Juror #2
Juror #2
While serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, a family man finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma, one he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict or free the wrong killer.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 1, 2025
Juror #2 is Clint Eastwood’s latest—a morality tale dressed up as a ‘90s courtroom drama that questions justice’s true aim. Nicholas Hoult stars as Justin Kemp, an expectant father pulled into jury duty for a murder trial. The case centers on James Michael Sythe, accused of killing his girlfriend, Kendall Carter, after an argument at a local bar. Prosecutor Faith Killebrew (Toni Collette), who’s in the middle of a DA election, aggressively pushes for a conviction, while Sythe’s underfunded public defender, Eric Resnick (Chris Messina), tries to mount a defense.
Each character in the trial has personal motivations that cloud their judgment. Killebrew’s ambition fuels her determination to close the case quickly, while jurors bring their own biases to the table—one eager to go home, another convinced Sythe’s just a bad person. Kemp’s journey is the most riveting, however, as he wrestles with a moral crisis that becomes the film’s driving force. He gradually realizes he might have information that could exonerate Sythe, but there’s one big issue that makes revealing it a thorny decision.
It’s a really compelling courtroom drama that refuses easy answers. The performances are excellent across the board, especially from Hoult, Collette, and Messina. 94 years old and Eastwood is still producing. This may be my favorite of his directorial efforts of the last ten years, or so. Not sure that I like any of its Oscar chances, but it’s worth checking out regardless.
sidebar: a couple came into the movie and sat down immediately next to me 1 hour and 20 minutes into the movie!! like wtf? What are we doing. They can’t possibly have understood what the hell was happening in this movie. They also talked for the first two minutes after sitting down and I was very close to losing it. Thankfully not a peep after that, but I will never understand missing the first 80 minutes of a film.