While at its heart, Eastwood’s suspense-laden film is about how easily we can all reshape our moral compass when self-preservation is threatened, Juror #2 also unpicks the very concept of justice. Juror #2 will be available on digital platforms starting December 2.
Clint Eastwood has sat in the director’s chair over forty times during his extensive and impressive career, and while he might be in his mid-90s and this could be his final film, his skill in crafting a movie shows no signs of diminishing.
Juror #2 is a courtroom thriller that would have struck box office gold back in the mid-90s, but one that nowadays, sadly, tends to slip onto streaming platforms rather than gracing our cinema screens. That may be why Warner Bros. was less than interested in the theatrical release of Juror #2. Eastwood’s movie would only be released in approximately 40 American cinemas, and while it gained more screens in Europe, it suffered from a lack of publicity on both sides of the Atlantic. The treatment of Juror #2 is symptomatic of a studio system that is only interested in focus groups, franchises, and what it believes people want: effects, effects, bangs, and more effects. Studios are content to sit on dramas like Juror #2 as prime streaming content, rather than giving them the big-screen treatment they deserve; therefore, it’s no surprise Eastwood’s film has arrived on digital quickly after its limited theatrical release.
From the title, you might expect a twisty and knotty John Grisham-esque story; however, while there are elements of Grisham’s panache for tension, writer Jonathan A. Abrams takes a very different approach as he plays his cards within the first thirty-five minutes. It’s a brave move, but it focuses the audience’s minds on the moral and ethical questions at the heart of the story, as Abrams asks ”What is justice?” and “What happens when our belief in justice comes face to face with our primal need for self-preservation?”
Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) is a magazine writer and is soon to be a father: he is a decent, hardworking middle-class man who loves his wife, Allison (Zoey Deutch), with all his heart and is eager to finally start a family after the loss of their first child due to pregnancy complications. When Justin is called for jury service, the timing couldn’t be worse. Allison needs him around, and he wants to spend his time caring for her and the baby. But there is no escaping his duties, and he can only hope the case is a clear-cut and quick decision.
However, Justin soon discovers the trial in question is a murder charge revolving around a working-class ex-gang member, James (Gabriel Basso), who is accused of killing his girlfriend after an argument at a local bar. Witnesses saw him chase her out of the bar and into the parking lot, where their argument continued. Her body was found in a ditch alongside a busy road the following day, with the prosecutor Faith Killebrew (Toni Collette) claiming she was bludgeoned in an open-and-shut murder case. However, as the case details are revealed in court, a memory springs back to life in Justin’s mind. He was in that bar that night and witnessed the argument, and then, when driving home, he hit what he thought was a deer. As Justin’s memories are pulled into focus, his moral compass is challenged as he silently asks, “What if I did it?”
Hoult offers us an engaging and utterly compelling performance as a man suddenly torn in two as he faces the prospect that a woman’s death, accidental or not, could be his responsibility. To add to the pressure he faces, we soon discover Justin is a recovering alcoholic and that on the night in question, while grieving the loss of his first child, his sobriety nearly came toppling down. Seeking the confidential advice of his AA group leader (Kiefer Sutherland), who is also a lawyer, a series of stark decisions are laid out before him. Can he let an innocent man pay the ultimate price?
While at its heart, Eastwood’s suspense-laden film is about how easily we can all reshape our moral compass when self-preservation is threatened, Juror #2 also unpicks the very concept of justice. From the outset, the jurors present are keen on achieving a quick result, and as discussions ensue, it becomes clear that each carries their own biases and preconceptions. Marcus (Cedric Yarbrough) has seen far too many young boys lost to the gang that the accused was a part of, while Yolanda (Adrienne C. Moore) wants to get home and doesn’t want to discuss the evidence endlessly, as he is clearly the murdering kind. Meanwhile, Killebrew (Collette) needs a quick guilty verdict as she runs for the district attorney’s office.
Throughout its runtime, Eastwood and Abrams ask whether justice is wholly unbiased or evidence-based. They also ask whether someone’s background, image and class remain at the heart of many police investigations as they search for an instant and easy result, no matter the price someone may pay.
Engrossing in the moral and ethical questions it raises, Eastwood bows out on a high note if Juror #2 is, indeed, his final picture. Juror #2 is a courtroom drama designed to make you think and debate on the walk home from the cinema. It is the kind of film we need more of on our big screens, not less!
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