Clint Eastwood’s new Juror No. 2 is proof that age is just a number

Next time you feel like your age might be holding you back from your ambitions, think about Clint Eastwood – a 94-year-old who just directed another acclaimed film and probably wouldn’t hesitate to hear your excuses laugh. His latest, possibly even his last, film Juror #2. Nicholas Hoult stars in a thrilling courtroom drama with a gripping plot that underlines, among other things, the fact that the legendary director is still at the top of his game.

In the film, which has near-perfect critic and audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and is now #1 on WarnerMedia’s Max streamer, Hoult plays a family man who serves as a juror in a high-profile murder trial. As Juror #2, he eventually begins to wrestle with a harrowing moral dilemma; Hoult’s conflicted juror concludes that his own actions may have been the cause of the victim’s death in the case being decided in court. And so he wrestles with a dilemma: Should he speak out and reveal the truth? Or keep your mouth shut, protect yourself and let justice take its course?

Needless to say, the director of classics like Million dollar baby And Mystical river has in it Juror #2 once again demonstrated his ability to direct a film full of tension and emotional nuances. Just about everyone who has seen the film to date calls it a late-career masterpiece, as the film is a testament to the enduring talent of one of Hollywood’s most celebrated filmmakers. For example, in a recent thread on the r/lawyertalk subreddit, a fan of the film gushed: “This film has it all: a clear and concise understanding of the legal system and a compelling drama without breaking down how the criminal justice system works.” Every state, every time. Arbitrary and capricious.”

The fact that the film can be conveniently streamed on Max makes now the perfect time to remember why Eastwood is still a force to be reckoned with. Its star, Hoult, is also currently on a roll, starring in Buzzy Nosferatu as well as James Gunn’s new one Superman film (in which Hoult plays Lex Luthor), in addition to his excellent work in Juror #2 – which wouldn’t surprise me if it ended up in Oscar contention.