Back in 2021, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in Cry Macho, a neo-Western widely thought to be his final film.
Yet the 94-year-old legend isn’t retiring just yet, with what could be his last movie set to hit cinemas this weekend.
The Hollywood legend directs Juror No 2, a courtroom thriller about a murder trial juror who realises he was responsible for the victim’s death.
Being Clint Eastwood, the icon attracted some serious acting talent for this modestly budgeted production.
Nicholas Hoult takes the title role as a man with a heavily pregnant wife who soon realises that he didn’t hit a deer one dark night on the road but, in fact, a woman out in the rain.
Realising his terrible conundrum as a juror on what should have been his trial, Justin confides in his Alcoholics Anonymous lawyer buddy, played by Kiefer Sutherland. Yet the dilemma is further complicated by the fact he’d been in a bar considering having a drink before leaving it and accidentally hitting a woman over a bridge with his car.
The lawyer tells him that no jury would believe that Justin wasn’t drink driving and would face 30 years to life if the truth came out. As a result, Juror No 2 spends the rest of the nailbiting trial, in which the dead woman’s gangster boyfriend is facing life without parole, trying to convince the jury that the accused is innocent.
Twists and turns dominate a plot involving excellent performances, particularly from Toni Collette’s prosecutor and JK Simmons’ juror, which makes for an enthralling thriller. Elements of 12 Angry Men were clearly an inspiration during the tense jury votes. Justin battles with his conscience in a film exploring the complexities of truth and justice in an unfortunate circumstance.
At times, this impressively directed film by 94-year-old Eastwood becomes a little too saccharine for non-American audiences. But there are also plenty of humorous moments and an ending that will undoubtedly split its viewers. But overall, it’s a thoroughly entertaining and thought-provoking work from a Hollywood icon that went ahead and made our day.
Juror No 2 is released in UK cinemas on November 1, 2024.
