I’ve really been looking forward to seeing JUROR #2, Clint Eastwood’s most recent directorial effort, since I first read about it a year or two ago. Any film from the aging icon is a gift to his fans at this point, so it seems appropriate that I watched it for the first time on Christmas Eve. I still don’t understand the release strategy for the film, considering it was released in a few theaters and then pushed out to streaming platforms a little over a month later. That seems strange for a movie with this kind of pedigree, but I guess that doesn’t really matter at this point. 

The plot revolves around Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult), a seemingly nice guy who’s going to be a dad any day now. I know that because his wife Allison (Zoey Deutch) looks like she could pop at any moment. He tries to use that pregnancy to get out of jury duty, but to no avail. Of course he gets selected to serve. As District Attorney Faith Killebrew (Toni Collette) begins laying out the facts of a horrific murder case against James Michael Sythe (Gabriel Basso), Justin begins to immediately realize that the wrong guy may have been arrested for the crime. How does he know they’ve got the wrong guy? Because Justin now thinks that he may be the one responsible for an accidental hit and run killing of the victim, Kendall Carter (Francesca Eastwood). The remainder of the film deals with Justin’s moral dilemma as he attempts to serve on the jury, protect his own freedom, and not send an innocent man to jail. This plot does require a pretty big suspension of disbelief, but if you’ll just go along with it, the movie does present some interesting ideas.

I’ll say right off the bat that I like JUROR #2. This was a relief to me because as much as I wanted to like Eastwood’s prior film CRY MACHO, at the end of the day it just wasn’t a very good movie. I’ve always enjoyed courtroom thrillers, and it doesn’t seem we get to see many of them anymore. Our main character Justin Kemp has a troubled past, but he’s truly turned his life around. The fact that he now finds himself in a seemingly impossible moral position is a strong hook that pulled me in. Director Eastwood takes his time here and tightens the grip on Justin, leaving him with few options, as he tries to figure out what to do. I’ve never served on a jury, and I’ve never really wanted to. I’m not sure I want the responsibility of deciding a person’s guilt or innocence. Eastwood’s film doesn’t change my mind in this area. It shows us some jurors who have made up their minds based on pre-conceived notions, regardless of the evidence. It shows us other jurors who want to convict just so the trial can be over and they can get on with their lives. It shows us witnesses who are willing to identity people just to please the prosecution. Considering what we know as the audience, these are glaring but realistic weaknesses of our nation’s system of justice. 

Eastwood assembled a good cast with Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons, and Kiefer Sutherland, actors that I always find worth watching. Hoult and Collette do most of the heavy lifting. JUROR #2 is set in Georgia, and I appreciate that Hoult, who’s from England, and Collette, who’s from Australia, don’t overdo the southern accents. J.K. Simmons is very impressive as an ex-cop who’s serving on the jury who is convinced of the defendant’s innocence. Unfortunately, his character exits the film fairly early, and he’s sorely missed. I’ve been a big fan of Kiefer Sutherland since I was a teenager, and I consider “24” one of my all time favorite shows. His role is pretty small here. He’s good, but from what I’ve read, he really just wanted to work with Eastwood. I also enjoyed seeing Gabriel Basso (Hillbilly Elegy) and Francesca Eastwood (Clint’s daughter) in the film. 

Clint Eastwood amazes me. In his legendary six decade career, he has been a part of some of the best films of all time. DIRTY HARRY, THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES, and UNFORGIVEN are included in my list of all-time favorites. JUROR #2 is not in their league, and it’s certainly not a perfect film. But it is an entertaining film that tells an interesting story and even makes you think a little bit. And with that I say, thanks for another gift, Clint!