Juror #2, a 2024 courtroom thriller, has been written and directed by Clint Eastwood, who portrays it as a courtroom drama that examines issues of moral ambiguity. The film’s story focuses on the character of Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult), a jury in an infamous murder trial in Georgia who is a recovering alcoholic. The case centers around James Sythe (Gabriel Basso), who is on trial for allegedly killing his girlfriend, Kendall Carter (Francesca Eastwood). But during the hearing, Justin however, begins to recognize that he might have been the cause of Kendall’s murder. It may be possible that his car may have hit her that night and he simply thought he had hit a deer, and therefore he faces turmoil within as he seeks to turn the tables and stop an innocent man from being jailed or even convicted, as he battles with his own conscience.
This film aims to address the ‘g’ word – guilt, the ‘j’ word – justice and the ‘m’ words – many morals and Justin tries to juggle all the three’s. Some of the other actors in the films include Toni Collette, Kiefer Sutherland, and J.K. Simmons who portray supporting characters. Among other things, critics lauded the film for its well-crafted screenplay by Jonathan Abrams and Eastwood’s direction and the acting performances. It consists of a conventional procedural organization, nevertheless, it develops suspense by the virtue of the psychological conflict of Justin, who has got us into the mess, only to resolve the tension at the end in an utterly intriguing way.
Juror 2 was screened in October 2024 at the AFI Fest and hit theatres on the 1st of November, 2024