Just Mercy (2019)
PG-13, 2 hours 17 minutes

Just Mercy is a 2019 film based on the true story of  Bryan Stevenson’s efforts to defend Walter McMillian, a wrongfully convicted death row inmate in Monroeville, Alabama. The film revolves around the experiences of Bryan Stevenson who is a young Harvard Law School graduate who moves to Alabama to provide legal representation to inmates on death row who can’t afford proper attorneys. The film showcases Bryan representing and defending multiple inmates, with the main focus being on McMillian. As Bryan dives into McMillian’s case, he uncovers a slew of corruption, racial bias, and a flawed justice system. Despite overwhelming evidence of McMillian’s innocence, including multiple alibi witnesses, the local law enforcement and legal system refuse to acknowledge the miscarriage of justice as they don’t want the citizens feeling unsafe and scared. Along Bryan’s journey he faces numerous obstacles in his pursuit of justice for McMillian. He encounters death threats, unfair treatment from police officers and a lot of stubborn people refusing to cooperate in questioning . Bryan also highlights how flawed and racist the Alabama legal system truly is. Bryan eventually gets McMillian a new trial and with the local police department scrambling to find evidence to support their case Bryan approaches them and gives a heartfelt speech about how they are failing at their job of keeping the residents safe as none of the black people feel safe as someone got away with murder for the crime McMillian is being framed for. At the new trial the police department agrees to drop all charges on McMillian officially making him a free man. Just Mercy serves as a powerful film that highlights the flaws and injustices within the criminal justice system, particularly as they relate to racial discrimination and the death penalty. I thought Michael B. Jordan had a great performance in the role of Bryan and same with Jamie Foxx in the role of McMillian. This is a film I would highly recommend to all fans of law enforcement or people interested in learning more about it.