Many citizens picked for jury duty almost never want to be selected. That is a fact. But Juror #2 went beyond a simple court case trial. It explored the different ways that a jury works and does not work. It showed how getting justice is not so simple and can even come with some moral costs.
Filmed in Savannah, Georgia and directed by the legendary Clint Eastwood, the gripping legal thriller Juror #2 follows family man Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) who, while serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma, one he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict—or free—the wrong killer.
This movie was enjoyable because it showcased the beautiful scenes I’ve walked through during the SCAD Savannah Film Festival. I was also delighted to see that many SCAD students had the chance to participate. It was amazing to see the reaction the students in the Trustees Theater at SAVFF 2024 had and how much they support their colleagues.
“A combination of thought-provoking storytelling and funny and thoughtful dialogue emboldened Juror #2 as a great movie.”
The story of Juror #2 was crafted brilliantly by Jonathan A. Abrams, making his screenwriting debut. This captivating legal thriller features a major twist revealed in the first act, much like M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap. Only in this film is there no pop star or sociopath in sight. While there are brief respites mixed with the court case drama, the balance was cut well. There were very few scenes that felt like they were extra.
Hoult excels in portraying the role of the innocent character. He has done it in various films and in different styles, like his roles in Renfield, Warm Bodies and X-Men: First Class, to name a few. Then, Hoult goes on to play wilder, complex characters like those in Mad Max: Fury Road, The Great and The Menu. Hoult’s role as Justin in Juror #2 effectively portrays moral conflicts, blending elements from various works.
Several key actors, like Toni Collette and J.K. Simmons, are involved directly and indirectly in the court case in Juror #2. Simmons, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris Messina and Zoey Deutch all played their roles wonderfully. Having Collette and Messina act as opposing lawyers was a battle I never thought would be interesting to watch. Simmons was a great fellow juror for Hoult to act with and a good character to mix in with the other jury actors. Sutherland was the wild card actor I never would have expected to see in this film, but he played his part alright—nothing noteworthy but enough.
The ambiguity of morals and ‘doing what is right’ became so blurred in this film and will leave audiences with a good amount of questions to think about. Eastwood does not necessarily choose any insanely creative camera shots in this film, but the framing choices were clear and deliberate. For a film with the title of the main character, the camera purposefully kept Justin in the spotlight—even when he is in a courtroom full of other people.
“Juror #2 has a lot of silence that works for the serious tone of the court proceedings…”
Adding to the visuals, the filming locations around Savannah felt simple and static—but not in a terrible way. The majority of the story goes back to where the witness was last seen at a local bar and the crime scene itself. However, there were a lot of different perspectives and vantage points of these two areas.
The set designer also deserves some props here because filming in the night and in the rain adds to the mystery of what really happened in the case. Ultimately, there were so many environmental and human elements to muddle the story, and I can always appreciate when a good thriller can juggle a wide array of those elements.
The film did not have a memorable score or contain much music throughout the film, but that was not a con for the movie. Juror #2 has a lot of silence that works for the serious tone of the court proceedings and when the jury members are deliberating to reach a final verdict.
Just over two and a half hours with Juror #2’s runtime, it never felt that strenuously long. In fact, the time surprisingly flew by! A combination of thought-provoking storytelling and funny and thoughtful dialogue emboldened Juror #2 as a great movie. The murder itself is not particularly brutal and never gets overly graphic or violent. So, this could be a riveting thriller for both teens and adults to check out.
