Chris Pratt describes his role in the AI murder mystery film “Mercy” as a significant challenge, noting that being confined to a chair all day added to the difficulty: “I believed those limitations could enhance my performance.”

In the upcoming film *Mercy*, Chris Pratt takes on the role of Chris Raven, a detective wrongfully accused of murdering his wife. With just 90 minutes to prove his innocence to an AI judge before facing the death penalty, Raven’s battle against technology is intense. Pratt found the experience on set to be quite a challenge.

“It was definitely a challenge, and something I hadn’t done before,” Pratt shares.

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, known for his innovative storytelling, the trial unfolds with all evidence and witness statements streamed from LA’s “municipal cloud,” a system that requires citizens to back up their devices. This information is displayed on a screen in front of Raven.

“Really long takes, very technical in terms of what we were shooting: what I could see that the audience would eventually be able to see, and what I couldn’t see that the audience would actually be able to see, understanding where various eyelines were, but all keeping it in one take and not being able to cut,” he explains. “Long scenes of dialog, vacillating through various states of emotion and adventure and tension and drama.”

During the trial, Raven is physically restrained in a chair with cuffs on his wrists and ankles, adding another layer of difficulty. “It was a big challenge. But then restricting yourself by having your hands and feet locked and being stuck in a chair all day, it was a challenge,” Pratt notes.

“I asked them to actually lock it so I could wrestle against it. And also, you know, if I was sweating and it was itching my face, I couldn’t scratch it. I thought those restrictions might lend themselves to a better performance.”

*Mercy* hits theaters on January 23.