Juror #2 (2024)
94-year-old Clint Eastwood has had a
diverse, multi-Oscar winning career as a director. In an era where there is
much hand-wringing about the absence of adult-oriented dramas in cinemas,
Eastwood has just made an excellent one in his new film Juror #2. The
only problem is that many potential viewers may not be aware of its release
because Warner Bros, a studio Eastwood has made a lot of money for over the
years, decided to give it only a minimal release with virtually no marketing.
Nicholas Hoult plays Justin Kemp, a
recovering alcoholic serving as a juror on a murder trial. He realizes the
young woman's body was found close to where he thought he hit a deer on a rainy
night while coming home from a bar. Kemp is a recovering alcoholic with
multiple DUI convictions. He did not drink at the bar that night; he just
bought a drink and stared at it while mourning his wife's miscarriage.
Kemp consults his AA sponsor (Kiefer
Sutherland), who happens to be an attorney. The sponsor explains that with
Kemp's history of alcoholism and DUIs, no one would believe it was an accident
or that he was sober. As a result, he would almost certainly face a long prison
sentence. So Kemp tries to convince the jurors to acquit the murdered woman's
boyfriend (Gabriel Basso), a young man with his own troubled past, without
alerting them to his own culpability.
Juror #2, featuring a strong
script by Jonathan Abrams, serves as a multi-layered criticism of the American
justice system. Everyone involved is colored by their own biases and interests,
and the system is filled with perverse incentives. Some of the jurors just want
to go home so they will go along with whatever will help them achieve that goal
the quickest. The accused is facing a longer prison sentence because he dared
go to trial instead of accepting a plea deal. The public defender (Chris
Messina) is overwhelmed by his case load and unable to devote too much time to
the case. The prosecutor (Toni Collette) is running for district attorney and
needs a guilty conviction to help her win the election.
While the film acknowledges everyone's
bias, part of what makes it work is that it makes viewers understand and
empathize with why everyone is behaving the way they are. Even a minor
character like an elderly witness is treated with empathy and compassion.
The performances are top-notch across
the board. Hoult successfully conveys Kemp's inner torment—he doesn't want to
let an innocent man go to jail but he also doesn't want to leave his wife and
newborn child without a husband and father because of something he did by
accident. Collette also does a good job of conveying the doubts that slowly
cross her mind about her case. The typically excellent JK Simmons also does
strong work as a juror who is a retired homicide detective.
It is unknown how long Juror #2 will
be in theaters, so hurry to AMC Elmwood to see it on the big screen while you
can. It might just be the end of a legendary directorial career. If so, it's a
fine note for Eastwood to go out on.
