Director Destin Daniel Cretton made an impressive impact on the indie film community in the early 2010s with the highly acclaimed Short Term 12 starring future Captain Marvel herself, Brie Larson. The film proved that he could really get to the heart of his characters and create something truly powerful. When the beloved memoir Just Mercy from social justice advocate Bryan Stevenson started to be developed into a feature film, Cretton was a natural choice to tackle a story so emotionally charged. The director continued his strong working relationship Larson and brought on fellow MCU-alum Michael B. Jordan to portray Stevenson during his early days of the Equal Justice Initiative.
After graduating Harvard Law School, idealistic Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) moves to Alabama in hopes of helping poor people who cannot afford representation. He finds a like-minded soul in the form of Eva Ansley (Brie Larson), with whom he founds the Equal Justice Initiative. Many in the community are against what he is trying to accomplish and put up roadblocks at every turn. When Stevenson pays a visit to death row inmates at the local prison, he hears many troubling stories from people he intends to help, but the main one that catches his attention is that of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx). Walter is an African-American man who has been convicted of murdering a white woman, all the while maintaining his innocence. After a cursory glance at his case, Bryan finds some highly contradictory evidence that sends him on a journey to free Walter.
Jamie Foxx is doing some incredible work in this film. When you see him giving an emotionally rich performance such as this one, you wish that he would focus more on these types of roles. There are a lot of emotional ups and downs while trying to free Walter. No one wants to see him freed no matter how much exonerating evidence piles up. As you watch this, knowing it is based on a true story, you really appreciate that there are people like Bryan Stevenson fighting the fight that can seem impossible. Michael B. Jordan does a fine job inhabiting Bryan, but the script makes the character a little too one note in a way that hinders an actor as dynamic as Jordan. The pursuit of justice is admirable focus point, but adding more nuance to Bryan in the script could have elevated the movie tenfold. Larson is similarly underutilized in a role that could have used a little bit of fleshing out to give her more of an identity in the story.
Just Mercy, for better or worse, is exactly the film you expect it to be. The film offers very little in terms of surprises or new takes on similar material. Alabama is an especially tough place to be black, and the movie showcases this in one emotionally wrought way after another. Nothing ever gets too real, though, because the story has to be palatable for mainstream audiences. Bryan is going to be the cool head of justice who works tirelessly to get Walter and other endearing inmates out of their situation. He will have some successes and some failures, but the movie will never lose its optimistic tone that will send you home hopeful. This is comforting for those who want exactly that type of movie. The movie is very well constructed and tailor-made to push the right emotional buttons. For those who are looking for a more visceral experience, you might find this film a bit lacking, but the movie accomplishes what it sets out to do in an effective manner.
Video Quality
Just Mercy comes to Blu-Ray with a stunning 1080p transfer, which comes from a 4K source. The amount of distinct clarity and detail present on this Blu-Ray is truly something to behold. Subtle details on faces are amazingly clear and fine texture such as facial hair holds up surprisingly well both in close-ups and long shots. The film leans toward the warmer side of the spectrum with earth tones taking more of a precedent in the presentation. The color palette is fairly neutral throughout most of the film, but there are the occasional pops of color, such as the foliage surrounding Walter’s house. Black levels hold up well with no glaring instances of black crush present. Digital noise and artifacting are a non-issue with this release. This is a great presentation for a very visually polished film.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray provides a Dolby Atmos track for the film that gives a texture to the courtroom drama that you did not know you needed. There are many instances that make you feel more fully immersed in the action from the lively courtroom scenes to the more subtle sounds of nature surrounding you. When Bryan visits the prisons, you feel you are there right beside him as the echo of the empty room comes through in an eerily effective manner. This is a very dialogue heavy movie, and all of it comes through clearly without ever being overpowered by the impressive score from Joel P. West. If this had never received the Dolby Atmos treatment, you likely would not have realized the sonic details you were missing, but thankfully Warner Bros. has provided a very effective track for this release.
Special Features
- Making Mercy: A four-minute piece that briefly goes over the making of the film with key cast members and crew. In a rare turn of events, this also features a lot of the crew that does not usually get to be seen on camera including interns and production assistants.
- The Equal Justice Initiative: An eight-minute look into the legacy of the Equal Justice Initiative and what Bryan has accomplished since founding it. This almost feels like a commercial for the cause.
- This Moment Deserves: A six-minute dive into the story and comparisons to the real-life McMillian case with some of the participants. This feels like the most worthwhile of the three featurettes.
- Deleted Scenes: Eight scenes totaling just shy of 15 minutes are presented here. There is some worthwhile content here including a cut subplot that might have been a bit tough for mainstream audiences. This movie was already quite long so it’s understandable these were not included in the final film.
Final Thoughts
Just Mercy is a film that goes down smoothly and is easy to enjoy. You go into it expecting an uplifting tale of overcoming a racist system, and that is exactly what you get. What the movie could have used a little bit more of is director Destin Daniel Cretton’s indie sensibility. With a little grit to make certain plot points more impactful, you could have elevated this above the standard courtroom drama that you are used to. This is the difference between a really good movie and a great movie, and this movie still ranks as very good. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provides a Blu-Ray with a reliably strong A/V presentation and some decent special features. Recommended.
Just Mercy is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
