Just Mercy Reviews

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Sandra Hall
Sydney Morning Herald
January 21, 2020
Jordan, however, is completely persuasive. The virtues possessed by Stevenson are all on the quiet side. His analytical flair is matched by his patience, his tenacity and his acuity.
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5
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Charlotte O'Sullivan
London Evening Standard
January 21, 2020
Still, by the time you reach the end - and realise how closely the film-makers have stuck to the facts - you won't care. That the truth will out is entertainment enough.
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5
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Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
January 17, 2020
[I]t's never less than engrossing. Even with the schmaltz.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5
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David Sims
The Atlantic
January 14, 2020
The film's power lies in the brutality of its true story, and yet that narrative stays within fairly conventional bounds precisely because of Cretton's commitment to telling it.
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Adam Graham
Detroit News
January 14, 2020
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, "Just Mercy" follows a predictable path that is nonetheless rousing due to the strength of its real-life elements.
Full Review | Original Score: B
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Hannah Woodhead
Little White Lies
January 14, 2020
We never gain much of a sense for who Stevenson is or what motivates him beyond the pursuit of legal justice, and Cretton makes no attempt to deviate from a familiar prestige drama template.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5
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Anna Smith
Time Out
January 14, 2020
An ultimately heart-warming watch that argues passionately for justice, community and kindness.
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5
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Richard Roeper
Chicago Sun-Times
January 11, 2020
...a sobering reminder of a deeply flawed, socially unbalanced legal system that to this day often turns its back on persons of color who can't afford the legal defense they truly deserve.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/4
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Christy Lemire
FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
January 11, 2020
It could have been melodramatic and over the top. What I really admire about the tone that Destin Daniel Cretton sets throughout is that... it's understated so that truth always rings through.
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Barbara VanDenburgh
Arizona Republic
January 10, 2020
With the exception of Foxx's moving performances, "Just Mercy" delivers little you can't get from simply watching the news.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5
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Chris Hewitt
Minneapolis Star Tribune
January 9, 2020
It's a tough-minded and hopeful movie because it is unusually interested in making us see difficult truths and care about people we might prefer to forget about.
Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4
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Rafer Guzman
Newsday
January 9, 2020
A compelling legal drama with fine performances from Jordan and Foxx.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/4
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Oliver Jones
Observer
January 9, 2020
Rarely if ever has the death penalty-and the damage its inequitable application inflicts on everyone from prison employees to family members of the accused-been given such a thorough and gripping rendering as it is here.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/4
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Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times
January 8, 2020
Despite its flaws, "Just Mercy" is that rarity - a movie that inspires; a story that brings light.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/4
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Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle
January 8, 2020
"Just Mercy" isn't the best movie that could have been made from its subject, but it's good enough.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/4
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Brian Truitt
USA Today
January 7, 2020
Even if often predictable, Cretton's engaging drama overcomes its shortcomings with watchable empathy and grace.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/4
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Ann Hornaday
Washington Post
January 7, 2020
From its smooth visuals and warm, swinging sounds to its magnificent performances, "Just Mercy" is masterfully constructed to keep us inside a story that otherwise would be too brutal to bear.
Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4
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Richard Brody
New Yorker
December 30, 2019
This devastatingly affecting drama, based on a true story, reveals outrageous abuses in the justice system-ones that have hardly been redressed.
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Andrew Lapin
NPR
December 28, 2019
With all this weighted context, the fact that Just Mercy works is a pleasant surprise.
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Brian Lowry
CNN.com
December 27, 2019
"Just Mercy" has the feel of an old-fashioned studio throwback -- one where the underlying story is more compelling than the film.
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