"Juror #2" is one of the best films of 2024

December 30, 2024

Courtesy: MAX

Juror #2 is the riveting legal thriller that follows a Georgian journalist, Justin Kemp, played by Nicholas Hoult, who is serving jury duty on a high-profile murder trial, facing a moral dilemma when he soon realizes that he may be responsible for the victim's death. The film, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, had its limited theatrical release on November 1 and its global streaming debut exclusively on MAX on December 20.

The film is co-produced and directed by the legendary Clint Eastwood with a screenplay by Jonathan Abrams in what may be Eastwood's last. Eastwood's long-tenured partnership with Warner Bros. has spanned decades, including commercial successes The Mule (2018), Sully (2016), and American Sniper (2014).

The series stars:

• Nicholas Hoult as Justin Kemp

• Toni Collette as Faith Killebrew

• J. K. Simmons as Harold Chicowski

• Chris Messina as Eric Resnick

• Gabriel Basso as James Michael Sythe

• Zoey Deutch as Allison "Ally" Crewson

• Cedric Yarbrough as Marcus King

• Leslie Bibb as Denice Aldworth

• Kiefer Sutherland as Larry Lasker

• Amy Aquino as Judge Thelma Hollub

• Adrienne C. Moore as Yolanda

• Zele Avradopoulos as Irene

• Bria Brimmer as Wood

• Jason Coviello as Luke

• Francesca Eastwood as Kendall Carter

• Chikako Fukuyama as Keiko

• Rebecca Koon as Nellie

• Hedy Nasser as Courtney

• Drew Scheid as Brody

• Onix Serrano as Eli

Courtesy: MAX- Toni Collette and J.K Simmons

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. This has been Eastwood's mantra for decades showcasing diversified, nuanced storytelling that has seen the iconic actor, director, and producer, both in front and behind the camera, to generations of audiences from the start of his illustrious career. Juror # 2 is no exception. In a genre where special effects, blood, gore, and sensationalism have dominated the theatrical and streaming scope, here comes Juror # 2 to remind us what a good ole' fashion thriller is with incredible acting from Holt and the perceptive eye of Eastwood.

What justice looks like is the question the film morally asks, and where and when should it be served is the other question. The film is refreshingly crisp when Kemp realizes he may be the killer. To what lengths does he go to cover his tracks when the evidence presented to protect the defendant is thin, at best. Hoult plays his part to perfection. He and his wife are expecting and he's a recovering alcoholic who was at the same bar where the defendant and his girlfriend were last seen before she was killed. Kemp is caught between being honorable and self-preservation.

Courtesy: MAX- Nicholas Holt and Clint Eastwood Behind the Scenes

Toni Collete shines as the shrewd prosecutor using this case for a win to be district attorney, and Eastwood fills Kemp's character arc through much-needed flashbacks to fill in the questions of what happened on that fateful night. The gripping flashbacks make Kemp sympathetic as Hoult provides the emotional pathos to make you root for him, but is it enough to let justice slide if he is willing to send a presumably innocent man to prison for a crime, he knows he committed?

At 94 years old, this may be Eastwood's final film he directed, and if it is, it is arguably one of the best films of 2024.

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Juror #2 is currently streaming on MAX.

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