'Juror #2' Ending Explained: Does Justice Prevail?

'Juror #2' Plot

The plot of the movie is actually pretty simple on the surface. Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult), is a family man and recovering alcoholic. His wife is expecting their first baby and their life is finally going right.

Then Justin gets selected for Jury Duty, it seems like a pain but he's doing his civic duty. The case is a high-profile murder trial.

A young woman named Kendall Carter is found dead, and her boyfriend, James Sythe, is accused of her murder. The prosecution, led by ambitious District Attorney Faith Killebrew (Toni Collette), paints a picture of a volatile relationship and a jealous boyfriend.

But as the trial progresses and evidence is presented, Justin realizes he might be connected to Kendall's death. He was at the bar the night the crime in question happened. It was raining and he thought he hit a deer on the ride home.

Justin begins to wonder if he did hit a deer—Kendall was found near where he pulled over to look. And her injuries are consistent with a hit and run...or a beating.

The deeper he looks, the more certain Justin gets that he actually hit and killed this woman. And that her boyfriend is going to go to jail for a crime he didn't commit.

Justin is torn between using his position as a juror to sway the jury towards convicting Sythe, effectively shielding himself from suspicion and keeping his newfound good life entact.

To make matters more complicated, Justin finds out that Sythe is supposedly a bad guy, with a violent past. He claims to have cleaned up, but he has gang tattoos and a long wrap sheet.

After talking with his pregnant wife and realizing he has no other options, especially with his alcoholic past, Justin decides to subtly influences other jurors, even planting seeds of doubt about Sythe's innocence so no one asks questions.

But Faith has he own doubts about the case, and and starts investigating along with the trail. She begins to follow a theory from a dismissed juror who was a cop that this was a hit and run.

The more she digs into the investigation, the more she realizes this is the case. Once she starts looking into car records, ahe tracks down Justin's wife, whose car he was in that night. She tells Faith that her husband hit a deer, and faith believes it. But later, Faith realizes that that's Justin's wife, and his behavior on the jury makes sense.

Meanwhile, Justin succeeds in getting Sythe convicted. He heads to prison. Kendall's family gets closure of their lost daughter.

And Justin's wife has her baby. He now has a happy family.

So, how does the movie end?

'Juror #2' Ending Explained

The film ends with Faith confronting Justin outside the courthouse, and Justin alludes to the idea that he was involved in Kendall's death via a hit and run.

Justin swears it was an accident and that he was protecting his family by not coming forward. Faith seems to understand, but has questions about whether or not this is real justice.

Justin says he's a good person and a bad person went behind bars. He thinks justice has been served. He will live on and that's got to be okay.

Faith agrees but she has her hesitations.

At the very end of the movie, while Justin and his wife are playing with their baby, Faith knocks on his door.

Then the movie ends.

Interpreting the End of 'Juror #2'

There are a few different interpretations of the ending. You could believe that Faith is there to arrest him, because she knows that the rule of law allows it.

Or maybe she's just checking in to see if he's living a good life, a life worthy of freedom, and that he can expect these checks moving forward.

Or, maybe she's just there once for final closure, to know that not saying anything is the right thing, and that justice has been served.

At the end of the day, this is a film that places the burden of the end on the viewer. You can argue it any direction.

The Themes of 'Juror #2'

The themes of this movie are very powerful. It calls into question everything we know about law, justice, and morality. It asks the viewer to make an argument as to what they believe as well. I love those kinds of challenges.

• Guilt and Conscience: Justin is tormented by his guilt over Kendall's death and the possibility of an innocent man being convicted but he also feelsl ike he should be good enough to continue on.
• Moral Dilemmas: The central question of the movie is to protect yourself or submit to the courts.
• Justice and the Legal System: The film questions the effectiveness and fairness of the legal system. Can true justice be achieved when individuals manipulate the system for their own benefit?
• Responsibility and Accountability: Justin's attempts to evade accountability contrast with the potential injustice faced by Sythe, who may be held accountable for a crime he didn't commit, but being punished for past crimes he got away with. This creates the central question of how crime should be punished. And who should be forgiven.
• Family and Protection: Justin's motivation is rooted in protecting his family. Something that Sythe failed to do when he chased his girlfriend away and forced her to walk on that dark road home during the rain.