Juror #2, the new film from acclaimed writer and director Clint Eastwood, is currently in 38 theaters. Warner Bros is distributing the new film and despite an Oscars campaign, and performances from Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons, and Keifer Sutherland, the film has a parsley limited release. Limited releases make sense for smaller movies that may not appeal to broader audiences. But Juror #2 is anything but that.

Juror #2 is a crowd-pleasing slick courtroom drama. The film feels straight out of the John Grisham films from the 90s and has enough heartland appeal that this film could easily make its money back at the box office. But for whatever reason, WB in its infinite wisdom would rather you watch it on Max next week.

Clint Eastwood’s Success

Clint Eastwood has garnered success from his acting and directing for the better part of five decades. From his early successes with Dirty Harry and classics westerns to his newer directorial efforts including the Oscar-winning American Sniper, Clint Eastwood is a big name who gets butts in seats.

At 94 years old, Eastwood still seems to have some juice in the tank. 2018’s The Mule tripled its budget at the box office and proved the famed star could still act as well as direct. His film Juror #2 is another great example that even at his advanced age, Clint Eastwood still knows what audiences want to see.

Jury Duty

Juror #2 stars Nicholas Hoult as Justin Kemp. A four-year sober alcoholic who is tasked with the burdensome responsibility of jury duty. During the trial, Justin starts to realize that the person on trial may not be the real killer. In fact, the real killer could be himself. The victim’s death is more than likely the result of his poor decisions in a hasty hit-and-run on a dark rainy night.

The trailer gives away much of this plot and it would have been nice going into this film fresh. Eastwoods name along with poster named stars like Toni Collette should have been enough to sell audiences. Instead, the general conflict of the film is known to audience members before they enter the theater. Despite my trailer annoyances, Juror #2 is still a tense look at morality and responsibility through the eyes of the guilty.

The Burden of Guilt

Juror #2 follows Justin as he attempts to deal with this moral dilemma in front of him. He knows the right thing to do is confess but the easy thing to do is nothing. There have been countless movies and phrases mirroring this exact point. Evil thrives when good men do nothing and so on. But rarely has it been delivered in such a Hollywood crowd-pleasing way.

Juror #2 is a PG-13 courtroom drama that turns into a 12 angry men saga of guilt and doing the right thing. It’s delivered in this slick package that feels like a film played ad nauseam on TNT in the 90’s. The entire film feels like a long episode of the practice or an alternative version of The Firm. The types of films that Hollywood used to make on a smaller budget to offer films for families with kids above the age of 12. These types of movies are all but lost now and Juror #2 proves how big of a shame that is.

Disney or Bust

It’s telling that a director like Clint Eastwood would deliver a film that feels like a relic of a forgotten time. In a summer that’s felt like nothing but horror movies and big-budget kid’s films, it’s refreshing to see a competent drama that appeals to viewers of a different age.

Juror #2 straddles the lines of depth and themes in a way that’s palatable for a wide audience. The conflict the film creates is strong enough to compel an older audience but easy enough to grasp that teens and tweens can appreciate the themes as well. Responsibility, ownership, and guilt are universal emotions that should be talked about amongst families. The latest Marvel movie may touch on these themes but they’ll get overshadowed by CGI fight sequences. Juror #2 gives families a grounded story to discuss larger issues in a way that’s rarely seen anymore in PG-13 films.

The Trouble with the Box Office

This may in and of itself be the reason for Juror #2’s dump onto streaming. Studios, WB especially, are hesitant to release anything in theaters if it doesn’t have massive appeal. Juror #2 could have that appeal, but it doesn’t star an Avenger so it’s easier to dump on Max. My assumption is WB would rather use Juror #2 as a tax write off then attempt to make its money back at the box office. And that’s a real shame.

Juror #2 will never be the must-see action movie of the month, but it could be a fun outing for families at the movies. For those who grew up going to the movies in the 90s, we miss flicks like these. Ones where our parents weren’t bored and cultivated a discussion afterward. It’s rare to find a film with anything meaningful to say below an R-rating and Warner Bros seemingly wants to keep it that way.

Duty and Honor

There is much to lament about the rollout of Juror #2 but few lamentations about the film itself. Toni Collette is incredible as a prosecutor who subverts the audience’s expectations with her sense of duty. And Kiefer Sutherland is fantastic as Justin’s AA sponsor. The film culminates in the most perfect way. Leaving the audience to guess as to what will happen next to Justin after he makes his moral decision.

Juror #2 is not a perfect movie, but it sure is a great one. Hopefully, this film garners more recognition around Oscar season as this is a film more people need to see. I would have loved to see this in more theaters but at the very least it will be a great movie night in for families. At 94 this is probably Clint Eastwoods last film, and if so I’m glad he went out with a film like this.