Clint Eastwood returns with his newest drama about a young man grappling with the legacy of an unspeakable sin. And, at 94 years old, he may have outdone himself. This is the haunting 1st trailer for Juror #2.

Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) is a young family man who accidentally hits a creature one rainy night in a small town. He believes it to be a deer, until one fateful year later. Kemp is called to jury dury, and to his horror realizes that the man on trial is accused of murdering his friend.

The same friend that Kemp accidentally hit with his car.

Juror No. 2 (2024) – source: Warner Bros. Pictures

As Kemp struggles to come to terms with his unspeakable actions, he must decide of a lifetime. And as he puzzles over giving up the life he worked so hard to build, the walls begin to close in until it may just be too late.

The premise for Juror #2 lends itself to an explosive, intense tone. But under the watchful eye of cinematic legend Clint Eastwood, the first trailer takes on a gentler and quieter tone. There’s a sense of empathy throughout the entire trailer, a quiet belief that humanity is inherently good despite the horrible mistakes it can make.

Nicholas Hoult puts in the performance of a lifetime, mixing sorrow and guilt in an intensely lovable way. While many protagonists with his moral dilemma could come across as selfish or even psychotic, Kemp’s boyish innocence makes his conflict seem deeply human. If Juror #2 lives up to the 1st trailer’s tone, it could be a dark horse in the 2024 Oscar race, and become one of the most quietly affecting movies of the year.

Directed by Clint Eastwood, Juror #2 will be released theatrically in the US on November 1, 2024. The movie stars an ensemble cast led by Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, & JK Simmons.

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