Mercy (in theaters)

We’re all used to generic copies of popular movies. In the old days, they would be released on DVD and show up in the $5 bin. These days, they show up on Tubi or in the back catalog of a paying streaming service. 

Occasionally, if it’s a slow time of year for Hollywood, they end up in theaters. This is the case with “Mercy,” a minority report knockoff with a healthy scoop of your preferred “Did I kill my wife” movie of choice. It technically includes a lot of action, but feels oddly bloodless since it makes heavy use of the “everything will be shown secondhand on an in-universe screen” trick to cut down the budget. Add a clueless premise and acting that’s mid-level at best, and you’ll get a movie you’ll forget as soon as the credits start rolling. 

The movie is set in a world where the entire city has been convinced in the reliability of an A.I. court system, which is hard to swallow when even an A.I. Google search is no longer reliable. The token on-screen human is Chris Pratt’s detective character, who was once the system’s champion but now is about to be executed for the murder of his wife. He’s got 90 minutes to prove he didn’t do it, all of which he spends strapped to a chair and communicating with the world through screens. 

It might have actually been more interesting if it had stayed a murder trial. Unfortunately, the plot expands in exactly the way you’d expect if you’re at all familiar with movie A.I. entities. It also might have been more interesting starring a really good actor, since a really gripping performance could have distracted from the screen-only action problem and some of the more ludicrous aspects of the script. But all we’re left with is Chris Pratt, who is a serviceable actor but not a nuanced one. 

If you’re at all interested, wait until it’s disappeared into the depths of Amazon’s streaming. It’ll be there soon enough. 

Grade: One and a half stars

Standout: The Ben Kjar Story (in theaters)

The best sports stories are inspiring and have just the right amount of grit. 

“Standout: The Ben Kjar Story” hits the spot in both categories, and even has the added benefit of being true. The documentary follows the locally well-known wrestler from his early years to his life today, balancing tragedy with humor and heart. It gets a little sentimental at times, but always pulls back at just the right moment to tell a great story. 

Kjar, a Davis County resident, was born with a rare craniofacial disorder that should have made wrestling an impossibility. Determined to follow his dream, however, he faces surgeries, bullying, and other challenges in order to build the life he wants for himself. 

It’s not quite as engrossing as a fictional version of the story would be, but there’s a bracing honesty that the same fictional version would lack. It’s only got a limited run in Megaplex theaters, so if you’ve got a soft spot for sports stories you don’t want to miss this one. 

Grade: Three stars

Jenniffer Wardell is an award-winning movie critic and member of the Denver Film Critics Society and the Utah Film Critics Association. Drop her a line at [email protected].