Juror #2 Movie Review

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Clint Eastwood is, by far, one of the best. Whatever project he had a hand in, I was in. See this at the theater this weekend if the same can be said for you. You need to see it for the man and his legacy. It’s for that reason you won’t be disappointed. There is one spoiler below.

You want to be able to say, “I saw his last film in the theater.” He’s in his nineties and could be hanging up his directorial hat for that reason. I say that to say this: if you’re not an Eastwood enthusiast, wait to see this particular film at home. Unfortunately, you’ll miss the treat at your local theater, as this is a brilliant popcorn movie, to be sure, but your wallet will thank you. “Juror #2” did not fail in its attempt to thrill and excite. If you enjoy movies such as “The Firm,” based on the book by John Grisham, it has that kind of feel. It’s not better or worse than a Grisham tale; the legal stories unfolding sort of parallel to one another in how they’re presented to you. This is a real nailbiter that will fill you with anxiety, as are Grisham tales, but sadly, it’s predictable, which just might agitate you.

The score is beautiful and sets the overall tone for you. It improves the mood. It’s by Mark Mancina, a composer who has worked with Hans Zimmer’s Media Ventures. Mancina has scored over sixty films from “Training Day” to “Moana.” The music helps, but the story isn’t new. I liked the script, but it rolls out like many other mystery thrillers of its type. A quarter of the way into the feature, there isn’t much unknown left. It’s too routine… but with that being the case, you don’t mind. What is happening is done with expert hands, and you’re overjoyed to be watching.

The story is about Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult), who doesn’t want to be on a jury for which he received a summons. His pregnant wife could give birth at any moment, and she wants him there at home. But he isn’t dismissed. He becomes Juror #2. When the case is presented, there’s something familiar about what he hears. He hears the location of an accident and when this accident occurred and realizes he just may be the man who should be sitting on the stand, not James Michael Sythe (Gabriel Basso), who’s being blamed for his wife’s brutal murder. Kemp has a secret. What does he do with that knowledge, let a man go to prison for thirty to life, or take a chance that he himself will be, by sharing what he knows?

He asks his AA sponsor, Larry Lasker (Kiefer Sutherland), for advice. Sutherland got the role by writing to Clint Eastwood to let him know he was a fan of his work and hoped to be in one of his projects before the director retired. He has a small role as this character that meets no fundamental requirement to be there.

What goes on between the jurors is slow and can be anticipated. We’re not given much about any of the characters to make the film the more emotional story it could have been. There are compelling things you learn about the law to make putting up with the dullness worth watching the movie for, but only barely. We see excellent performances by the lead actors, especially Hoult. The story has a good ending, and the rest of the film isn’t half-bad, either, but could have been better. It’s good enough and worth seeing but, again, only at home. There may be no choice for you anyway as it’s playing in only a handful of theaters across the country.