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As we get older many of us are already planning retirement or at least in our mind some sort of future were we get to slow down a little and reap the benefits of elderly life. Clint Eastwood is not on the same wave length. At ninety four years old the Hollywood icon continues to push forward and build his resume light years beyond many of his contemporaries. A director who pushes out films way ahead of schedule that whenever talks of his “swan song” come up they are quickly disputed by Eastwood beginning production on yet another film. It was only 2021 when Eastwood starred in “Cry Macho” a film he also directed. Before that he had a film released every year prior starting with his 2014 “Jersey Boys” and mega hit “American Sniper.” But as impressive as this is what boggles the mind even more that at ninety-four Eastwood not only delivers yet another film but also one of the best in decades. JUROR #2 is easily one of the best studio films in quite some time. A film devoid of IP or superheroes JUROR is a hard hitting legal drama that would have made millions in the 90’s in a time where Tom cruise or Alec Baldwin would steer the acting ship. Instead it’s 2024 and Warner Brothers will only release the film in thirty-five theaters in the United States and not release the box office numbers. (The list of theaters playing the film can be found here. In fact initially the film (an obvious awards contender) was not even being positioned by Warner Brothers for Oscar consideration, a decision that was changed one day before the film was released. But while times may be grim for respectful movie releases Eastwood reminds us how great adult dramas can actually be. JUROR #2 may carry the usual self-punishment and politics that is expected with Eastwood but the director still is able to bring a natural feel to stories of broken men where the pain begins long before the first image comes onto screen. Eastwood will not be around forever and if JUROR #2 truly ends up being his swan song then it’s a wonderful melody to go out on, even if the film promises a director with plenty left to say.

Nobody wants jury duty. Especially Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult), a soon to be father, Justin will do and say whatever he needs to in order to get out of his civic duty. His wife Allison (Zoey Deutch) is in the final weeks of her pregnancy and as we learn early on this is a high risk based on an unfortunate previous miscarriage. Justin does his best to be a supportive and good attitude husband something Hoult plays with ease. But this is Savannah Georgia and they claim to take their justice process seriously. With Justin picked for jury duty (as yes Juror #2) he joins his fellow members and is quickly confronted with a homicide case involving a young man named James (Gabriel Basso) who may have killed his girlfriend Kendall (Francesca Eastwood). The facts appear straight forward, but the only issue. Justin is starting to realize he himself may have caused Kendall’s death. JUROR #2 does not take long to reveal its “twist” which plays more like a story properly unfolding than a “gotcha” moment. You see Justin a recovering alcoholic with four years under his belt, stopped by the same bar where James and Kendall fought and while the case claims that James killed Kendall at a local bridge Justin begins to wonder if that mysterious thing he hit with his car last year wasn’t a deer but in fact a person. Eastwood’s set up is amusing enough that it could be a straight forward court room drama, but thankfully Eastwood and Hoult play this out like an old style western where the man who comes to town has already left after gunning down someone. Hoult with his good boy appearance harbors many secrets and like a man on the run must do everything he can to keep them hidden while also convincing himself he did the right thing. Its heavy self-punishment that Eastwood has mastered over his entire career both in front and behind the camera.

The possibility of murdering someone isn’t the only issue on Justin’s mind. It becomes quite apparent that his fellow jurors want to send him up the river. The prosecutor, Faith Killebrew (Toni Collette doing some A+ frowning) wants to send James away with no hesitation because justice will be served and with an election for district attorney just a few days away she needs all the assistance she can get. Her opponent and James’ attorney is the overworked public defender Eric Resnick (Chris Messina) who while do diligent in his process just does not have the same appeal. All this and an emotional case of female abuse makes it a sure thing for the fellow jury members all who come in with their own history that may have personal connections to the case whether they initially realize it or not. Eastwood a man of politics (both good and bad) is making a firm stance on that while the justice system tries to be fair it is impossible not to bring our own self to any case. We are required to be a jury of peers to the defendant but that does not mean we as people don’t carry with us our own history and feelings. The facts can be the facts but Eastwood and many of us already know facts get overlooked allowing emotions to run high. JUROR #2 wants to spark conversation as much as it wants to entertain but unlike many agenda biased films (which can be good) this film actually takes the time to hear out the other perspectives. Many films today seem to not allow time outside their main character and while Hoult is fantastic it is refreshing to see Collette, Messina, Deutch and several other familiar and popular faces get ample time. Special shoutout to Cedric Yarbrough (who many may know from Reno 911!) as a juror member who appropriately brings his own judgment to the case allowing himself not to be an adversary to Justin but rather see a perspective of how bad men don’t change and the endless pain they bring to a community. It’s simple old school filmmaking style that is ignored far too often today. In doing so the script by Jonathan A. Abrams benefits greatly as much like any court case it shows nothing is straightforward and judgement is never quite so simple.

JUROR #2 often feels like a second chapter where the first part was never shown to us, this surprisingly works in its benefit however as it allows the story to unfold in the right manner as well as allow us to hear out characters and decide only then whether to take them on their word or not. Justin is an alcoholic and while it can be wrong to just write people in recovery as dishonest there is still a sense of doubt towards them. Its only human especially when dealing with someone who has proven before not to be trusted. Justin knows this but reveals that his wife Allison saw through his bullshit and never focused on the man he once was but rather the man he can be if and when he straightens himself out. Its admirable while also hitting a nerve on the other jurors and if coming to a concrete verdict is attainable. Eastwood with all the internal complications brought to the case also wants to bring awareness to the struggles that plague many of our hard civic workers. For a director that has been (wrongfully) labeled as bleeding red, Eastwood takes great time to show how overworked people get which includes, teachers, public defenders, community leaders and more. The biggest strain of the jurors being selected isn’t their lack of desire to help out a case, but rather the time it will take away from their jobs and already busy lives of protecting and providing for their families. Even Messina’s character which could have easily been the boring slimeball public defender gets to shine as a man who not only truly believes in his client, but also knows unlike everyone else doesn’t have the luxury of time as he is stuck in that courtroom all day pilled up with other cases that no one else will ever have to hear.

Eastwood knows at the end of the day though his films always provide a sense of pure entertainment. This is a filmmaker using everything at his disposal. Shot fully in the city of Savannah, Eastwood comically uses window blinds (something you never close in Savannah) to his advantage with natural lighting playing a role in itself as it properly lights and darkens characters regardless of mood. Abram’s script holds more natural dialogue than some of Eastwood’s previous and more conservative films. And even its mix of past and present is wonderfully blended together in scenes that will have any camera person in the audience cheering as far too many modern filmmakers today are afraid to just have fun with their camerawork in even straightforward genres like court room films. In a time when filmmakers of his era (Coppola, George Miller, and even Kevin Costner) are dealing with their legacy it is a blast to see all of them have such fun with finality. Hoult as Justin is in no means a stand-in for the director but it is interesting to see a film where the lead actor, a young man himself, must deal with the notion that are mistakes always catch up with us early on. Well Eastwood is ninety-four so has he already met those consequences? After all this is the man who made “Unforgiven” a film that ended with the idea that we bury our sins and die amongst them. So maybe JUROR #2 is not so much for Eastwood as it is words of wisdom for the several generations below him. Our mistakes will find us, so do we get ahead of the game or just accept that knock on the door will come for us all? If Eastwood knows the answers he is certainly taking them to the grave. But before that I am sure he’ll push out one more swan song of a film.

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JUROR #2 IS NOW PLAYING IN SELECT THEATERS