He’s just a regular guy
Synopsis
While serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, a family man finds himself grappling with a serious moral dilemma, one he could use to influence the jury’s verdict and potentially convict or free the wrong killer. by Francesca Eastwood, the real-life daughter of the film’s director, Clint Eastwood. Killebrew: Sometimes you try to do the right thing only to realize you got it all wrong. And when you figure things out, you realize the guy you’re looking for isn’t a… psychopath. He’s not even really a criminal.
Faith Killebrew: This is no accident
Justin Kemp: What if it was an accident? Referenced in Open Bar: #120 – Glicked Dominates, Snow White Panic, Captain America Disaster (2024). Hard Livin’ Written by Chris Stapleton and Kendell Marvel Performed by Chris Stapleton Courtesy of Mercury Nashville Records Under license from Universal Music Enterprises. I always love to see a thriller with a good hook in theaters and Juror #2 intrigued me just by the basic premise. Clint Eastwood may be inconsistent as a director, but he has made so many certified classics that any film he directs deserves at least some attention. With this being his supposed last film, I had to believe that it would be something special and if this is indeed the case for him, he definitely ended on a high note.
The main character and it left me with conflicted feelings in all the right ways
Nicholas Hoult is great in a role that would demand a lot from any actor and his few scenes with Zoe Deutch really endeared me to this character. I love a good courtroom drama and the film managed to do a great job by making good use of its hook to eliminate all the tension in those scenes. I was constantly intrigued to see where things would go and it left me with one of the best questions you can have after any movie: what would I do in the same situation? The script has a lot to say about the justice system and it’s inherent flaws, and I was very happy that the film didn’t end on a stereotypically happy note, but rather on a rather bittersweet note that left it as conflicted as everything else up until that point. The commentary isn’t always as deep as it tries to be, though, with many observations ending up feeling rather shallow. A lot of that comes down to the supporting cast, particularly the other jurors, who ended up feeling one-note with very little depth.
I’m done with this stuff
They felt like conduits to provide commentary rather than fully-fledged characters, and their dialogue started to feel hokey to me very quickly. I also wish the overall technical craftsmanship was a bit stronger. Eastwood is a legend for a reason, but I just wish he did more interesting things behind the camera here. The way the central dilemma is revealed is rather underwhelming, and there were parts of the second act that started to drag for me because of how repetitive many of the courtroom scenes could be. But there’s nothing that offends me, it’s fantastically edited with a very good soundtrack, but I just couldn’t help but wonder what a director with a slightly more distinct visual style could have done. Juror #2 was exactly what I wanted it to be and I think it’s a travesty that Warner Bros.
has no interest in pushing it properly
It’s consistently fascinating and intriguing because it always makes the most of its premise. I wish the commentary was deeper and the technique a little stronger, but it’s nice to see a director of Eastwood’s caliber dedicate himself to something as quiet and meditative as this. We don’t get enough movies like this these days and it deserves so much more than the way Warner Bros. treated it. Looking for something different to add to your watchlist?