Juror #2 | Film Review

When Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) is called for Jury Duty, he discovers that he is closer to the case than he ever realised. But could the information he knows convict, or free, an accused killer?

I was really looking forward to seeing this film. Not only am I a huge fan of Nicholas Hoult (who had an amazing year for film in 2024 by the way - I've got 2 more of his movies to review and upload), but I'm always here for a courtroom drama!

I loved this film!

For a start, the cast is great! In that first courtroom scene when we see the jury, there are so many recognisable faces and they all played their parts amazingly well. 

Of course there needs to be a specific shoutout for Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette and Zoey Deutch, who had very different but equally important roles and played them really well. Hoult in particular was incredible.

The writing was great. It's very obviously reminiscent of 12 Angry Men but uses some of the similar themes in a really different, interesting way. 

It's a thriller in the truest sense of the word - I was on the edge of my seat for such a long time because of the way tension is expertly created. It was actually quite a stressful watch, which is great because it's exactly what the character of Justin was feeling the entire way through.

There was so much that could have happened, and so many ways it could have ended, that made it so much fun to watch. And I definitely think it ended in the best way it could have.

At times you feel like you're sitting in the court with the characters, like you're living with this case just like they are. And that's a testament to the writing, acting but also the direction. It's not a surprise by now that a director as good as Clint Eastwood managed to create something so real, but it did surprise me how invested I became in the characters and their world.

I could have watched another hour. There wasn't a second that was bland or unnecessary, and there wasn't a moment that I wanted to look away from the screen.

Overall, this film is so good that the first time I saw it, I watched it twice in the same day, so if that doesn't tell you something, I don't know what will. Watch this! Easily one of the best films I saw in 2024.

9/10