Juror #2 ~ Review

Throughout Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2, characters say variations on the phrase “the justice system isn’t perfect, but it’s what we have.” They say this either with a resigned sigh or full-throated conviction. However, the film angrily argues that this system was created by flawed individuals and as such there are systemic problems that need to be addressed. To wit, can justice be served if a “bad person” is held accountable for a crime they did not commit? Eastwood delivers this message in an extremely entertaining courtroom drama, and it is one of the year’s best films.

Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) is a recovering alcoholic. As the film opens, he and his pregnant wife Allison (Zoey Deutch) are awaiting the arrival of his daughter. It hasn’t been an easy pregnancy, but they are trying to let some joy into their lives. Kemp has been summoned for jury duty. While Justin would rather be available to help his wife, he unfortunately gets picked to be a juror at the trial of James Sythe (Gabriel Basso) who allegedly murdered his girlfriend. The prosecutor is politically minded Faith Killebrew (Toni Collette) who is currently running for the D.A.’s office and has a laser focus on convicting Sythe. Eric Resinick (Chris Messina) is Sythe’s public defender and is convinced of his client’s innocence. 

As the trial begins, the case seems open and shut, but Justin realizes to his horror he’s deeply connected to the case. To say any more would be spoilers, but suffice it to say the film twists and turns in ways you don’t expect. The second act is the jury deliberation process follows the template laid down by 12 Angry Men and allows a murderer’s row (pun intended) of character actors (J.K. Simmons, Leslie Bibb, Cedric Yarbough, Adrienne C. Moore, Chikako Fukuyama, Onix Serrano, Jason Coviello, Zele Avradopoulos, and Drew Scheid) to play their characters to the hilt. Kiefer Sutherland is also around as Justin’s AA sponsor.

The script by Jonathan A. Abrams is tight as a drum and keeps you guessing until the last minute while remaining deeply human. No character in the film feels like a caricature. Everyone is deeply flawed and trying to do the best they can. This is all anchored by Nicolas Hoult’s performance, where a decent man tries to do the right thing without his life falling apart. Toni Collette brings nuance to a role that, in lesser hands, could have been a cartoon – but she brings humor and warmth to the cold and calculating Killebrew.

Eastwood directs with his usual understated style but adds some stylistic flourishes as he will jump in and out of flashbacks during the courtroom sections, or crosscut between the defense and prosecution’s opening and closing remarks. This keeps the courtroom stuff moving at a nice clip and prevents it from being too repetitive. If this is indeed Eastwood’s final film, it’s a good one to end on.

For reasons only the higher-ups at Warner Brothers understand, this film is barely playing in theaters (reportedly it’s only playing in 50 theaters nationwide for a week). Which is a shame. This is the type of movie we should be demanding – a drama for adults. It’s not a film that feels like homework.

Juror #2 is an angry film about the systemic blinders in our justice system. It’s all too easy to point the power of the state at the individuals who “appear” to be guilty, but all too often the guilty ones are the people you least expect. 

Four out of Four Stars