Juror #2 (2024) is directed by Clint Eastwood and stars Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons, Cedric Yarbrough, Zoey Deutch, Kiefer Sutherland, Gabriel Basso, Leslie Bibb, Drew Scheid, Adrienne C. Moore, Chris Messina, Amy Aquino, Chikako Fukuyama, Hedy Nasser, and Jason Coviello. The film follows Justin Kemp (Hoult), a loving husband celebrating 4 years of sobriety who’s selected as a juror in a high-profile murder trial. When details of the case are revealed, Justin slowly realizes that he may have been personally involved. Struggling between implicating himself or convicting an innocent man, Justin attempts to navigate a thin moral line to convince the other jurors of the defendant’s innocence.

Hoult was fantastic in The Order earlier this year as a disarmingly charming white supremacist, so I’m impressed to report that he’s even better in this film. He’s perfect as this kind of everyman American husband who’s likable despite his flaws. He only seems to be improving as a lead performer and it makes me excited to see whatever he chooses to do next. This character could have easily become boring considering how often he silently broods/worries, but Hoult’s natural presence is strong enough to make the character compelling. 

 As for the supporting cast, no one particularly stands out besides Toni Collette as the trial’s prosecuting lawyer. She’s often typecast as the overbearing mother type, and although she’s great in those roles, she’s equally capable of taking on more serious and/or nuanced characters. The character’s arc acts as a subtle but effective foil to Justin’s journey, leading to a climax that delivers a clear thematic message. My slight problem with the remaining characters is that they’re written in a way that makes them feel like caricatures. Eastwood isn’t subtle about what he’s trying to say about the justice system, and each character feels like a tool to highlight a specific kind of thought process. This makes the themes of the film clear but sacrifices authentic characterization. 

This feels like a throwback to the mid-budget courtroom dramas that were the bread and butter of 90s cinema. It’s an approach I’ve seen countless times before, but it’s also been a while since I’ve seen it. That being said, this also feels like a throwback in a thematic sense. Eastwood’s thematic sensibilities focus on classic ideas such as what it means to be a patriot/American, but I was surprised by how great these play in the context of today. It takes a look at our nation’s imperfect justice system, unapologetically points out its flaws, but never forgets to remind us what made it so special to begin with.

At my core, I’ve never been a huge fan of the courtroom drama subgenre. That being said, I found Juror #2 to be one of the more compelling entries in the genre. The film takes a lot of inspiration from 12 Angry Men (1957) in its approach to a debating jury, but unlike that film, Juror #2 lacks a bit of necessary tension. Our main character holds on to a devastating secret for a majority of the runtime, but he never seems to be in any real danger of actually being found out. Yes, this is important because it makes Justin’s choice a clear matter of morals, but it sacrifices traditional excitement and I’m not sure that’s a fair trade.

One detail that’s sure to be talked about is how the film presents its characters of color as angry, jaded, and quick to condemn. At first glance, it would be easy to criticize Eastwood’s choice as an out-of-touch decision made by a white boomer, but the behavior of these characters makes a lot of sense when considering the historical context. It makes sense that minority communities would be more jaded toward a justice system that they rightfully see as less than equal. 

Overall, besides a few weak characters and the fact that the entire premise hinges on one huge coincidence, this is a serviceable throwback courtroom drama made by a director who has clearly mastered the craft. It lacks a good amount of traditional action/tension, but it makes up for it with the various ideas it gives the viewer to think about. It’s a little slow, but other than that, it delivers the goods story-wise and features a fantastic lead performance. B