An old-fashioned legal thriller, Destin Daniel Cretton’s Just Mercy is elevated above the routine by a gifted ensemble headed by Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, and Brie Larson.
It tells the true story of Walter McMillian, who with the help of young defense attorney Bryan Stevenson appeals his murder conviction.
Based on Bryan Stevenson‘s memoir of the same name, the film world premiered at the 2019 Toronto Film Fest, and will hit theaters on December 25,
Jammie Fox, Best Actor Oscar winner for Ray, is a strong contender for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, especially after being nominated in that category by the Screen Actors Guild.
Young attorney Bryan Stevenson (Jordan) takes the case of Walter McMillian, a man wrongfully imprisoned for the murder of a white woman.
A powerful and thought-provoking true-story, “Just Mercy” follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice.
After graduating from Harvard, Bryan could have chosen any lucrative, high-paying positions. But instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley (Brie Larson.)
One of his first, and most incendiary cases is that of Walter McMillian (Foxx,) who, in 1987, was sentenced to death for the notorious murder of a young girl of 18, despite evidence proving his innocence; the only testimony against him came from a criminal liar.
What ensues is a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings, manifest in overt and unabashed racism. Fearlessly persistent, Bryan continues to fight for Walter, and other victims of the system like him.
Cast
Michael B. Jordan as Bryan Stevenson
Jamie Foxx as Walter McMillian
Brie Larson as Eva Ansley
Rob Morgan as Herbert Richardson
Tim Blake Nelson as Ralph Myers
Rafe Spall as Tommy Champan
O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Anthony Ray Hinton
Lindsay Ayliffe as Judge Foster
C.J. LeBlanc as John McMillan
