‘Juror #2’ Review

Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons, Kiefer Sutherland, Zoey Deutch, Megan Mieduch, Adrienne C. Moore, Drew Scheid, Leslie Bibb | Written by Jonathan A. Abrams | Directed by Clint Eastwood

The courtroom has not only given out justice, but some of the very best films cinema has to offer. Legendary, and brilliant films such as 12 Angry Men, Witness for the Prosecution, Anatomy of a Murder, and my personal favourite, The Verdict. There was a time when the courtroom drama was a staple piece of the cinematic world, recently that staple has faded away… along with many other genres. The courtroom drama is hard to find in modern times, and Clint Eastwoods new film Juror #2, is also, in its own way hard to find. Limited screen releases have made the legendary filmmaker’s latest film hard to find at your local cinema, and its limited release is questionable, when it feels like the perfect film your parents have been missing for a long time. For there was a time, long ago, when you could go to the local theatre and see a range of films. On any given night you would have your choice of genre, now that day has gone and when everything feels the same Juror #2 almost offers a refreshing flavour, and a welcomed change of pace, but just misses the mark.

With one of the best premises for a film I have seen in a long time, (what if you were called for jury duty and realised you may have committed the crime the accused is getting tried for). It sets the film up early with a moral dilemma the protagonist will have to navigate, and with some well-thought-out writing, they ensure this is not an easy decision for the lead character. In that lead role is Nicholas Hoult, who delivers a brilliant lead performance, one that leaves you sympathising with the character, yet also leads you to be frustrated with him, and even question him. He manages to pull you along, experience a range of emotions, and even question his actions while still offering complex morality questions. The rest of the cast is great too, and the key supporting roles are amongst the most interesting parts of the film. These performances throughout the film, along with the interesting premise are the film’s strongest points, and remain enough to keep the film engaging and interesting throughout.

There are, however, many moments of frustration throughout Juror #2. Moments that draw you out with some dips in the quality of writing and questionable creative decisions. Many moments of the films are tight are well-written, but then, suddenly, lazy writing finds its way into the film and pulls you out of the moment. The film asks the audience to suspend their disbelief in a few moments that just don’t work, they haven’t put the hard work in to allow us to take leaps of faith. Also, the film is not that kind of movie. When dealing with this subject and genre, the plot needs to be tighter, and leaps of faith are not things that the audience will always take in the courtroom.

In Juror #2 I did not take those leaps of faith and just found myself questioning certain decisions, before I knew it 5 minutes of the film had passed and I’d been completely pulled out of the world of the film. Sometimes a movie is doing enough with pace, clever writing, and interesting characters to make these leaps of faith a little easier. Spielberg has always been great at this, think Jaws, and Jurassic Park. Those films make you fully believe in their worlds before asking their audience to take a leap of faith. Here, unfortunately, the audience is asked to take those leaps too early, and has too many holes and too many unaspiring character motivations. The premise and cast really set the film up to be something much sharper and more engaging. Unfortunately, in the end, Juror #2 does lack the punch or interest in promised.

All that is not to say there isn’t enjoyment to be found. The actors and some well-worked scenes do provide interest and some questions on morality that spark interesting debate. Ultimately, you do wonder what a better, tighter script might have done for this film.

*** 3/5

Juror #2 is in [limited] cinemas now.