RATED PG-13

LEGAL DRAMA/DRAMA

MY RATING: 5/5

Wow. Can any movie be more relevant to today’s social issues? Can any movie display such a similar situation and use what’s morally right to contradict human bias? The answer is yes. Just Mercy, based on the true story of an innocent black man imprisoned for the falsely accused murder of a 18-year old white girl, features Michael B. Jordan as attorney Bryan Stevenson, Jaime Foxx as the accused Walter McMillian, and Brie Larson as Eve Ansley, Stevenson’s white assistant.

I’m sure everyone is aware of the death of George Floyd. He was a black man who allegedly tried paying with a fake dollar bill at a corner store in Minneapolis, causing the owner to call the cops on him. The police dragged Floyd out of his car and put handcuffs on him; he didn’t resist. One officer put his knee on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes and did so just forcefully enough to stop his breathing. Floyd continuously tried to tell the policeman that he couldn’t breathe, yet the policeman didn’t stop. Floyd died at the scene.

Such a crime deserves justice.

From incidents like these, we can see how police brutality is perpetrated by racism and discrimination against blacks. Similarly, the movie Just Mercy shows how our country responds to racial prejudice and how the white and privileged think they can treat other races “inferior” to them. A man named Walter McMillian, also known as Johnny D., is on Death Row awaiting execution for murder, despite being falsely accused. When a young Harvard lawyer comes down to the South to achieve justice for innocent prisoners, including Johnny D., he experiences racism but uses his knowledge to try to educate those who are ignorant. Throughout the movie, we learn about how high position officials had used their white authority to convict Johnny D. by forcing untruthful testimony out of false witnesses. Stevenson establishes the Equal Justice Initiative to reverse the verdict.

As a young person, I was surprised by how important the influence of race can be in America. I realized that today’s society has shaped the perception of each race differently by labeling some races as more likely to commit crimes than others. I didn’t think these discriminatory situations occurred anymore, yet black people are still being put to death when they do not deserve it. I hope our country can continue to learn from our past mistakes in order to end discrimination and set examples for future generations.

I highly recommend watching this incredible and educational film, especially in times like these. Currently, it is available for free on YouTube, Google Play, HBO, Amazon Prime, Redbox, and many other digital platforms for the month of June. Go give Just Mercy a watch–I promise you it’s worth it!

No one is born racist. It’s taught.

@ Sydney Lee. All Rights Reserved