One of the most baffling choices made by any major film studio in 2024 was Warner Brothers’ decision to send Clint Eastwood’s latest (and presumably final) film, Juror #2, into only a select few theaters for a little over a week before scheduling it for release on the Max streaming service just one month later. Beyond the fact that Eastwood is a legend who has made dozens of successful films for Warner Brothers throughout his career, Juror #2 is a genuinely terrific legal thriller that could have seriously been in the awards conversation had it been released to a wider audience of viewers. Although the powerful turn by Nicholas Hoult has been gaining significant buzz, Juror #2 features a dynamic performance from Toni Collette that takes the story in an interesting direction.
Who Does Toni Collette Play in ‘Juror #2’?
Hoult stars in Juror #2 as the magazine writer Justin Kemp, who is recovering from a battle with alcoholism while trying to care for his pregnant wife, Ally Crewson (Zoey Deutch). After being called into jury duty, Justin learns that the suspect James Michael Sythe (Gabriel Basso) has been accused of killing his girlfriend, Kendall Carter (Francesca Eastwood), whose body was discovered under a bridge. Justin realizes that he was responsible for Kendall’s death, and tries to sway the other jurors to not convict him. Collette appears as Assistant District Attorney Faith Killebrew, who is in the midst of a re-election campaign. Faith is prosecuting Slythe, and it becomes very clear that she is more equipped to handle the case than his defense lawyer, Eric Resnick (Chris Messina). Despite being convinced that the case is as “cut and dry” as it appears to be, Faith begins questioning her judgment as Justin’s behavior begins to grow increasingly suspicious.
Collette does a great job at identifying what Faith’s ambitions are, but making it unclear where she stands morally. It is clear that Faith is quite experienced in the field of criminal law, and has seen enough guilty men walk free that she is determined to bring Kendall’s killer to justice. Slythe does not appear to have any reasonable excuse or alibi, so it makes sense that Faith would be entirely focused on her efforts to prove his guilt. It’s not a coincidence that Collette’s character is named “Faith,” as she has an unshakeable belief that the way that justice works in America is the best method to be fair and balanced. However, the film examines how easily corruptible the system could be when it is impacted by outside forces; Faith’s personal belief in Slythe’s guilt is only because there weren’t any other recognizable suspects that she could interrogate. Although Collette does a great job at making Faith captivating when she is arguing the case to the jury, she makes the character’s change of heart just as thrilling.
Faith Makes the End of ‘Juror #2’ More Complex
Juror #2 is able to completely invert the viewers’ perception of who the real hero is, as Faith and Justin essentially switch roles in the last act of the story. Although Justin works very hard to convince the other jurors to look more deeply into the case, he is unable to admit his guilt, and ends up leaving Slythe’s fate up to the jury. Faith’s initial satisfaction with the case is undercut with doubts as she recognizes that there were errors made in the investigation that she overlooked. Considering that her re-election campaign was successful, Faith is forced to question whether all of the victories she gained in her career were misjudged.
Collette makes the ambiguous ending of Juror #2 more effective, as Faith is faced with a similar dilemma as Justin was. Trying to prove that Justin was involved in Kendall’s death would force her to admit her failure, which could potentially put her entire legacy in question. A final scene between Justin and Faith on a park bench is brilliantly handled, as it is clear that both characters are communicating with each other through non-verbal means. Although Hoult’s empathetic performance is what was able to hook viewers into the story of Juror #2, Collette’s dynamic role is what gives the film its staying power.
Juror #2 is streaming on Max in the United States.
Watch on Max
A family man serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial faces a harrowing moral dilemma when he realizes he might be responsible for the victim’s death. As his internal struggle intensifies, he must decide whether to influence the jury’s verdict to save himself or seek justice for the accused.
- Release Date
-
October 30, 2024
- Runtime
-
114 Minutes
