Juror #2 – Movie Review (3/5)

JUROR #2 on Max is the new movie from Clint Eastwood. It’s worth watching due to the amazing cast and interesting story. However, it is not of Eastwood’s usual standard. That extra element and edge is just not there. Read our full Juror #2 movie review here!

JUROR #2 is a Max Original directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Clint Eastwood. Now, as a rule, I will watch anything by Clint Eastwood as even his worst is better than most other’s best. This one, however, does not feel very much like one of his movies.

Well, except for the obvious star-studded cast. No matter how small the role, each character is portrayed by someone you will most likely recognize. Whether face or name recognition, this cast shines. Just not as much as they could have, which is a shame.

Continue reading our Juror #2 movie review below. Find it exclusively on Max from December 20, 2024.

Justin Kemp is a torn man

The title character in Juror #2 is family man Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult). As a juror, he ends up being part of a high-profile murder trial. As he hears the elements of the case, a serious and seemingly impossible moral dilemma comes up.

He has information about the case, which results in him having the power to either convict or free the accused killer. Whatever he decides, it could fall back on him and his family in some way.

The man on trial is James Michael Sythe (The Night Agent‘s Gabriel Basso). He isn’t a good guy. In fact, he has done plenty to land him in jail already. Should that influence what Justin decides or only the cold hard facts?!

The law is clear on this, but most of the people serving on the jury alongside Justin aren’t. Among the other jurors, we find characters played by Leslie Bibb (Jupiter’s Legacy), Adrienne C. Moore (Orange Is the New Black), Chikako Fukuyama, Cedric Yarbrough, and Drew Scheid.

Portraying the wife of Justin Kemp is Zoey Deutch (Zombieland: Double Tap). She is mostly on the outside of everything going on, as he can’t speak about the trial. Right up until the moment when she does become involved indirectly.

Amazing cast let down by the script

With Nicholas Hoult and Toni Collette in the two most important roles, Juror #2 was off to a brilliant start. Add to that the fact that Clint Eastwood is a director, and you have what – on paper anyway – is an immediate Oscar contender.

Unfortunately, that edge we’ve come to expect from Clint Eastwood movies isn’t there. I blame the screenplay as the director and certainly, all the actors in this cast have impressive track records.

Alongside the always wonderful Nicholas Hoult (The Menu), we also have Oscar-winner J.K. Simmons and Emmy-winner Kiefer Sutherland. Working as the defense lawyer –across from Toni Collette’s prosecutor – is Chris Messina (Based on a True Story, I.S.S.).

And if there’s an actor who should have an Oscar already, it’s Toni Collette. She’s been nominated once for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Sixth Sense (1999) and has been delivering one amazing performance after the next.

Both before (1994’s Muriel’s Wedding comes to mind) and ever since. Everything from Little Miss Sunshine and The Night Listener to Hereditary. I will never accept that Toni Collette wasn’t even nominated for an Academy Award for Hereditary.

Watch Juror #2 on Max!

This may be the final movie directed by Clint Eastwood and with his impressive resumé, I think both he and we can live well with that. The screenplay comes from Jonathan A. Abrams (producer of Escape Plan) and unless something went sideways during editing, he should do better.

I was immediately reminded of  Jeffrey Archer’s “The Perfect Murder” from the short story collection “A Twist in the Tale”. Juror #2 is very different, but mostly because it doesn’t have that added twist and edge. So, not in a good way.

Many other courtroom/jury stories have similar stories. What sets that apart is the unexpected. Sure, the very final scene of Juror #2 was strong. I really liked that. It just wasn’t quite enough for me.

Even if I wasn’t very impressed by the story in Juror #2, I was still entertained and fascinated during the runtime. I just kept waiting for something that never came. That final element that sets it apart from everything else.

Something I believe most of us have come to expect from Clint Eastwood. Not unlike movies by M. Night Shyamalan. Maybe it’s not fair, but it is what it is. And it’s also the reason why we seek out their movies to watch.

JUROR #2 makes its global streaming debut on Max on December 20, 2024.

Details

Director: Clint Eastwood
Script: Jonathan Abrams
Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons, Chris Messina, Gabriel Basso, Zoey Deutch, Cedric Yarbrough, Leslie Bibb, Kiefer Sutherland, Amy Aquino, Adrienne C. Moore