Juror #2 review: The last Clint Eastwood film?

Clint Eastwood and Toni Collette on the set of Juror #2

For over 60 years, Clint Eastwood has been one of the most influential figures in the film industry, and perhaps one of the biggest movie stars of all time. From starring roles as a lonely western gunslinger with no name to a ‘dirty’ San Franscisco detective named Harry, Eastwood not only became a Hollywood star, but a legendary director too.

At 94 years of age, Eastwood’s latest film, and possibly his last, Juror #2 has received mostly positive reviews, but there has also been controversy surrounding the film’s release. In the US the film had a limited release, only being shown in 50 theatres, as Warner Bros. Pictures initially saw the film as a streaming service release. This garnered some attention, but there has been little to no buzz about the film itself, even with its wide release in the UK.

This film deserves some recognition, especially for its plot. Juror #2 is a legal drama about a family man named Justin Kemp, who, while serving jury duty for a high-profile murder case, realises that he is responsible for the victim's death. The film follows his struggle to decide whether to come forward or keep his guilt a secret for his benefit.

Nicholas Hoult and Toni Collette at the premiere of Juror #2. Credit: Getty Images

The story is simple yet compelling. The film explores strong moral themes of turning a blind eye to justice, and as an audience member, you are led to question where your morals lie. The film continues the theme seen in Eastwood’s more recent work of telling personal stories with a deep moral message. Although this film is not as complex as other Eastwood-directed films such as Million Dollar Baby or Letters from Iwo Jima, it still has strong, interesting themes.

Eastwood demonstrates strong direction in his ability to let scenes play out. In one flashback to the night of the victim's death, we see the events through different character perspectives, giving the scene a life of its own. Eastwood makes this movie feel like a classic courtroom drama, with elements of The Verdict and 12 Angry Men but manages to allude to these classics without copying them.

Nicholas Hoult portrays his character of Justin as likeable and smart. He acts with subtlety, the scene where he begins to realise that he is responsible for the victim's death lets his performance shine, and is a standout moment in the film.

Toni Collette plays Faith Killebrew, the prosecutor for the case, who is also running for district attorney. Collette plays her role believably, with Hoult’s characters’ arc mirroring her own, both play these parts in a subtle and realistic way.

J.K. Simmons makes the most of the limited screen time he has, but both his and Kiefer Sutherland’s characters could have been expanded upon much more. Simmons especially plays an important part in the first half of the film, but his role fizzles out by the second half. Kiefer Sutherland only has a few scenes, and his character wasn’t developed, which feels like a disservice to his skills as an actor.

Juror #2 does feel reminiscent of a bygone era of film, but it simply doesn’t stand up to the rest of Eastwood’s work. Eastwood himself has not commented on this film potentially being his last, but inspiration can be found in the fact that, whether he retires or not, at 94 years old he is still making films and doing what he enjoys. Eastwood’s legacy has already been cemented and will live on for a long, long time.