Just Mercy is a 2019 American biographical legal drama film co-written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and starring Michael B. Jordan as Bryan Stevenson and Jamie Foxx as Walter McMillian, together with Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Nelson, Rafe Spall, and Brie Larson. It explores the work of Bryan Stevenson, a young defense attorney representing poor black prisoners on death row in the Southern U.S. The film focuses on is Stevenson's work with Walter McMillian, who had been wrongfully convicted of murdering a young woman. The film is based on Stevenson's 2014 eponymous memoir, in which he explored his journey to making his life's work the defense of African American prisoners.
Just Mercy, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2019, was theatrically released by Warner Bros. Pictures on December 25, 2019. The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed $50 million. Foxx was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role at the 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards. Both he and Michael B. Jordan won NAACP Image Awards for their respective roles.
