Juror #2 (2024)
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Premise: An expectant father (Nicholas Hoult) is drafted to serve on the jury of a murder trial in which the defendant is accused of killing his girlfriend. The juror realizes that he accidentally killed the girlfriend in a hit and run.
What Works: Juror #2 is essentially a morality play. After establishing the principal characters and making them empathetic, the film reveals the truth of the killing right away. The defendant may be a bad guy but he did not commit this crime while the juror who is otherwise a good man is guilty. The drama works on two tandem tracks. First we have the jury’s deliberation in which they weigh the evidence and evaluate the prosecutor’s case. This plays as a standard legal drama. We know the truth and wait to see if their deliberations will convict an innocent man. The other dramatic track is with Nicholas Hoult’s character as he wrestles with his guilt. Here the filmmakers do something interesting and even subversive. The juror is established as a good and likable man but we also know he is guilty. The filmmakers put us on the side of Hoult’s character and even make us want him to get away with it. What is ultimately at issue in Juror #2 is the extent to which we really want to see justice done and whether justice exists in a specific and causal way or if it should be considered in a larger context, the wholeness of someone’s life. There is also a political layer. The prosecutor (Toni Collette) is running for district attorney and the outcome of this case will make or break her campaign. The prosecutor comes around to the truth but she is hampered by her ambition. And this element of Juror #2 asks whether any of the larger considerations matter, if they are empty justifications that we tell ourselves to get what we want. Juror #2 is solidly and efficiently produced. The filmmakers streamline the court proceedings by crosscutting the defense and prosecution’s turns and special attention is played to the reactions of Hoult’s character. Nicholas Hoult is terrific in the film, revealing a lot through subtle mannerisms and expressions.
What Doesn’t: Juror #2 frequently impugns its credibility. Not only is Nicholas Hoult’s character drafted onto the jury of a crime he committed but he is in the bar on the night in question and witnesses the couple’s fight. It’s a ridiculous premise with far too many coincidences. The filmmakers get away with it because those coincidences are contained within the first act of the story. Other credibility issues creep up later. One of the jurors (J.K. Simmons) is revealed to be a retired police officer, a revelation that comes as a surprise to the other jurors as well as the attorneys in the case. The resolution of the trial includes a significant reversal that undoes the titular character’s efforts.
Disc extras: Available on the Max streaming service.
Bottom Line: Implausibilities notwithstanding, Juror #2 is a smart and well-made film. It has a bit more going on than the typical courtroom drama with implications for the way we conceive guilt and innocence and Juror #2 has a stellar performance by Nicholas Hoult.
Episode: #1032 (January 19, 2025)