Juror #2

'Juror #2' is very, very good! Clint Eastwood just keeps pumping out movies, gotta respect the hustle. As someone who has seen every film of his, evidently now including this 40th (and final?) directorial piece, I'd say that this is one of his best works. He has done much better too, of course, but this 2024 release is impressive enough. It's a clear Eastwood picture, so obviously made by someone from the old days as opposed to something that is undoubtedly made by today's market. It's supremely crafted in most areas, it relies of its fair share of convenience and isn't perfect (e.g. some, only some, of the dialogue is iffy). However, the attention-hooking plot means things never get dull. It does feel like a two hour movie, but I don't necessarily mean that negatively - again, I was never uninterested in what I was watching. The cast are excellent. They are spearheaded by Nicholas Hoult, someone I've found quite meh in other productions but here he merits praise. Chris Messina and Toni Collette are enjoyable in their respective roles, while in more minor parts the likes of J. K. Simmons, Amy Aquino and Cedric Yarbrough are solid. Another plus, away from the faces, is the very pleasing score, so credit to Mark Mancina for the music. *insert joke here about how I missed Juror #1, yet anticipating Juror #3*