10/50
While serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, a family man finds himself wrestling with a serious moral dilemma β one that he could use to sway the juryβs verdict and potentially convict or free the wrong killer. Kiefer Sutherland landed his role by writing to Clint Eastwood telling him what a big fan he was and that he wanted to star in one of his films before he retired. Kieferβs father, Donald Sutherland, had co-starred with Clint Kelly in Heroes (1970) and Space Cowboys (2000). Larry Lasker: Weβre as Sick as Our Secrets. Referenced in Open Bar: #120 – Glicked Dominates, Snow White Panic, Captain America Disaster (2024). Hard LivinβWritten by Chris Stapleton and Kendell MarvelPerformed by Chris StapletonCourtesy of Mercury Nashville RecordsUnder license to Universal Music Enterprises. I saw this film at the premiere at the TCL Chinese theater as the closing film of the 2024 AFI Film Festival. Nicholas Hoult stars as the title character who is forced to confront a moral dilemma when he is chosen to serve on a jury for a murder. The story is a bit of a spin on Henry Fonda’s old role in “12 Angry Men” which I can’t say more about without creating a spoiler. Hoult’s performance is more than adequate along with the rest of the stellar cast including Toni Collete as the prosecutor running for district attorney, JK Simmons as Hoult’s ally on the jury, Gabriel Basso as the accused, and many others. The story and script are engaging with a few surprises, though the inevitable conclusion is not. Eastwood’s direction is solid as always, but not exceptional; however, given the limitations of the story, I’d say it’s more than okay. All in all, this movie is a 7/10, certainly not a 10/10, but not a 4/10 either (I reserve ratings of 4 and below for films that are technically incompetent). Recommended if you can find it given Warnerβs lack of support for the film! Looking for something different to add to your watchlist? Check out the movies and TV shows coming to the streaming platform this month.