Last month, Warner Bros. ran "Juror No. 2," director Clint Eastwood’s acclaimed courtroom drama starring Nicholas Hoult, in a limited theatrical release with little fanfare. But despite the odds, the film garnered critical acclaim and even eked out a $15 million profit, and now you can stream one of 2024's most slept-on movies of the year on Max.
Now that you can stream "Juror No. 2" on Max, I can't recommend it enough. Critics and audiences alike have been captivated by this riveting, thought-provoking journey of a family man on jury duty grappling with the moral dilemma of whether to do what's right or save his own skin. This is one of those movies that'll haunt you long after the credits roll, and word is it could be Clint Eastwood's final flick, which is even more reason to tune in now that it's found its streaming home.
So without further ado, let's dive into why you should tune into this overlooked legal thriller now that it's available to stream.
What is 'Juror No. 2' about?
Nicholas Hoult stars as Justin Kemp, a Georgia-based magazine writer and recovering alcoholic soon to become a father. His wife's (Zoey Deutch) pregnancy is high-risk, so it's less than ideal when he's tapped to join the jury of a high-profile murder case.
The man on trial is James Sythe (Gabriel Basso), the boyfriend of a young woman, Kendall Carter (Francesca Eastwood), who was discovered dead beneath a bridge after the two had a fight at a bar. But there's more than justice at stake in this case. The ambitious local prosecutor (Toni Collette) has her eyes set on the district attorney seat, and a high-profile domestic violence conviction during a pivotal election year could be just the ticket she needs to secure votes.
However, as the facts of the case come to light, Justin arrives at a sickening realization: that he might be the killer. That night the couple had their drunken fight, he'd broken his sobriety streak at the same bar, and on his way home he hit what he assumed was a deer with his car.
While the prosecutor and the rest of the jury oversee what seems like a pretty cut-and-dry case, Justin is sweating over whether to speak up and risk his future and family or knowingly let the wrong man take the fall. He settles for trying to find a way to convince his fellow jurors that they've got the wrong man without letting on so much that he becomes the one on trial.
Should you stream 'Juror No. 2' on Max?
If you think the synopsis above revealed all this movie has to offer, think again. "Juror No. 2" plays out like a riff on "12 Angry Men," where instead of one man trying to sway his fellow jurors in the name of justice, it's to assuage his conscience. Its twists and turns unfold with expertly timed pacing, so that just when you think you've sussed out where it's going to go, a new wrinkle emerges that blows things wide open again.
Watching how the chess game plays out, between the courtroom drama itself and the attorney's nuanced performance to Justin's guilt-driven arguments with the other jurors, is what keeps you on the edge of your seat. Anchoring it all is Hoult's impeccable performance as a man grappling with his inner demons now forced to stare down an impossible situation.
We've several overlooked movies finally find their audience on streaming, so here's hoping "Juror No. 2" will be the latest. "Juror No. 2" is streaming on Max as of December 20.
