and thriller elements, has directed Mercy. The script was written by Marco Van Belle, and the cast features Chris Pratt, Rebecca Ferguson, Annabelle Wallis, Kali Reis, amongst others, as per the cast list released previously.

What makes Mercy stand out is its is the idea of a human being judged by an AI, something he helped build. It raises questions like is the system fair? Can a machine truly understand guilt or innocence? The trailer doesn't just tell a story, but it poses a moral and existential challenge.

The film seems designed to keep you on edge. In every second, there is a chance to make a decision. When the clock is ticking, in this case, the truth must be revealed. Pratt's character has to reveal the truth as much for his own survival as he does for justice. So far, this second trailer appears to be darker, shootier, and more intense.