There are times when movies don’t need to say or do too much to be interesting, or even entertaining. A movie just needs to be enjoyable to watch.

Such is the case in Timur Bekmambetov’s Mercy. Starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson, the movie centers on a futuristic AI-powered judicial program that uses an evidence-based system to determine whether someone is guilty of a crime.

Detective Chris Raven (Pratt) wakes up from a really bad hangover and finds himself strapped on to the Mercy chair, an execution chair equipped with a dashboard where the accused can access almost any file (camera footage, social media account, phone logs, etc.) to build their case. The chair is configured to determine the guilt level and if it goes above a certain threshold, the suspect will be convicted and immediately executed.

What’s interesting is Detective Raven was vital to the creation of Mercy. He was responsible for putting the first criminal on the Mercy system. So imagine his shock when he learns he is accused for the murder of his estranged wife, Nicole (Anabelle Wallis).

The AI judge, Maddox (Ferguson) tells him he has exactly 90 minutes to prove his innocence. If not, off to die he goes.

The plot is pretty straightforward—predictable, even, which is one of the many issues for many critics—and doesn’t offer a lot of outrageous twists and turns. Despite being painted as an alcoholic with anger management issues, it doesn’t take long for one to realize that Chris did not do it.

With the help of Maddox, he sifts through every single piece of evidence, with the AI judge calculating his guilt level based on what they discover. He calls certain people, gets help from his partner Jaq and his daughter Britt.

Throughout the entire process, Maddox reminds Chris how she’s only programmed to look at facts even in the face of evidence that suggests Chris may not be the one who should be in trial. At some point, there seems to be a connection between the two because Maddox displays glitchy behavior that suggests she’s becoming more empathetic to the detective.

There’s a little bit of cringe when we got to this part of the movie, but then again, I kind of understand why it had to be inserted. This could be the filmmakers’ way of making a statement around the infallibility of AI and the vital role human intervention plays in dispensing justice. It felt more like a box that needs to be ticked, though.

By the time we are halfway through, it’s a bit obvious who did it. Again, that doesn’t matter much because the thrill comes from the frantic search for truth. With each file pulled up to follow a hunch, the clock slowly runs out—not just for Chris but for the viewers as well.

It’s also worth noting that by putting the actors in a confined space, they’re also subjected to more scrutiny in terms of their performance. Pratt had more advantage because even though he’s strapped to a chair, there’s still room to use body language when acting. Ferguson, on the other hand, had to act with only her face—which she did so brilliantly.

Mercy is neither groundbreaking nor a magnum opus but it is highly entertaining. It has enough edge-of-your-seat action that should make up for its shortcomings.

Mercy is now showing in cinemas.

Watch the trailer here: