Juror #2 - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Juror #2



Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:



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Movie
I’m just going to start this review out with the statement that Clint Eastwood is one of my cinematic heroes. I grew up watching his westerns, and he stands as one of five actors that I will collect every single one of his movies, no matter what they are. He’s stood the test of time as a superb director, and while his films over the last 15 years have been hit or miss for me, the man is turning 95 this year, and somehow manages to actually direct films decades past when most actors have retired or simply play bit vanity parts. I mean, this is a guy who embodies the hard gritty “never give up” attitude of his copious western characters in real life. At nearly 100 years old he not only gets up out of bed and isn’t in a nursing home, but bosses people around behind a camera and puts out theatrical film after theatrical film. Not many of the greats in Hollywood can actually say they have done the same.

Now, even though I was gushing over the man just a bit, I have to admit that I was hesitant on this film. 2021’s Cry Macho was decidedly sub par, and The 15:17 to Paris SHOULD have been a great film, but ended up being a bit disappointing. That being said, The Mule was a solid film, and Richard Jewell wasn’t half bad, but still nothing compared to his previous films. So naturally I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would we get Clint pulling off a banger, or would he deliver another ho-hum drama without much bite. But hey, it’s Clint Eastwood, and I had to see it so why not.

Turns out most of my fears were unfounded. I won’t say that Juror #2 is a “return to form” for aging director, but it ended up being a GOOD drama with a few twists and turns over the course of the 2 hour runtime. The film revolves around Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult), who is called in for Jury duty shortly before his VERY pregnant wife is about to give birth. Unfortunately for him, the case is a murder trial, with one James Michael Sythe (Gabriel Basso of The Night Agent fame) being charged with murdering his girlfriend. As the case is unfolded in front of the jury Justin realizes the worst possible thing ever. The man who is on trial is almost certainly innocent, with the soon to be father realizing that HE is most likely the murderer. We’re clued in with a massive flashback where Justin recounts the events of the same evening, having been at the same bar as the victim/perpetrator, and hitting what seems to have been a deer on the way home (he couldn’t find any blood or fur, so it was surmised the deer ran off). Only thing is, the victim’s body was found over the edge of the bridge where Justin hit the “deer” and now the poor guy is left with a dilemma. Does he do the right thing and turn what he knows over to the prosecution? Or does he try and figure out an ending that gets both of them off?

The first thing the audience is going to recognize once the jury gets into the deliberation room is that this film is HEAVILY influenced by 12 Angry Men. Almost down to the letter for the first half of the film. Justin is pretty much the lone holdout with a jury who is convinced that the defendant is guilty, even though there doesn’t seem to be that much evidence keeping him there. In this case the only “twist” is the fact that the holdout Juror isn’t doing this out of some gut instinct for justice, he’s doing it to keep HIMSELF out of jail. The second half of the movie jumps directly into thriller territory though, as Justin plays cat and mouse with the prosecuting attorney Faith Killebrew (Toni Collette), as well as his own conscience with the guilt ridden juror desperately trying to manipulate the verdict so that Michael Sythe gets off, AND he stays out of the cross hairs.

There’s a few twists and tuns, but the film really is very much a spiritual clone of 12 Angry Men, just with the last act expanding things outside of the courtroom. It asks quite a few questions in regards to what actual justice is, and has a few turns that actually caught me by surprise. I was once more reminded why Nicholas Hoult is one of the most under rated actors in Hollywood, turning in a bang up performance as the complicated protagonist Justin. Toni is solid as ever, but really this is almost entirely Hoult’s movie. My only real complaint is that the ending feels sort of hollow and intentionally ambiguous. Don’t get me wrong, I kind of like that twist at the end, but it is almost TOO ambiguous, leaving the audience feel like it was almost there, but not quite enough to really give a great ending.




Rating:

Rated PG-13 for some violent images and strong language.




Video:

While shot with a 4K master (which was seen in a few theaters), Juror #2 very sadly does not get a 4K UHD release (yet...will remain hopeful), but the Blu-ray image that we do get is quite good. Stylized with an early 2007s brown and gold overtones consistent with most court room dramas of the time, it has a lightly stylized look in doors with dim lighting and lots and lots of wood. Outside in the real world things are stunningly bright and clear. Shots of Faith sitting outside the courtroom are dazzlingly bright, with fantastic detail levels and a very neutral look. Inside the courtroom the blacks can sometimes look a tad milky due to the dim lighting and brown aesthetic. That being said, the overall image is quite fetching, with tons of fine details, and a very crisp look to it.









Audio:

I was a bit hesitant about this film deserving a Dolby Atmos track being that it’s 99% a courtroom drama, but it actually is a solid sounding mix. There’s not a whole ton of overhead usage throughout, but it makes good use of the other channels in creating a very encompassing and directionally shifting mix when inside the courthouse. The vocals are the mainstay of the entire production, but the surrounds get great use both inside and outside the courthouse, such as a screeching card as it slams on the brakes during the infamous car crash, or a “whomp” of a score downbeat when Justin realizes just what he did. The low end isn’t super aggressive, but certainly more than capable, adding in some impressive impact moments for the crash, as well as the accentuating the score just a bit. It’s not an in your face action track, but nuance is handled really well and makes for a great listening experience.











Extras:

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Final Score:
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I’ll say this. Juror #2 is probably Clint Eastwood’s best film since The Mule. It’s got plenty of drama, some cool twists, and a nice take on a legendary classic with a modern twist. I personally felt there were some plot holes and overdone dramatics (the juror who was convinced Sythe was the killer felt a bit over the top at times), but overall this was a very fun movie. Warner’s Blu-ray looks and sounds great, but sadly this disc is literally devoid of any extras AND we don’t get a 4K release. Still a solid watch in my opinion, though.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons, Zoey Deutch, Gabriel Basson
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Written by: Jonathan A. Abrams
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese DD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch
Studio: Warner Brothers
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 114 minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: February 4th, 2025

Recommendation: Good Watch

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Here you go again. I skipped right over this one... just didn't think it would be any good. Now you have convinced me it might be worth watching. You are a terrible influence on causing me to spend money, Michael Scott.

 

[Michael Scott]

Here you go again. I skipped right over this one... just didn't think it would be any good. Now you have convinced me it might be worth watching. You are a terrible influence on causing me to spend money, Michael Scott.

I'm an enabler

 

[JStewart]

Here you go again. I skipped right over this one... just didn't think it would be any good. Now you have convinced me it might be worth watching. You are a terrible influence on causing me to spend money, Michael Scott.

If you have Max then you might save yourself a couple of bucks if you watch it there first.

@Michael Scott ‘s summary commentary is spot on.

It was enjoyable, but I don’t picture giving it a 2nd watch.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

I don't have Max right now... buy may grab one month of it because I want to watch Dune Prophecy... and all six episodes are streaming.