From Box Office Disaster to Streaming Sensation
In a remarkable turnaround that highlights the growing divide between critical reception and audience appetite, Chris Pratt's science fiction thriller Mercery has surged to become the most-watched movie on Amazon Prime Video in the United Kingdom. This resurgence comes despite the film's disastrous theatrical performance earlier this year, where it failed to recoup its substantial $60 million production budget, grossing only $54.3 million worldwide.
A Tale of Critical Condemnation
The film, which stars Pratt as LAPD detective Chris Raven standing trial for his wife's murder before an advanced A.I. judge played by Rebecca Ferguson, faced what can only be described as a critical massacre upon its initial release. Reviewers universally panned the project with extraordinary vitriol.
SlashFilm declared the movie "a punishing experience for those with even the lowest of expectations," while The Toronto Star criticized it as "lazily written, chaotically directed and played out with all the zest of a convenience-store security video." Culture Mix went further, labeling it a "moronic movie" where "viewers will feel like yelling at the screen too, with all the stupidity on display." The consensus was clear: critics found Mercy to be an incoherent, overcomplicated narrative with what many called a "terrible" ending.
Audience Reception Tells a Different Story
In stark contrast to the critical mauling, Amazon Prime viewers have embraced Mercy with remarkable enthusiasm. The film currently holds an impressive 82% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, dramatically opposed to its dismal 25% critics' rating. Viewer comments reveal a completely different perspective on the thriller.
"Tense thriller. Don't know what the critics see bad about it – unless they just hate Chris Pratt," posted one viewer identified as RT36618240. "My heart was racing. It's not intellectual, but it has heart and an original plot. I've never seen a movie based on this concept, and that's saying a lot these days when all movies are the same. Highly recommend!"
Another viewer named Chris noted, "Surprisingly very good. I figured this was going to be a slow ride and even after the first 10 minutes I was kind of losing interest, but it reeled me back in pretty quickly because once it gets going. IT GOES."
Pratt's Perspective on the Project
In interviews surrounding the film's release, Chris Pratt offered insight into his expectations for Mercy. Speaking to Radio Times, the 46-year-old actor acknowledged that the film wasn't intended as a profound commentary on artificial intelligence.
"I don't expect that this is a film that people are going to walk away from having seen a think piece about AI that's going to change their perspective," Pratt explained. "My hope, actually, is that maybe some of the anxiety we feel in life can be turned off for 90 minutes, and you can just be brought on a thrill ride and enjoy an experience of just sheer entertainment."
A Pattern of Streaming Success for Pratt
This phenomenon of critical failure transforming into streaming success isn't new for Chris Pratt. Just last year, his big-budget science fiction film The Electric State, despite being called "lifeless" and "a slog to watch" by critics, became one of Netflix's biggest debut releases of 2025.
That film, with a reported budget of $320 million making it one of the most expensive films ever produced, attracted over 25 million views in its first three days on Netflix. It claimed the top spot on Netflix's global chart and ranked as the second-biggest debut for a Netflix Original film that year, outperforming established properties like Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.
The Streaming Revolution Continues
The success of Mercy on Amazon Prime Video underscores a significant shift in how audiences consume and evaluate content in the digital age. While traditional theatrical releases rely heavily on critical reviews and opening weekend performance, streaming platforms provide films with extended lifespans and different metrics for success.
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and written by Marco van Belle, Mercy represents another example of how viewer preferences can diverge dramatically from critical consensus. The film's 100-minute runtime, featuring supporting performances from Kali Reis, Annabelle Wallis, Chris Sullivan, and Kylie Rogers, has found its audience despite—or perhaps because of—its rejection by professional reviewers.
As streaming platforms continue to dominate entertainment consumption, the story of Mercy's transformation from box office disappointment to streaming chart-topper may become increasingly common, challenging traditional notions of what constitutes a successful film in the modern media landscape.
