"Juror #2" follows family man Justin Kemp (Hoult) who, while serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma…one he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict-or free-the accused killer. (from Warner Bros. Discovery)

Courtroom dramas alone are kind of a genre of their own, and you really have to be into that sort of thing (since some can be really dry), but the Clint Eastwood-directed Juror #2 is a drama that channels a more thriller vibe than a procedural one. Starring Nicholas Hoult as the central character, Justin Kemp, Juror #2 finds Justin serving on a jury where, as the details of the case are revealed, he soon realizes he may actually be involved. It's a tense and twisty thriller that is well-acted and suspenseful all the way through.

Hoult hasn't always seemed like the leading man type to me, but he has proven to be a reliable actor, and he's just perfect for the role here. The case in question centers around a man named James Sythe being accused of killing his girlfriend after a drunken argument at a bar where she stormed off down the road during heavy rainfall. Her body was then found in the woods, bludgeoned to death, causing all fingers to be pointed at Sythe. The movie poses a lot of questions about what justice is, if people can change, and what the right thing to do is. Kemp is a family man with a child on the way, a couple years after he and his wife lost twins in an at-risk pregnancy. The last thing he wants is to be on jury duty, but, as it turns out, it seems fateful for him to be involved.

While the story is engrossing to say the least, which rails against the film's lower budget indie film feel to its credit, it sweeps us along to a finale that isn't quite satisfying. A couple things happen towards the end that don't really add up in a natural way, and feel jarring in the moment, all leading up to the final moments that end the movie on an open-ended cliffhanger kind of note that we the viewer know will never receive a clear resolution. It's also a gloomy and somber finish that, depending on the kind of movie you like, will spell out disappointment to the viewer. Does it render the film unwatchable? Hardly. But I can say with certainty it hurt my own overall enjoyment of the movie - and any chances of me revisiting it by choice in the future. I think it's one I'd recommend with a disclaimer that it likely doesn't offer the resolution most viewers will be looking for.

Content-wise, Juror #2 is a solid PG-13. It isn't exactly vulgar or crass, but profanity is fairly frequent, with at least one use of the "F" word and an occasional use of blasphemy. The crime scene photos are also a bit unnerving, showing the bloody body of the victim, and then a flashback shows it in more graphic detail with blood covering their head, hair, limbs, and the ground around their head. Sure, it's about on par with what you might see on any cable TV murder mystery show, but it's still unsettling. The story also involves alcoholism and drinking as a big part of the plot, so if you're sensitive to that subject matter for any reason, you may want to give it a second thought.

Juror #2 has so much promise, and is still a really good dramatic film, but the ending fumbles the ball a bit and is likely to polarize audiences. It's an intriguing examination of truth and justice, and definitely one that can spark some interesting discussion. And, if the 94-year-old Clint Eastwood were to retire after this one, it'd still be a worthy end to a tremendous career, as it really is a quality drama. But for those looking for a satisfying courtroom drama with a definitive conclusion -- it leaves you feeling like you can expect a part two that will never come, as if this were the pilot episode in a miniseries -- Juror #2 probably won't deliver.

As a side note, Juror #2 is releasing on Blu-Ray disc (not 4K though), but there are zero special features on the disc. It seems strange, given that there's plenty of potential here for a making-of featurette, discussion about the plot, or even a look at Eastwood as a director and his illustrious career. So if special features are an incentive to buy physical media, just know you're not getting anything extra on this one.