The 44th film, “Juror #2” (2024) from director Clint Eastwood is a morality tale covered in the garb of a legal drama, exhibiting many of Eastwood’s classicism without any of the staid tendencies that could be expected from a nonagenarian director. This is a much-needed callback to adult mid-budget dramas that Eastwood’s entire filmography boasts of.
Juror # 2 (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
What is Justin Kemp’s involvement in the Sythe case?
Justin Kemp (Nicolas Hoult), a journalist residing in Savannah, Georgia, is called to attend jury duty on the case involving the death of Kendall Carter, who had allegedly been murdered a year prior by her boyfriend, James Sythe (Gabriel Basso), after a very evident bar fight between the couple leading to her walking home in the pouring rainy night and finally being found dead under a bridge the following morning.
Kemp’s details would be noted at the court for the selection of the jury by both Faith Killebrew (Toni Collette), the district attorney acting as the prosecutor for the case, and Eric Resnick (Chris Messina), the defender of the case. The facts of the case would be revealed: Sythe had been confirmed to have been drunk and disorderly the night of the altercation, having also followed Kendall after their fight. The coroner testifies that her injuries are consistent with being hit by a blunt instrument.
An eyewitness also testifies having seen Sythe at the road where Kendall’s body had been thrown from. As he hears the details, Kemp starts to realize he might have been responsible for causing a hit-and-run accident that had killed Kendall, and now he is part of the jury that holds the fate of an innocent man.
What steps does Justin take to manipulate the other jury members?
Justin asks his AA sponsor Larry Lasker, a defense attorney, for advice. Larry soberly reminds him that Justin had bought a drink that night, and his claim of not having drunk won’t hold up to a jury, especially considering his prior DUIs. This would result in Justin being sent to prison for vehicular manslaughter. More importantly, Killebrew is hinging her entire electoral campaign on the outcome of this case, so the jury cannot be a hung jury, or the case cannot be declared a mistrial.
As the case progresses, with Sythe brought up to the stand, making an impassioned plea, and both the attorneys providing convincing closing arguments, Justin tries to convince the jury to reach a not-guilty verdict. It is easier said than done, as most jurors favor a conviction, not just because of their fidelity to the law but because they have their own lives to get back to, an argument even Justin has to ponder, considering he is leaving a heavily pregnant wife home for the entirety of the day to herself.
Due to Justin voicing his doubts regarding the veracity of Sythe’s conviction, the jurors talk through and reach the possibility of a hit and run all on their own, with retired cop Harold (JK Simmons) doubling down on the fact that poor night visibility adheres to this alternative. To that end he even drives up to the Old Quarry Road where the event had taken place, followed surreptitiously by Justin. Harold would clock Justin following and the next day, would ask Justin to help investigate on the side.
However, Justin would intentionally drop the papers while entering the courthouse, leading to the two of them being brought to the judge, and the judge removing Harold from the jury. Meanwhile, Harold’s investigation into the body shops of the cars would be strategically revealed to the court, and the jury. Harold before leaving advises Killebrew to look at the case differently. Considering the ME did five autopsies that day, it is quite possible the ME could have made a mistake in his report.
Meanwhile, Justin reveals the contents of Harold’s documents to the jury, pushing the jury to become further divided as they start to wonder about the innocence of Sythe. Discussions reveal each jury member’s own biases – their fears being highlighted due to prior history dealing with people like Sythe in their neighborhood or fears arising from being parents of a daughter. Keiko, a third-year medical student, correctly deduces from the bruising pattern at the clavicle that only a car hitting the posterior could have caused such a bruise. Another juror deduces that the perpetrator might have thought they had hit a deer while driving away from Old Quarry Road.
What does Killberew’s investigation reveal?
Harold’s advice does rattle Killebrew, who launches her independent investigation. Following up on the list of cars at the body shop, she meets Allison Crewson (Zoey Deutch), the owner of a Toyota 4Runner, who is heavily pregnant. While there, Killebrew asks a very pointed question about whether the car had gone through Old Quarry Road that night, which Ally denies. Killebrew doesn’t realize that Ally is the wife of Justin.
Allison would later confront Justin. Their confrontation reveals Justin’s battle with alcoholism as well as his internal battles regarding his wife’s miscarriage. Ally has trouble believing Justin is effectively challenging himself by ordering whiskey and not drinking it. She had believed his previous story of hitting a deer and chooses to believe his story now.
Killebrew, meanwhile, visits the witness, who believes that he had seen Sythe in that spot, even though we and the viewers know that it had been Justin. But what is fascinating is that due to Killebrew’s questioning, he does ask her before leaving whether Sythe is guilty or not. The question is more or less answered when Killebrew visits Sythe in prison, where he resolutely states that his biggest regret had been he hadn’t followed Kendall when she had left.
Juror #2 (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
Was Sythe sentenced for his crimes by the jury?
The jury decides to visit the scene of the crime, which exacerbates Justin’s guilt, which is very noticeable to one of the jurors, Marcus (Cedric Yarborough). Ultimately, Justin’s attempts fail as Marcus doesn’t change their opinion, to which Justin finally convinces the rest of the jurors, echoing Marcus’ sentiment, that Sythe couldn’t change. As a result, while Justin would be plagued with guilt, it is all for naught as Sythe is sentenced to life without parole.
Does Killebrew discover Justin’s hand in the crime?
At court, during the sentencing, Killebrew would get a thank-you note from Kendall Carter’s parents. Realizing that the parents share different surnames unlocks Killebrew’s brain, where she finally realizes that Justin is Ally’s husband. After the sentencing, Killebrew meets up with Justin. During their conversation, Justin argues vaguely that an accidental death doesn’t account for the punishment that would be afforded to Justin and his newly formed family (the sentencing occurs a few weeks after the birth of his child).
Realizing that Killebrew wouldn’t be so easily deterred, he points out that after this aggressive push to get Sythe convicted, her attempts to keep “going with this” would lead to the press demonizing her, destroying her electoral attempts. Her attempts would ultimately lead to a “good man” and his family being destroyed.
It would seem that she is convinced by Justin’s pleas, and Justin would later sell his vehicle as well as cut off any loose ends with the crime. The day that she is elected DA, a visit from Resnick plagues Killebrew with questions about whether it has been worth it. The movie ends with Justin being visited by Killebrew, with the film seemingly implying her ensuring a reopening of the Sythe case.
