It only took a moment’s deliberation to reach the verdict that Juror #2 is our top streaming pick this week. Clint Eastwood’s courtroom thriller is a compelling morality play about a juror on a murder trial who has a secret connection to the case that would ruin his life if it came out, just when he’s about to become a father. But if he doesn’t tell the truth, an innocent man will go to prison.
Much of the conversation around the film revolved around Warner Bros.’ decision to deprioritize a wide theatrical release in favor of streaming on Max. It’s too bad all around, because Juror No. 2 is a well-made, old-fashioned legal drama that’s much better than its unconfident release strategy would indicate. Its Oscar chances may have stalled out, but If nothing else, Juror #2 will make you think about what you would do if you were in Justin Kemp’s (Nicholas Hoult) position.
Here are some other movies to stream this weekend:
Anora: Director Sean Baker’s revelatory dramedy is one of the year’s top awards contenders, and the only reason why it’s not our top pick this week is because it’s only on VOD, not subscription streaming. Mikey Madison is the leading Best Actress contender for her explosive and complex performance as the titular Brooklyn sex worker, who sees a pathway to a better life when she meets Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of a Russian oligarch. But when they get engaged, his parents step in to put a stop to it. Anora is an empathetic, darkly funny slice of life that will earn five, maybe six Academy Award nominations.
The Six Triple Eight: Tyler Perry writes and directs Netflix’s WWII drama, which tells the true story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-Black, all-female battalion tasked with delivering a backlog of 17 million letters to the European frontlines. It’s Perry’s most mainstream project ever, with an A-list cast that includes Kerry Washington, Susan Sarandon, and Oprah Winfrey. It’s a Best Original Song Oscar contender for “The Journey,” written by 15-time nominee Diane Warren and performed by H.E.R.
Blink: In this life-affirming National Geographic documentary, a family travels the world and sees what there is to see before a genetic disorder causes the three children to lose their vision. Sugarcane ended up being NatGeo’s contender this year. But even though this one didn’t make the Oscars shortlist, it’s still a well-reviewed doc from Edmund Stenson and previous doc winner Daniel Roher (Navalny), so it’s worth watching if you’re looking for a moving true story now that it’s on Disney+.
