It’s widely assumed that Juror #2 is going to be Clint Eastwood’s last film as a director. If that does indeed turn out to be the case, he’s going out on a high note. A very high note.
Juror #2 is a compelling courtroom thriller with an irresistible premise. Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) is summoned for jury duty and selected to serve on a murder trial, which seems like a slam dunk case for assistant DA Faith Killebrew (Toni Collette). James Sythe (Gabriel Basso) is accused of murdering his girlfriend following a drunken argument in a local bar. After she stormed out and headed down the road on-foot during a rainstorm, Sythe chased her down in his car and bludgeoned her to death, then pitched her body off a bridge.
But as the prosecution and defense recount their versions of the crime - along with witnesses - Kemp begins to realize that not only was he in the same bar that night, he might have been the one who actually killed her, albeit accidentally. Driving home, Kemp was briefly distracted (by his phone, of course!), and hit what he thought was a deer. Now, sitting in the courtroom, he realizes Sythe is innocent. However, he’s the only one, and during deliberations, his is the sole ‘not guilty’ vote, much to the consternation of other jurors (leading to moments that echo 12 Angry Men).
Kemp attempts to cast reasonable doubt on the case without revealing his guilt. And in a way, it’s understandable. Kemp has a lot to lose. A recovering alcoholic, he’s worked hard to change his life. Not only that, he and his wife are expecting, which has considerable significance because, just a year before, she miscarried their twins. Conversely, Sythe is depicted as short-tempered, unlikable and, as another juror later explains, has an unsavory history.
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| "Change your vote or you don't get any water." |
But it’s ultimately Kemp who gains both the viewer’s sympathy and ire. He’s a wonderfully realized character, tormented by guilt, yet not willing to come clean, especially after his friend and AA sponsor, Larry (Kiefer Sutherland), gravely informs Kemp that, because of his past, no jury in the world would believe he wasn’t drinking that night. Hoult is excellent in the role, and wisely displays growing uncertainty more through expressions than words. If more people had actually seen Juror #2 prior to the Oscar nominations, perhaps he might have even made the cut.
Alas, the film was only 50 theaters nationwide before ending up on MAX, which is kinda shocking considering it's supposedly a living legend's swan song. It’s also a little ironic because most of Eastwood’s other recent films were hardly worth seeing at all. But Juror #2 is easily his best since Sully…engaging, tension-filled and well written, with a final scene that packs a wallop. Fortunately, it’s one of those movies that arguably plays just as well at home, and more importantly, is worthy of repeated viewings. Don't miss this one.
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