Juror #2 (2024) is the tale of a man who has to face his own morality when he is called to be a juror in a court case for a crime he committed... only he doesn’t realise it yet. Will he let his fellow citizen go to jail or will he take the punishment and potentially sacrifice his own freedom?
In a 2023 interview with Vulture, Martin Scorsese said that he feels that he has “no more time” to tell stories. In contrast, at 94 years old, Clint Eastwood has more than proved he still has the chops to direct powerful stories with the greatest of subtlety. Using his actors, cameras, sound designers and gaffers to create something spectacular.
With the small upward tilt of a camera, Eastwood adds so much kinetic energy to a conversation. Similarly, by focusing on the unconscious movements one makes when they are uncomfortable, he adds a layer of tension that is always present but very rarely consciously noticed. With much of the film being based in a courtroom, it feels so refreshing for a director to have the ability to draw audiences into the story and hold their attention throughout.
All of this is anchored by a career best performance by Nicholas Hoult as the glue that binds the audience to the story, playing a character weighed down by struggles from his past, and the uncertainty of becoming a new father. Jonathan Abrams’ script puts the audience in his shoes every step of the way. It makes you question whether you would knowingly let a fellow citizen go to prison if it meant you could secure your future and your freedom. Simultaneously, it also asks whether those with similar experiences are willing to help each other, since the accused is coming from a largely similar place of past mistakes to our protagonist.
‘Can we ever be truly impartial?’ is the question Juror #2 aims to answer. Seemingly, the answer is no. Everyone has their own bias or reason as to why they would convict or pass judgement on someone, somethingthat is only proved more and more through the various character motivations in this film. And Clint Eastwood really feels like he wanted to highlight this in his tale of moral justice. If this ends up being his last directorial effort, then it’s a great way to go out. However, according to IndieWire, Eastwood has no plans of retiring soon, making Juror #2 all the more impressive.