Every year with the awards season there are a few films that get pushed back to have their wide release in early January – simply due to how full the awards season schedule is. Where films like The Revenant and Phantom Thread have found success with this; other films like On The Basis of Sex have struggled to gain momentum being at the tail end of the season.
This risk is especially true this year with the awards window being greatly shortened. Meaning the window to break into the conversation is even smaller and more intense. One of the films walking that line this year is Just Mercy, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who impressed many with his feature, Short Term 12. Just Mercy tells the true story of Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan). Stevenson is a Harvard graduate lawyer who decides to travel south and help those on death row. Many of which are unfairly charged with crimes due to weak evidence and racial bias within the system. Joined by a woman named Eva Ansley (Brie Larson), he takes on the system as we follow his early cases. Specifically one where a man named Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx) was sentenced for murdering a young woman. Despite zero physical evidence and a weak statement by a man already in prison who claims to have been there with McMillian.
Coming off of seeing Clemency last month, which is another late 2019 award season release, that also focuses on looking at the death penalty and the flaws with it. There was little hype for Just Mercy being totally honest. Though even with this lack of serious attention, Just Mercy was bigger than most were saying. It definitely has it’s flaws and is built by stale cliches, but overall is incredibly moving and powerful.
It is the clarity and impact of the story that really made this film work, especially in comparison to something like Clemency. Focusing on this specific example of injustice, which could lead to literally lethal consequences. The film is able to emotionally engage the audience and suck them in. Not just to the story of Walter McMillian, but eventually the larger discussion surrounding the death penalty.
Just Mercy is haunting, and makes the audience feel sick at multiple points, as the film shows people fall to the death penalty who never should have been charged in the first place. The film also does a great job showing just how powerless the quest for justice can be. Especially on a lower level of government with corruption and bias.
There are moments in this film where if it was not based on a true story it would seem almost too unrealistic. The amount of influence that clear undeniable bias and systematic racism had in certain rulings and moments. The fact that it is true makes it churn your stomach that bit more, especially as this was a time where society was supposedly getting better. Notions of equality and civil rights were huge, yet the actual result was that the African American community still was unfairly targeted and blamed for crimes. Leading to hundreds – if not thousands – of wrongful deaths and imprisonments.
The film also though makes a point to showcase these individuals as people. Their characters go beyond that of the horrible situations they are in. These are still people with spirit and humor. And there are points where the film is shockingly funny and lively, making the fall back to the reality of the situation hit all the harder.
So many times we look at situations like this and see numbers. We know that hundreds of people died, yet we don’t always register the actuality of the lives being taken. This makes the film more impactful, and supports the wider narrative and political conversation surrounding the death penalty. That the production is able to tie back into making the film feel extremely relevant and important. This is a film that will captivate audiences if it gets people through the doors and could be truly huge.
This is one of the reasons it is so baffling to me why it has the release date it has. January is notorious for being a slower time in the box office. If this film had enough time to build and take off with the general public and social media. It could have grow a greater following, one that honestly could have propelled it to Best Picture levels of attention.
The filmmaking itself is also strong. There are some really smart and effective uses of visual storytelling throughout the movie. It’s a film that was really well thought out, perhaps generic in some of its ideas, but the passion and inspiration behind the story are admirable. This is not a film hurt by lazy filmmakers trying to play it safe or standard. It is clearly trying to say something important in a powerful way – which it does.
The performances are also solid. With Michael B. Jordan continuing to impress. He gained a loyal following from the Creed films, but here he is really able to showcase his emotional range on different levels. Jamie Foxx is undeniably likable also, giving an powerful performance. In a much more supporting role, Rob Morgan as Herbert Richardson is also quite impressive. Struggling with guilt from his past, the character of Herbert is one of the most memorable parts of the film, despite being overall a side note to the main story. If only Brie Larson fit more into the structure rather than drifting into the background.
Still, when you look at Just Mercy overall it is an incredibly important film. This is a great companion to the ongoing discussion regarding the death penalty, bringing a relevant and integral view to the topic. The plot does go through some formulaic ground, but is so effective that it didn’t really feel like a major issue.
If we have to nitpick, the arc the film gave to the character of Tommy Champan, the District Attorney, is handled a bit too clean. His bias led to the literal deaths of innocent people just because of their race. Trying to find a deeper meaning in his actions and redeeming him seems like a push for a happy ending. Beyond that, though, this is truly a compelling piece of cinema. And if it does get an audience it deserves when it comes out in early January, I fully expect it to be huge.
