Just Mercy

Name: Just Mercy
Genre: Biography, Drama, Crime
Released: December 25, 2019
Duration: 137 min
Rating: 68
Cast: Adam Boyer, Andrene Ward-Hammond, Brad Sanders, Brie Larson, Bryan G. Stevenson

2019

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Generally favorable reviews based on 50 Critic Reviews

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Generally favorable reviews based on 122 Ratings

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7.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 122 Ratings

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Just Mercy

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. | Release Date: December 25, 2019 | PG-13

Starring: Adam Boyer, Andrene Ward-Hammond, Brad Sanders, Brie Larson, Bryan G. Stevenson, C.J. LeBlanc, Charlie Pye Jr., Christopher Wolfe, Claire Bronson, Damon Vance, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Drew Scheid, Hayes Mercure, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Jacinte Blankenship, Jamie Foxx, Kirk Bovill, Lindsay Ayliffe, Marcus A. Griffin Jr., Michael B. Jordan, Michael Harding, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Rafe Spall, Rhoda Griffis, Rob Morgan, Steve Coulter, Tim Blake Nelson

Summary: Just Mercy follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation, with the support of local advocate Eva AnsleyJust Mercy follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley (Brie Larson). One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the only testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie. In the years that follow, Bryan becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings and overt and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, and others like him.… Expand

Director: Destin Cretton

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Crime

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 137 min

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Critic Reviews

Ann Hornaday

Jan 6, 2020

In the judicious hands of director and co-writer Destin Daniel Cretton, it feels not new exactly, but fresh and urgent and more timely than ever. Read full review

Richard Brody

Jan 7, 2020

While displaying the erratic workings of the law and the crucial importance of journalism, the movie’s legal focus narrows its imaginative scope; the drama, though infuriating and moving, sticks to its characters’ surfaces. Read full review

Oliver Jones

Jan 8, 2020

The beating heart of the film, this performance is further evidence of what a gift Foxx’s late career shift to supporting parts has been for filmgoers. Read full review

Steve Pond

Sep 8, 2019

Cretton has made and will make subtler movies, but probably none that will prompt as many mid-screening rounds of applause. Read full review

Kenneth Turan

Dec 23, 2019

The film portrays the ferocious resistance of some people to the possibility that this man had nothing to do with the crime. And that’s when Just Mercy is at its best. Read full review

Slashfilm Abby Olcese

Mar 26, 2020

Just Mercy ends up being a fairly bland crowd pleaser that doesn’t pick up the momentum it should until the final act. Read full review

Jake Cole

Sep 7, 2019

In a time when awareness and acknowledgement of racial bias and extrajudicial measures by law enforcement in America is at its most widespread, such scenes feel condescendingly pitched to an unconverted audience of the imagination. Read full review

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User Reviews

Ajmovies

Jan 15, 2020

A super good movie and probably the best of 2020 so far. Or if you want to count this as a 2019 film your choice just a good film.
Rating- 93%

2 of 9 users found this helpful27

DCA123

Dec 30, 2019

Extremely moving film about a great man and an important issue. Could not be more timely or inspiring.

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

Cin1983

Mar 27, 2020

It is a good movie, there are a lot of innocent people in jail, most of them are black. Of course we have seen a lot of these kind of movies. I hope that this movie makes people aware

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

MarkHReviews

Feb 10, 2020

Writer/Director Destin Daniel Cretton seems to specialize in crafting films that are stripped-down, direct and straightforward. While his movies consistently are profoundly moving, it’s not because of action scenes, because of cute camera angles or jarring editing (I’m looking at you,Writer/Director Destin Daniel Cretton seems to specialize in crafting films that are stripped-down, direct and straightforward. While his movies consistently are profoundly moving, it’s not because of action scenes, because of cute camera angles or jarring editing (I’m looking at you, Safdie brothers) or due to soaring exposition. It’s because they offer unvarnished truth. “Just Mercy” continues that trend.

