The concept shown in Mercy’s first trailer has movie fans drawing parallels between director Timur Bekmambetov’s latest experiment in ScreenLife and Minority Report. That’s a comparison that needs to be put on the table as it’s too loud to ignore, but we’re not here to talk about that. Instead, I’d like to discuss something the second trailer for the film has convinced me could be a major selling point for this high octane crime thriller. As it turns out, Mercy just may be a perfect fit for another format on the rise – 4DX.

Strangely enough, my first experience with this new footage from Amazon-MGM Studios came from a conventional screening of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 this past weekend. You can now watch that new reel for yourself, and experience why this is a potentially a perfect fit for 4DX-citement: 

The fact that Chris Pratt’s Mercy character is confined to a chair makes for an effective foundation to build upon. Keeping in mind the design of the seat itself, there’s a lot of potential for the vibration in the seats to get very personal. Much as Sinners used 4DX to tweak certain effects to fit monologues by Wunmi Mosaku and Delroy Lindo, I’m already imagining the seat punctuating moments of Mr. Pratt’s struggle with jostling, and maybe a “shock” or two.

Kali Reis rides into action on an LAPD hoverbike in Mercy.

The Action Of Mercy Looks Super Kinetic

Another bit of fun that’s convinced me that Mercy could rule in 4DX are the various snippets of bodycam footage included. There’s going to be a lot of action to translate into the motion chairs; which gives the viewer a break from merely sitting in the Guardians of the Galaxy star’s shoes. Hoverbikes will put the in-theater fans to work, and that truck chase that sends an LAPD cruiser sailing off of a ramp could make for a pleasantly bumpy ride.

I can speak to that point from personal experience as well, as the previous trailer for this high tech nail biter has been shown in the 4DX format. Though it’s too early to tell, I do remember that the footage made Pratt’s Chris Raven pleading his case to AI judge Maddux (Rebecca Ferguson) all the more personal. Whether that early promise translates into a satisfactory finished product remains unseen.

It also helps that this picture is also being shown in 3D, which means our Mission: Impossible fan favorite performer’s face of judgement will truly get to stare into your soul. That factor poses another complication, as Mercy was “Filmed for IMAX.” So premium format loyalists will need to hand down a verdict of their own when booking tickets.

Mercy Could Be A Win For 4DX, And For ScreenLife

As anyone will tell you, the ScreenLife format has been trying to land a hit that could define it as a viable narrative device. Universal’s direct-to-streaming remake of War of the Worlds remake was a noticeable setback for the cause, but Mercy could deliver Timur Bekmambetov the blueprint for how this sort of movie could flourish.

The best part is, the 4DX format could see even greater success because of those efforts. That’s for you the audience to decide, when Mercy opens in theaters on January 23rd. In the meantime, 2025 will close out its calendar of moving and shaking thrills with Avatar: Fire and Ash, which lands at the box office next week – on December 19th.

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