Jury Duty
2023
Original language: English
- comedy
The story
The inner workings of an American jury trial through the eyes of one particular juror, Ronald Gladden. Gladden is unaware the entire case is fake, everyone except him is an actor and everything that happens — inside the courtroom and out — is carefully planned.
What it’s like
Bright, flat fluorescent light over a county courthouse and its beige corridors, shot in the handheld, documentary-style frame of a reality show, with the camera hovering close to a single man as he moves through every scene. The vibe is warm, bemused and deadpan, a slow-burning comedy of awkward politeness that builds into something close to hilarity: the pleasure comes from watching small social moments tilt and stretch while nobody breaks character. The rhythm is unhurried, with long stretches of waiting rooms, lunch breaks and jury deliberation punctuated by escalating absurdity. Its people share a quiet, sincere goodwill; the emotional arc follows an ordinary, earnest man who keeps trying to do the right thing while the world around him quietly rearranges itself. The intensity is very low: no violence, no gore, no sexual content, and nothing frightening, though some scenes carry gentle emotional tension and a few uncomfortable moments of social embarrassment. It suits a relaxed evening, a light comedy binge, or anyone who enjoys the cringe-and-delight of watching people in on a joke that the main character never sees.
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