Cretton’s first major work was “Short Term 12,” a live-action short later developed into a feature film that chronicled Cretton’s experience working in a California care unit for at-risk teens. In 2017, he co-wrote and directed “The Glass Castle,” a story of family dysfunction based on the first-person memoir of a surviving child. “Just Mercy” is a true story based on the memoir of Bryan Stevenson (portrayed here by Michael B. Jordan), a Harvard-educated lawyer who moves to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1989 to work on appeals for death row inmates.

In 1988, as the film begins, Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx) is arrested on trumped-up charges for the death of a white woman in a dry cleaning store in Monroeville, Alabama. The only “fact” tying McMillian to the crime is the testimony of a white convicted felon, who eventually recants his coerced testimony. Despite a disintegrating case and a complete lack of evidence, the trial judge declines to grant a new trial. The scales of blind justice start to look particularly wobbly.

The acting here is consistently first-rate. Jordan, who first came to prominence in “Fruitvale Station” and the Creed series of Rocky reboots, is outstanding. Jamie Foxx is equally effective as McMillian, not necessarily a good man, but an innocent one. Brie Larson is Eva Ansley, who helps Stevenson set up his law practice, despite the overwhelming indifference and occasional threats from a white majority who like things just the way they are.

Ultimately, this is a story about restraint in the face of blatant injustice. The scene depicting a prisoner execution in the middle of the film is an emotional high point, but it’s also a master class in reserve and restraint, not shocking sensationalism. With real understatement, the audience is informed at the end of the film that “for every nine people who have been executed in the US, one person on death row has been exonerated and released, a shocking rate of error.” By the end of “Just Mercy,” you’ll be feeling a slow burn of righteous indignation because you’ve been informed, not emotionally manipulated.

Another virtue of “Just Mercy” is its own honesty. It has the self-confidence to recognize that the truth of its story is self-sufficient. The drama is kept real, but pared-down. The exposition is minimal and understated, though occasionally elegant.

After seeing this film, audience members should agree on three things: Michael B. Jordan is not just a boxer. Jamie Foxx is not just a former comedian. And “Just Mercy” is not just a run-of the-mill story about injustice.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Compi24

Jan 27, 2020

Similar to this past year's "Dark Waters," "Just Mercy" may not be blowing anybody's hair back in terms of technicality, but the thematic soul of this movie is as disarmingly pure as they come. Destin Daniel Cretton is no stranger to schmaltz. Though, what he seems to present behind all theSimilar to this past year's "Dark Waters," "Just Mercy" may not be blowing anybody's hair back in terms of technicality, but the thematic soul of this movie is as disarmingly pure as they come. Destin Daniel Cretton is no stranger to schmaltz. Though, what he seems to present behind all the treacly goodness is a real sense of stake, couched with a genuinely troubling issue in the American sociopolitical landscape. "Mercy" is no exception, laying out a richly nuanced and utterly infuriating case of undeniable injustice, elevated with terrific supporting turns and a third act that'll be sure to make you feel at least something. Whether it's Oscar-bait or not, it's hard to deny the importance of what's being communicated here. We're only as strong as our weakest link, and if our penal system is any indication of how weak things truly are, then we all have a lot of work to do.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

bradens584

Dec 20, 2020

Just Mercy is a great story. The true story the film is based on is absolutely amazing, but the execution leaves something to be desired. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a good film, Jamie Foxx is great, the writing is well done, but it lacks the punch a story like his should have. If you’reJust Mercy is a great story. The true story the film is based on is absolutely amazing, but the execution leaves something to be desired. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a good film, Jamie Foxx is great, the writing is well done, but it lacks the punch a story like his should have. If you’re interested in the tale of a lawyer representing Death Row inmates in Alabama, then this film can serve as a conduit to convey the information, but it may fall a little short on the emotional level. However, this film is saved by the amazing complexity of the characters, no one is clear cut bad, and with the exception of the weakest characters (Michael B. Jordan and Brie Larson), no one is clear cut good. However, as with the emotional moments, it doesn’t feel like it takes it far enough.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

HeroicAge616

Nov 1, 2021

Just Mercy has an important tale to tell, but muddies its message through emotional manipulation and an unsubstantiated hatred of capital punishment for actually guilty criminals.

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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