Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Clint Eastwood’sJuror #2is the fourth film he has debuted at the AFI Film Festival, joiningJ. Edgar,American Sniper, andRichard Jewell. The riveting courtroom drama was the festival’s closing night film. The star-studded cast is led by the reunion of Toni Collette and Nicholas Hoult, who shared the screen for the first time since the 2002 filmAbout a Boy, who stars alongside J.K. Simmons and Chris Messina.
Juror #2Review
Juror #2follows family man Justin Kemp, who is serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial and struggles with the moral dilemma where he could use his truth to sway the jury verdict to potentially convict or free an innocent man. The script is the debut feature film for Jonathan A. Abrams.
With any courtroom drama, you hope to build intensity, which results in two powerhouse attorneys attempting to win the case. However, Abrams decided to take a different approach by having James Sythe, who is on trial for murdering his girlfriend, get a mediocre public defender and take on the powerhouse district attorney.
New Clint Eastwood Movie ‘Juror No. 2’ Gives Away a Major M. Night Shyamalan Level Plot Twist in the Trailer Itself
I like what Abrams was trying to do by highlighting the faults of our justice system, but I don’t feel like he pushed hard enough. Instead, we are honed in on Justin Kemp’s moral battle of trying to figure out whether he wants to tell the truth. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I wanted Abrams to push the envelope a little more.
As Kemp realizes what is unfolding in front of his eyes, you would expect him to make the best decision for himself and his wife. In my opinion, it should’ve been the easiest decision of his life, but that would’ve been a five-minute movie. Even with those minor quips, I still found myself invested in Abrams’s script.
“Why was Harry Styles cast in first place”: We Can’t Complain About One Direction Star Losing His Role in Nosferatu to Nicholas Hoult
As for the cast, Nicholas Hoult stands out amongst the crowd because he has the meatiest role. Hoult had a lot to juggle as Justin Kemp. He is a recovering addict, dealing with the trauma of his wife miscarrying, about to be a dad again while also facing a moral battle of figuring out the truth behind what he potentially did. It was A LOT. Hoult felt more relatable (and widely vulnerable) in the moments he shared with the jurors than when he did in any other element of the film. It had much to do with the reality of his situation, and Hoult conveyed that perfectly.
The rest of the cast was fine? Toni Collette had a horrendous accent that I couldn’t pass. I also felt her character (the district attorney) was massively underwritten. Among the jurors, we had J.K. Simmons, who seemed to have something brewing but was severely underused. The only other person that stood out was Chris Messina, who played the public defender. Messina may never be the guy leading the charge, but you’re able to guarantee he will thrive when he is on the screen.
Two big things that shocked me about the film were how funny it was and how the runtime felt like a breeze. While some may find the jury deliberations corny, I found them to be quite humorous. A packed crowd at the AFI Film Festival got plenty of genuine laughs from the wide range of characters in the jury pool. It balanced well off the film’s serious tone. As for the runtime, Eastwood’s films can be a bit of a slog, but the pacing here was magnificent as the almost two-hour film flew by.
Here AFI Fest Review — A Frustrating Waste of a Good Premise
IsJuror #2worth watching?
At the end of the day,Juror #2isn’t out here to win awards, and that is perfectly fine. Not every movie needs to have some sort of awards motivation behind it.Juror #2is a solid courtroom drama that has a few solid twiststhat keep you invested from start to finish. I do wish it pushed the envelope and was a little more meatier, but I enjoyed it for what it was, and I believe most of the general audience will do the same. When the film hits MAX, toss it on and thank me later.
Juror #2 screened at the 2024 edition of AFI Fest, which runs October 23-27 in Los Angeles, CA. It will be released in theaters on November 1.
Juror #2 AFI Fest Review — An Effective Courtroom Drama
Richard Valero
Articles Published :103
Ricky Valero is based in Nashvile, TN. He has a huge passion for film and tv. He is a proud member of the Critics Choice Association . While not watching movies, he has a huge love for crappy reality dating shows.
