Brie Larson's Legal Drama With Michael B. Jordan Is An Emotional Gem Streaming For Free

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Destin Daniel Cretton's 2019 legal drama "Just Mercy," which is currently streaming for free on Tubi, was nominated for multiple awards when it came out. Most notably, lead actor Michael B. Jordan and supporting actor Jamie Foxx both won NAACP Image Awards for their performances in the movie.

"Just Mercy" is based on the autobiographical book "Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption" by Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer from Alabama who defended impoverished people who couldn't afford better representation. In 1989, Stevenson founded the Equal Justice Initiative with fellow lawyer Eva Ansley, and the movie takes place at about that time. It focuses specifically on the case of Walter "Johnny D." McMillan (Foxx) who had been in prison for several years after being convicted of murdering a white woman in 1986. Stevenson (Jordan) reviewed the case and found that it was likely shaky; McMillan's guilt hinged entirely on the testimony of one Ralph Myers (Tim Blake Nelson), a felon who only gave his testimony as part of a plea deal. Brie Larson plays Ansley, whose real-life counterpart was on set during the film's production. 

As Stevenson probes more deeply into the case, however, local cops begin harassing him and the other people involved. There is clearly a larger coverup meant to keep McMillan in prison, with Stevenson even going on "60 Minutes" to bring further attention to the case in the hopes of helping his client.

"Just Mercy" hit theaters on Christmas Day in 2019 and was clearly being positioned as a major Oscar contender. It ultimately wasn't nominated for any Academy Awards, but it's generally considered one of Jordan's best movies and makes for a perfectly moving drama of real-life justice served.

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2019 was a good moment in the careers of everyone involved in "Just Mercy." Destin Daniel Cretton was on the rise after the success of his SXSW Grand Jury Prize-winning 2013 indie drama "Short Term 12," which Brie Larson also starred in. Larson and Cretton would thereafter reunite on the 2017 biopic "The Glass Castle," which was based on author and columnist Jeannette Walls' memoir of the same name. Michael B. Jordan, meanwhile, established himself as a capable and talented leading man with his breakout role in Ryan Coogler's celebrated 2013 true story drama "Fruitvale Station." From there, Jordan portrayed the titular character in Coogler's 2015 ultra-hit "Creed," and he's been an A-list star ever since.

Moreover, both Jordan and Larson were very much in the public eye by the time "Just Mercy" came along thanks to their roles in the then neigh-unstoppable Marvel Cinematic Universe. By that point, Jordan had played the villain Killmonger in 2018's "Black Panther," whereas Larson has portrayed the titular superhero in 2019's "Captain Marvel" before reprising her role for "Avengers: Endgame" that same year. As it were, Cretton would go on to work on the MCU as well. He directed the 2021 MCU movie "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" before creating the surprisingly grounded Marvel comedy series "Wonder Man" and helming the upcoming MCU film "Spider-Man: Brand New Day." Far from slowing down himself, Jordan only just won an Oscar earlier this year for his performance in Coogler's cinematic phenomenon "Sinners."

So, yeah, "Just Mercy" was a flashpoint of amazing talent and huge pop culture stars. But more than that, it's a reminder that all of these creatives are capable of moving, meaningful dramas with real-world implications.

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"Just Mercy" was well-reviewed overall. Mark Kennedy, writing for the Associated Press, pointed out that "Just Mercy" revealed, quite tragically, how little had changed in the U.S. criminal justice system since the days of "To Kill a Mockingbird" (a story that, he reminded his readers, was set in the 1930s). Kennedy was also impressed with the performances, writing that Jamie Foxx, in particular, was a standout. The only issue he had was that "it sometimes veers into hagiography. The naturalism of the cinematography and acting sometimes clashes with dialogue that seems overly polished."

Reviewing it for RogerEbert.com, however, Odie Henderson only gave the movie two-and-a-half stars (out of four) and felt that the film, which is all about the suffering and injustice visited upon the Black community, was a little too carefully calibrated to please a white audience. As Henderson saw it, the movie has too many clichés that the "nobility" of Black suffering, writing:

"We can be beaten, raped, enslaved, shot for no reason by police, victimized by a justice system rigged to disfavor us, or any other number of real-world things that can befall us, yet God help us if a character is p*ssed off about this. Instead, we get to be noble, to hold on to His unchanging hand while that tireless Black lady goes 'hmmm-HMMMMM!' on the soundtrack to symbolize our suffering. There's a lot of 'hmmm-HMMMMM'-ing in this movie, so much so that I had to resist laughing."

It's a legitimate point. "Just Mercy" is moving, but it's not outraged. It's meant to inspire political action, yet it stays away from righteous indignation. Ultimately, though, Henderson was impressed by how much "Just Mercy" did end up interrogating. Stream it on Tubi, and see if you agree.