Mercy: An Interview with Annabelle Wallis

On AI and the Court System You know, I think it has very close parallels to, you know, the truth of the world that we’re living in now—the rise of AI and technology advancing at such a fast pace, and none of us really knowing what our fate is if we don’t step in and control that. But the idea that a court system can be run by AI, I think is a very... is a truth that’s very close to home.

On the Script and Global Decisions The film is foreshadowing things that are... that are already here, you know? And maybe by the time it comes out... I’m quite scared to think about it that way. But yeah, lots of parallels to how we’re living now and how we’re propelling very fast into this unknown future. Reading this script really made me aware of how important it is to, you know, think about the decisions we’re all making globally with this technology that is so powerful. And yeah, the moral and social consequences of where you place it. And it’s really in our hands, so the film to me felt very important, very current.

On Director Timur Bekmambetov Timur Bekmambetov is our fearless leader. He was one of the reasons that I was so excited to read the script, because I knew he was involved. He’s an auteur in so many ways; he has such a unique style. He’s from day one, from his first film that really put him on the map like Night Watch and Day Watch to his more recent stuff, Profile. He really is a visionary, has such a singular vision. And to handle the world—and again, to think in a future sense as a filmmaker and handle this future world and have a vision for it—he’s kind of mapping out a visual landscape that none of us have really seen before. So I was very excited to work with Timur and really get to step into his mind and into the way that he was going to, God, create this world for us. And I think it’s been really incredible.

On the Visual Style (IPhones and Body Cams) Stylistically it’s very unique because we go from, you know, one take will be using... there’ll be a handheld camera, then I will be filming myself with an iPhone camera, then there’ll be body cameras on police vests, there’ll be security images... and there’s, you know, it’s the voyeuristic culture that we’re in. That, you know, there isn’t many parts of the day that you’re not being filmed, observed, monitored... self-induced observation as well. And I think it’s really interesting to take an audience into a style of filmmaking that they are actually living in themselves, and to allow them to kind of step back and observe the way in which our world works from the voyeuristic perspective, and knowing that they are participants in it in their daily lives. So I think that’s just so interesting, it’s so exciting.

On her character, Nicole Raven I play Nicole Raven. She is married to Chris Raven. And what’s interesting about her is that when you meet her, you think she’s the classic, you know, wife of a dashing leading man. But then what starts to unravel through her story... she’s not who you think she is. A lot is revealed about her as the film goes on. So your hero is, you know, honoring his wife, and then he has to kind of find out some very uncomfortable truths and where that places him morally. And yeah, I think just to have a real honest relationship on screen, I really loved that aspect. You know, with Chris it was very easy to go into the great, wonderful light moments of marriage and the complicated, complex dark moments of marriage and family, and the complexities of life and the pressures of a crumbling society with a rise of crime. And yeah, I think again, it’s a relationship that really mirrors the pressures that most young couples globally will be under if we do not take the reins back from some of this decision-making that is being made for us, I think, you know, in terms of AI and all that.

On Chris Pratt (Chris Raven) Chris Raven is played by Chris Pratt. He is a classic anti-hero. You know, I think what’s so wonderful about his character and the way he plays it... Chris Pratt has such natural warmth and energy, and so to layer it with this suspicious character who morally has made some bad choices. But you know, I’m a real believer in redemption and I love a character that you can’t help but love; they’ve made mistakes, they are human and have flaws. And I think what’s so wonderful to observe when I see him play this part is the layering of who he is as a person—he’s such a good human being, such a good person—and to have this morally ambiguous character that he’s chosen to play on top of it. I just think it makes it so electric on screen, it makes it really interesting for the audience to... he’s really someone you want to root for, but he does pretty bad things. And I think audiences—we’re in the age of the anti-hero—and he’s a classic one. I think they’ll remember for a very long time.

Final Thoughts and Audience Takeaway I hope audiences walk away reflecting on their own life, their own decisions, their moral choices, their conviction about those choices, and that it is important to get all sides of the story. And, you know, we can tarnish each other with one brush and, as we find, there’s always more to the story. So I hope they enjoy going to an amazing movie and coming out and feeling morally conflicted and feeling as though they’re going to ask bigger questions about the choices they make, the way they interact with AI, and how they protect themselves moving forward. And yeah, just enjoy being reminded that actually, you know, the through-line to us all is the humanity aspect.