Clint Eastwood directs Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette and J. K. Simmons in this courtroom drama where an everyman finds himself serving on a jury in a murder case where he not only believes the suspect to be innocent but he himself might be responsible for the victim’s death.

Somber and elegiac. Hoult reins it in with an internalised performance surrounded by a wonderful ensemble. What a brilliant sweet spot his career is in right now! It doesn’t go for the explicit thriller manoeuvrings of a Grisham but often it feels like knowingly playful update on 12 Angry Men. Much like Mystic River and A Perfect World this is an adult exploration of shared guilt and American justice hidden within a glossy morality play. Shame it didn’t reach a wide audience. 20 years ago it would have been THE Oscar front runner.

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Perfect Double Bill: Mystic River (2003)