How to watch ‘Just Mercy’ for free
While the protests over George Floyd’s death rage across the nation, Warner Bros. has reacted by making its 2019 film “Just Mercy” available to stream for free for the month of June.
The courtroom drama tells the true story of lawyer Bryan Stevenson (played by Michael B. Jordan), who appealed the 1988 murder conviction of an innocent black man, Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx).
Here’s what you need to know about the film that’s now going viral amid the issues brought to light by protests.
What’s the real story behind the film?
The narrative is from Stevenson’s 2014 book, “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption.” A young Harvard-trained lawyer, Bryan Stevenson (Jordan) relocates to Alabama in 1989 to fight for the poor. He soon takes up the flawed case of Walter McMillian (Foxx), who was wrongly convicted of murder a year earlier — taking it all the way up to the Alabama Supreme Court.
How was the film received?
When the movie debuted, Post critic Sara Stewart called it “profoundly moving and unbearably sad.” Of the film, which she gave 3.5 stars, she wrote:
Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx, both capable of explosive performances, package their energy into tightly controlled characters in the story of Walter McMillian (Foxx), a wrongly convicted man on death row in Alabama in the 1980s. Jordan plays Bryan Stevenson, a young Harvard lawyer who takes on McMillian’s case.
Both characters understand the inherent danger in being visibly angry black men, and (mostly) mute their reactions accordingly. It makes the film move differently and more quietly than you might expect from a courtroom drama; some audiences may decide the tone of this journey through multiple trials is too timid.
Why are people watching the film now?
Even though the film came out last year, it’s now seeing a revival given the protests around the killing of George Floyd.
The book has reached the top of the best seller list as protests fill streets across the country and onlookers seek to educate themselves on the issues.
“We believe in the power of story,” Warner Bros. said in a statement. “Our film ‘Just Mercy,’ based on the life work of civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, is one resource we can humbly offer to those who are interested in learning more about the systemic racism that plagues our society.”
What’s the rating?
“Just Mercy” is rated PG-13 for violence and profanity.
Where can I watch?
The studio has made the film very easy to watch. It’s available for free via most services where you would normally pay to rent a film: YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Prime Video and Google Play.