SPOILER ALERT: Don’t read this post if you haven’t seen, or don’t want to know, details from the movie Juror #2 (streaming on HBO MAX).

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. -Synopsis

In Savannah, GA, Justin Kemp (British up-and-coming actor Nicholas Hoult) is a writer at a lifestyle mag who is called in for jury duty. He tries to get out of it, explaining to the judge (Amy Aquino) that his wife- Allison (Zoey Deutch)- is in the 3rd trimester of her pregnancy. The judge isn’t moved, noting that this won’t take more time than his (9-5) job. The case is the murder of a young woman, Kendall Carter (Francesca Eastwood); the defendant is her on-again/off again bf- James Sythe (Gabriel Basso). The prosecutor, Faith Killebrew (Toni Colette), is running to be DA; she’s V confident that this will be an open and shut case. She has a (friendly) rivalry w/ the defense attorney, Eric Resnick (Chris Messina). In flashbacks, we see that Justin- on the (stormy) night that Kendall died- hit something w/ his car!

Are y’all feeling nostalgic for those 1990s (EX: John Grisham) legal dramas? Then, this is (new-ish) movie (from Clint Eastwood- still working) is for you. I have to admit, the premise looked interesting, so I checked it out over the recent holiday break (on HBO MAX). Also, many critics/viewers have commented that (mid-budget) dramas like this for a grown-up audience are lacking from theaters in recent yrs. Don’t look for any big thrills or even much tension. This is a case of missed opportunities (directing choices) and lackluster dialogue (basic screenwriting). Even the musical score is nothing memorable.

This movie is also a reunion btwn. Hoult and his (onscreen) About a Boy (2002) mom- Collette. The actors are doing the best they can w/ the material; however, Collette’s Southern accent is a BIT uneven. The jury is V diverse (reflecting a mid-sized city in the modern era), BUT there is V little character development. Small roles are played by Kiefer Sutherland and J. K. Simmons; I guess LOT of actors want to work w/ Eastwood. You may’ve heard that there is an unexpected ending, BUT that can’t save the film.

[1] For one, the case itself seemed pretty weak to begin with. It was mostly circumstantial and no direct evidence linking the defendant to the crime.

[2] This cast is doing their best, but the material is so incredibly dumb. The elevator pitch of the plot is intriguing, but it’s got the silly execution of a CBS crime procedural.

I watched it for the cast, and for the moral dilemma and mystery of the premise, but the trailer had more actual plot clarity than the movie itself.

[3] I was surprised how 2D some of the characters on the jury were, and pretty simplistic and dated stereotypes.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews