SummaryJust Mercy follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley (Brie Lar... Read More
Directed By:Destin Daniel Cretton
Written By:Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Lanham, Bryan Stevenson
Just Mercy
Metascore
Generally Favorable
68
User score
Generally Favorable
6.9
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
74% Positive
37 Reviews
37 Reviews
26% Mixed
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Jan 6, 2020
88
In the judicious hands of director and co-writer Destin Daniel Cretton, it feels not new exactly, but fresh and urgent and more timely than ever.
Feb 19, 2020
75
Just Mercy is a testament to what talented actors can do with material that might otherwise be stifling.
User score
Generally Favorable
70% Positive
94 Ratings
94 Ratings
18% Mixed
24 Ratings
24 Ratings
12% Negative
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
May 29, 2020
10
Just Mercy is an abrupting scream of desperation against racism, injustice, capital punishment and corruption, and the audience can feel throughout the whole movie the struggle an afroamerican person could have lived in those years of discrimination. The movie provides no mince words in dealing with a fact of recent history, neither in depicting the arrogance and the clear dishonesty of Sheriff Tate and the hypocrisy of Mayor Chapman. The cast is just superb in performing their own roles, and the rapture is so strong that you are not able to hold the tears flooding on your cheeks. Definitely a masterpiece.
Apr 17, 2020
10
Despite what biased users and critics say to downplay or drag this movie down, we should know these themes are still revelant today. I believe the direction of this film was to open our eyes and see something meaningful, since there haven't been many movies made of true value. Reviewers who discredit this film by saying that this film is another repeat of another racial or another moral story may not have a problem watching nothing but superhero movies throughout their life and they should because they clearly don't know what they are talking about.
Dec 26, 2019
75
Just Mercy is not always an easy film to watch, but it is necessary.
Dec 23, 2019
70
The film portrays the ferocious resistance of some people to the possibility that this man had nothing to do with the crime. And that’s when Just Mercy is at its best.
Sep 26, 2019
67
Just Mercy is incredibly effective at what it sets out to do: change hearts and minds about capital punishment, bring more awareness to the brutality of killing other human beings in the name of the law, and highlight the racism and other issues of structural inequality that lead to the high margin of error in death penalty convictions.
Jan 10, 2020
60
It’s a remarkable story, but a cinematically limited one, constantly in danger of seeming more like a news summary than a narrative work.
Sep 7, 2019
50
In a time when awareness and acknowledgement of racial bias and extrajudicial measures by law enforcement in America is at its most widespread, such scenes feel condescendingly pitched to an unconverted audience of the imagination.
Apr 14, 2020
10
Probably one of the best movies I ever watched. Almost made me cry in the end.
Jan 24, 2020
6
Criminal justice reform is a hot political topic these days and this movie lands squarely in the middle of the discussion. It's based on a true story about a young black lawyer (Michael B. Jordan), who travels to a small racist Alabama town to save a man who's been falsely accused of murder (Jamie Foxx). While there are some moving moments, this film spends more time trying to generate outrage than to create effective drama. The performances are effective and the story is certainly important, but the relentless messaging and a solemn pace inhibit the film's full potential.
Dec 26, 2019
6
Well-acted, but we’ve seen all of this before. Some nice heartfelt moments but also some heavy-handed ones. It’ll get an A+ on CinemaScore and win the People’s Choice though, I’m sure.
Mar 15, 2025
5
A rather classic film for the genre but well developed, without any particular sharp points. Pleasant to watch.
Nov 1, 2021
3
Just Mercy has an important tale to tell, but muddies its message through emotional manipulation and an unsubstantiated hatred of capital punishment for actually guilty criminals.
Production Company:
- Warner Bros.
- Fifth Season
- One Community
- Participant
- Macro
- Netter Productions
- Outlier Society
Release Date:Dec 25, 2019
Duration:2 h 17 m
Rating:PG-13
Tagline:Every generation has its hero. Meet ours.
Website:
Awards
Image Awards (NAACP)
• 3 Wins & 5 Nominations
Indiana Film Journalists Association, US
• 4 Nominations
Black Reel Awards
• 3 Nominations
