This very well may be the shortest review I’ve ever written. Juror #2 (2024), Clint Eastwood’s most recent directorial effort (he also co-produces), very much leans on several legal dramas and thrillers from the past, most notably the classic 12 Angry Men, to great effect.
Twisting the above mentioned film in clever fashion, in some ways, recovering alcoholic Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) is a stand-in for Henry Fonda’s Juror #8, as he too stands up for the man being charged with murder. . . the only difference is, he soon realizes that he knows a bit more about the case than the rest of the jurors (and even he originally thought). Though this is not a twist filled feature (à la Usual Suspects), much of its entertainment comes from watching it unfurl as it goes along – hence why very little of the plot will be disclosed here. It is also worth noting that, unlike 12 Angry Men, screenwriter Jonathan A. Abrams opens the story wide, allowing us to hear testimony, explore the crime scene, and discover actual truths we never got to see in the 1957 motion picture.
Eastwood simply does away with much of the pomp and circumstance, every camera shot and placement utilized efficiently and effectively for the good of the performances and story – somewhat similar to Martin McDonagh’s recent filmography – think In Bruges and The Banshees of Inisherin. And rightly so, as he has assembled a most worthy group of actors that pull our attention in.
Kiefer Sutherland, who plays Larry Lasker in Juror #2, with Filmizon.com’s Nikolai Adams
Toni Collette channels her inner pitbull as Faith Killebrew, a feisty prosecutor looking to make a very public run for District Attorney (for those film noir fans, you might look to Edward G. Robinson’s 1955 role in Illegal for some early legal similarities). Thus, public defender Eric Resnick (Chris Messina) has his hands full with Killebrew’s mounting evidence and confidently forceful way. Then there’s J.K. Simmons as Herald, who, in many ways, is a juror who is quite similar to the prosecutor (but in the reverse), as his past as a retired homicide detective spurs him on to peel away the layers of what seem to be facts that might actually be hiding something more. To counterbalance the characters of Kemp and Herald, other jurors like perky Denice Aldworth (Leslie Bibb) and critical Marcus King (Cedric Yarbrough), for a plethora of reasons, see the man on trial as guilty – as do the others not mentioned. Lastly, Kiefer Sutherland must be highlighted as a lawyer and confidant of Kemp – as he is his Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor.
Playing with some of your typical assumptions of what you’d expect to see in a courtroom movie, Eastwood draws out the searing character drama and intense courtroom thrills to great effect (all in a slow burner type of way), making Juror #2 an excellent watch for fans of quality acting, gripping narratives, and contemplative themes that revolve around the justice system, its benefits as well as its flaws. So, don’t let this film’s lackluster box office numbers fool you, grab a seat on this jury and make your own decision.