Clint Eastwood's promising courtroom drama loses to a last scene misstep that costs the picture everything.
Nicholas Hoult presents a winning terse performance undermined by his character Justin Kemp's faulty moral code.
It would be telling tales out of school to reveal plot points, but suffice it to say that Justin Kemp is a young family man who shows up at the wrong place at the wrong time.
The plot thickens when Justin is called upon to be a juror on a case that he is personally connected to.
In session our jurors reveal personal biases while falling in line to which ever way the tide turns.
Neat sub-plot energy comes from the always great J.K. Simmons, here playing an ex-sheriff juror.
"Juror #2" is a suspenseful ride that goes on for one scene too long.
There is a pattern among recent dramas to feature the once maligned "European ending," in which the audience is left with an ambiguous finale.
"Hard Truths," "Last Summer," and "Small Things Like These" are three other culprits in the currently popular ambiguous ending club.
Rated PG-13. 114 mins.
