Juror #2

Juror #2
Starring Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons, Chris Messina
Directed by Clint Eastwood

People complain that theaters only show superhero movies and sequels of long-running IP, and to that end they have a point. While they complain about them, they'll still fill the seats to see them, no matter how bad they are. This leaves little room for actual original movies to get their place on the big screen, relegating them to the streaming services where many people won't get a chance to watch them. Such is with "Juror #2," a movie that is directed by Clint Eastwood (and might very well be his last before he retires) - a movie that got a very limited big screen showing before being dumped on Max, and a movie that is purely for the cinematic moviegoer, a film that doesn't spoon-feed you anything but forces you to make your own conclusions about the events that take place.

Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) is a doting husband who's expecting to be a father soon, and who finds himself summoned for jury duty. The case is a high-profile one: the murder of a woman seemingly at the hands of her abusive boyfriend, but things might not be all as it seems, as Justin finds himself thrust into the center of the case as the Assistant District Attorney Faith Killebrew (Toni Collette) and public defender Eric Resnick (Chris Messina) battle to prove or disprove the client's innocence.

Clint Eastwood as a director is definitely hit and miss, with most of his recent outings ("The Mule," "The 15:17 to Paris," "Cry Macho") basically failing, but "Juror #2" is a profound, tightly written movie that keeps you gripped from start to finish, a polished movie that feels out of place in today's cinematic landscape, and that's a positive thing.

A tight courtroom thriller, "Juror #2" finds the titular juror in the middle of a murder case that could change his whole life, as he discovers he's more involved in the case than he imagined. Nicholas Hoult had a great 2024 with this film, "Nosferatu" and the underwatched "The Order," and here he plays Justin Kemp, a mild-mannered husband with a wife who's about to give birth, and who is struggling with doing the right thing, even though it could end in disaster for his family. You see the tension in his expressions, the deep melancholy as he internally struggles with what to do, while doubting the events as well. This aids the audience to also doubt what we see, as the story is told through different perspectives, and as always, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Hoult reunites with his former mother in "About a Boy" Toni Collette, who does a great job as the prosecuting attorney who hopes this case will catapult her to government office, but also someone who deeply values truth and justice. She doesn't just see the corporate ladder, but she has a sense of honor above all else, and she begins to doubt her own case as she does her own investigative work. J.K. Simmons has a great supporting role as a fellow juror with his own secrets, while Chris Messina is charismatic as the defense attorney. All the performances are fantastic, as you'd expect.

It's the story that's the main driving force for the film, as it forces you to re-think what you see, and question whether or not it happened as they say it did. Essentially, you become a juror yourself as you weigh the evidence and come to your own conclusions, and this is one of those films you'll be talking about long after it ends, especially with the shocking ending it gives.

Going out on a high note, Clint Eastwood's "Juror #2" is a film that isn't made much anymore, a tight courtroom drama that forces you into the role of a juror as you determine who's guilty and innocent, filled with fantastic performances.

The Score: A+