Juror #2: Dilemma Done (Fairly) Well, But...

Okay, so I just got out of "Juror #2" and I've got some thoughts brewing. The premise, right? Family man on a jury realizes HE might have messed something up at the crime scene and could be influencing the verdict? That's solid gold. The film definitely leans into the tension, especially in those scenes where Justin Kemp (the juror in question) is visibly sweating, trying to reconcile his guilt with the weight of the trial. I think the actor playing Kemp does a commendable job conveying that internal conflict – you really feel his desperation. However, and there's always a 'however,' I felt the execution wobbled a bit in the second act. There's a subplot involving his family that felt somewhat tacked on, like they needed to give him more 'motivation' or humanize him further, but it just diluted the central moral question. And the other jurors? Pretty much cardboard cutouts. I get that the story is laser-focused on Kemp, but a little more nuance in the jury room dynamics would have elevated the whole thing. I wanted more '12 Angry Men' and less…generic thriller. There's one scene in the deliberation room, though, where Kemp subtly manipulates the evidence presented, and it's BRILLIANT. You see the cogs turning in his head, the desperate calculations. That's the kind of cleverness I wanted more of. The ending…let's just say I'm still debating whether it worked or not. It's ambiguous, for sure, but maybe a little too ambiguous? I'm all for thought-provoking endings, but I needed just a tad more resolution. Did he get away with it? Did he ruin an innocent life? The movie hints but never commits. Overall, it's a decent watch, especially if you're into moral dilemmas. But it definitely had the potential to be something truly great, if they had streamlined some of the side plots and given the supporting characters more depth. I'd say it's a solid 6.5/10 – worth a watch on a rainy afternoon, but don't expect to be blown away. Side note: anyone else think the director was channeling a little bit of early Fincher with the color palette?