Legendary director and American icon Clint Eastwood’s latest film, Juror #2, is perhaps one of his most interesting works to date. Being primarily known for Westerns, Eastwood tries his hand at a courtroom drama, and the result is a simple yet captivating thriller with a very intriguing moral dilemma.
Juror #2 follows a high profile trial in Savannah, Georgia, in which James Michael Sythe (Gabriel Basso) is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Kendall Carter (Francesca Eastwood). But of course, the primary focus of this film is the jury. In particular, Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) is selected to the jury and realizes in horror that he may be the killer after remembering a car accident he had the previous year. The movie can basically be broken down into two parts: the trial and the deliberations. During the trial, lead prosecutor Faith Killebrew (Toni Collette) and public defender Eric Resnick (Chris Messina) argue their cases very entertainingly. There are many flashbacks during this part which show what really happened that night, and they were so seamlessly integrated into the trial that it gets the audience hooked right away. The editing during the trial was great all-around, as there were also many quick cuts between the prosecution and defense that keep the audience engaged.
The real heart of Juror #2, however, comes from the jury deliberations. Justin is facing a very tough moral dilemma, as he knows information about this case, which could change the outcome but could also cost him everything. Justin is clearly very stressed during this entire trial, which is exemplified by Nicholas Hoult’s outstanding acting. Initially, Justin is the only jury member to vote to acquit, and he has a tall task in convincing the others, as the sharp and clever dialogue during the deliberation scenes is outstanding. Of course, Justin has to work hard to walk the line between defending Sythe’s innocence and looking suspicious. This becomes a problem when fellow juror Harold (J.K. Simmons) suspects that something is up. From this point on, Justin has to jump through many hoops to make sure a verdict is reached, one way or another. Although the ending is rather unsatisfying, this section of Juror #2 is what makes it a very good movie.
Nicholas Hoult’s performance is great in this movie, but the acting of the rest of the cast is also superb. While the entire jury has incredible performances, Cedric Yarbrough, who plays juror Marcus, makes the most of his little screen time and is a standout for sure. Zoey Deutch, who plays Justin’s wife, also deserves a mention, as she has some intense emotional scenes where her anger and sadness can be felt.
Juror #2 is certainly suspenseful, owing to its snappy dialogue, fantastic acting, and Mark Macina’s haunting score. But it is more than just an average thriller, as the ethical dilemmas it explores are both interesting and difficult. Although it’s not perfect, Juror #2 is definitely worth a watch, either in a theater or when it comes to Max on December 20th.
4/5 Stars