Despite a poor theatrical performance, the Sci-Fi thriller Mercy starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson, is experiencing a surge in popularity on Video on Demand platforms such as Apple TV and Prime Video, potentially mitigating some of its box office losses.
This year is good for Sci-Fi films, with a few major Sci-Fi movie franchises, such as Dune and Star Wars, releasing new entries in theaters. Although there are many high-profile releases, 2026's Sci-Fi movies are not all from hit franchises, with multiple original projects, which is the case for Pratt and Ferguson's recent team-up.
Mercy was released in theaters on January 23, 2026. The film debuted to negative reviews, with Mercy currently standing at a disappointing 24% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, which gives the Sci-Fi movie the Rotten status. The negative reviews would end up being the first sign of a box office flop. After that, Mercy debuted on VOD on February 17, just 25 days after its theatrical debut. While the star-studded Sci-Fi movie was a box office flop, Mercy is currently the 3rd most-watched movie on the Apple TV store in the United States, according to FlixPatrol, becoming an instant hit on VOD. Additionally, the Sci-Fi thriller is also the 20th most-watched movie on the Prime Video store, and it should continue to climb the charts as more become aware of the film following its recent digital release. On the Apple TV store, Mercy is only surpassed by 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, another movie that was a box office flop but is now finding new life on VOD, and Sydney Sweeney's The Housemaid, which was a hit in theaters and has led to a sequel being quickly greenlit. The former had a similar theatrical-to-digital pipeline as the Sci-Fi movie. Mercy's worldwide box office run ended at $53.4 million. With a reported budget of $60 million, the Sci-Fi movie needed to land in the $120 million to $150 million range just to break even. As such, despite starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson, the movie lost the studio millions. However, with Mercy's newfound success on VOD in the United States, the losses can be diminished. Mercy's success on digital makes sense based on one statistic. While the Sci-Fi movie holds a negative 24% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, the 2026 release has a much more positive audience score, which currently sits at a high 83%. As more viewers discover the movie on VOD, Mercy's public perception might shift to positive despite its box office flop status. Screen Rant Report: Subscribe and never miss what matters Dive into the world of movies and TV shows with Screen Rant, your source for news, reviews, and exclusive content. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. In ScreenRant's Mercy review, Gregory Nussen gave Mercy a 4 out of 10 rating, saying,"Its neoconservative outlook on these burgeoning sociopolitical questions is bland, absurd, and exceedingly silly." Mercy follows the story of Pratt's Chris Raven, a detective who has to prove to an AI judge that he did not kill his wife, or he will be executed. Mercy's VOD run has only begun. 8.6/10 Mercy 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed R Action Thriller Sci-Fi Release Date January 19, 2026 Runtime 100 minutes Director Timur Bekmambetov Writers Marco van Belle Producers Charles Roven, Majd Nassif, Robert Amidon, Timur Bekmambetov 6 Images Close Cast See All
Mercy Chris Pratt Rebecca Ferguson VOD Sci-Fi
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