At the grand old age of 94 years old, Clint Eastwood is still going strong in terms of producing some of the best pieces of cinematic material in the modern era, and with his newest directorial feature, 'Juror #2', the industry icon has once more proven that class is forever permanent
The story of 'Juror #2' introduces the character of Justin Kemp (played by Nicholas Hoult), a caring family-man who is called into serve us a juror on a high-profile homicide case, which just so happens to align perfectly with the final days of his wife's high-risk pregnancy.
As the case unfolds and more information is given, Kemp finds himself in the uncomfortable predicament that leads him to believe that he is in fact the one responsible for the homicide case in discussion, as opposed to the innocent man being prosecuted before him.
Kemp inevitably finds himself in a torturing scenario where he must battle with his mental conscience and consider all of his options which ultimately will lead to him either serving the rest of his life in prison, or spending his days as a free man, knowing that he played a pivotal role in putting an innocent man behind bars.
One of the most intriguing aspects to this film is without a doubt it's all-star cast. Not only does it feature British actor Nicholas Hoult taking on the lead role of Justin Kemp, but he is joined by a smothering of excellent and well-established actors who serve up compelling supporting performances in this film. Toni Collette, J.K Simmons, Zoey Deutch, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris Messina, Gabriel Basso, to name a few.
As an audience member watching this film, it almost feels impossible not to root for the best credible outcome for the protagonist in this scenario. Justin Kemp is a loving and caring man who, despite making poor decisions in his past, seems to be doing everything right. And given the imminent expectance of his first child with his wife Allison (Deutch), we can't help but feel a constant sense of anxiety for Justin from the first minute to the last.
It certainly is a scenario that no one would want to find themselves in, and the fact that we as audience members can physically and mentally feel the pressure and stress that Kemp is undergoing in this film is an ode to the brilliance of Eastwood's filmmaking.
One of the very few unappealing factors about this film takes shape through the idea that there are a few handful of decisions made by the protagonist throughout the story that don't necessarily seem to realistic. Of course, the decisions any character takes upon themselves in any story is subjective and unique to that character, but there are a few scenarios that Kemp finds himself in that he could have gotten himself out of if he played his cards better.
And although this doesn't negatively disrupt the flow of intrigue of the story, it does provide the audience member with an opportunity to lose a sense of realism within the story and put the scenarios that Kemp finds himself in down to lazy writing.
Regardless of this, the purpose of this story is to take the audience member by the scruff of the neck and transform their surroundings into an uncomfortable situation that no one would want to find themselves in. The story constantly asks us: What would you do in this situation? And given our compassion for the protagonist, we can't help but fully immerse ourselves in this two-hour long rollercoaster ride of uncomfort alongside him.
PrimeTime Films Score: B-
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