Beginning his directorial efforts in 1971 with his feature debut Play Misty for Me, Clint Eastwood has now become a household name in terms of both his acting and filmmaking. From best picture winner Million Dollar Baby (2004) to the DiCaprio-led J. Edgar (2011), the director’s filmography has spanned decades and despite mixed reception, is very well renowned. Largely expected to be his final directorial effort, Juror #2 stars Nicholas Hoult (The Menu), Toni Collette (Hereditary), Zoey Dutch (Zombieland: Double Tap) and J.K. Simmons (Whiplash), and focuses on a high profile murder trial. Justin Kemp (Hoult), whilst serving as a juror on the case, finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma… one he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict – or free – the accused killer. Helmed by excellent lead performances, Juror #2 is a competently made movie that despite having an interesting premise, shows its cards too early on which prevents it from packing a punch.
Courtroom dramas are often a favorite for film fans, though they do have to be done right to stand out amongst the crowd. As movies of this ilk rely almost solely on dialogue, the most important element is the script. Luckily, much of the dialogue delivered by the cast of Juror #2 is engaging, concise and thought-provoking. The moral dilemma aspect is easily the most notable, as we’re consistently kept on our toes as to which decision Justin will make. Furthermore, the trial itself presents quite an intriguing case. There is a little jargon in here when it comes to the law-based proceedings, but it’s nothing too strenuous and is easy to follow, helping Juror #2 to be as digestible as possible. There are moments when the dialogue wanes, usually during conversations between the jury when the cast expands, though this is largely down to line delivery rather than writing. With a few laughs to add in some moments of levity, the dialogue is strong enough to keep you invested throughout the entire run-time.
Juror #2 boasts an incredibly stacked cast, led by Nicholas Hoult as Justin. Delivering a particularly strong performance, Hoult is an exceptional lead who carries the movie with ease. A conflicted character who consistently toys with right from wrong, Justin is not only intriguing to follow but very complex, an individual we often can’t anticipate the next move of. Hoult encapsulates this perfectly, injecting much emotion into his turn. Toni Collette (Knives Out) is also stunning in her role as Faith Killebrew, a lawyer directly involved with the case. Despite actively working against the boyfriend of the deceased, the suspect on trial, her doubt often gets in the way as she spends more time delving into the case. Also unsure of how best to handle the situation, especially when the truth comes to light, Killebrew ends up with a moral dilemma of her own. The further the run-time progresses, the more impressive Collette becomes; delivering her courtroom dialogue beautifully, she is as tremendous as expected. The remainder of the cast is bulked out by Zoey Deutch, J.K. Simmons, Chris Messina (Birds of Prey) and the fantastic Kiefer Sutherland (Stand by Me), who do a great job despite receiving minimal screen time. It is a shame how underutilized they are, especially Sutherland, but with a cast this strong, the spotlight must be shared. Some of the supporting performances making up the rest of the jury are a little shaky, with some sub-par line delivery, but the prowess from Hoult and co. ensure this is largely forgivable.
Though an interesting premise is delivered here, the storytelling is what lets Juror #2 down, preventing it from becoming as memorable as it should be. The court case itself is gritty and engaging, we get a good balance of jury duty with Justin’s home life to give some character development, and the moral dilemma of the lead character gives it an edge that many law-based dramas lack. It is quite a unique spin to have a member of the jury know more about the case than they’re letting on, and it is enjoyable seeing this play out. However, the script shows its cards way too early on, letting us in on Justin’s secret within the first act of the movie. This reveal is strong but would lend itself much better to a mystery, which would leave us guessing and in turn create far more intrigue. As we know the truth behind the court case, it is hard to fully invest in the proceedings, with the only real question being whether Justin will come forward or not. This was also presented in the trailer, so many viewers will be disappointed that the feature length version of this story doesn’t provide much more to chew on. A dual timeline perspective is utilized, but it shows us the crime in its entirety very early on; it’s a shame that this technique isn’t used in a slower manner, leaving us to piece more together as it progresses. Due to the lack of mystery and showing its cards early on, the storytelling is good but never manages to reach great.
Though Juror #2 is not the most memorable effort from Clint Eastwood, it is a solid entry into his filmography. The filmmaking is relatively strong, boasting great performances (especially from Hoult), well captured courtroom sequences, interesting dialogue and a unique spin on the genre due to its exploration of morality and the corruption within the system. However, the story is ultimately lackluster due to a lack of intrigue surrounding the court case and subpar use of its dual timeline. Some finer tuning within the script, including a mystery or third act reveal, could’ve elevated Juror #2 tenfold. If this is Eastwood’s final movie, he won’t quite go out with a bang, but it’s still a good showcase of his talent.
