Destin Daniel Cretton's film Just Mercy will be available to rent for free in the U.S. through June to encourage systemic racism education. Starring Michael B. Jordan as real-life civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, the story centers on a case he took on in 1987 involving a man named Walter McMillian (played by Jamie Foxx) who was wrongly convicted for murder. It was originally released last year in December but made its way to digital platforms early this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Now, in response to the death of George Floyd, Warner Bros. has made the film available to rent for free throughout the month of June.
The Twitter account for Just Mercy released a statement saying, "We believe in the power of story," adding that their film "is one resource we can offer to those who are interested in learning more about the systemic racism that plagues our society." For the entire month of June, "Just Mercy will be available to rent for free across digital platforms in the US." The tweet went on to say "thank you to the artists, storytellers and advocates who helped make this film happen," adding a link at the bottom that includes "further information on Bryan Stevenson and his work at the Equal Justice Initiative." Check out the full tweet below.
Just Mercy can be rented on a variety of digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and Apple TV. It's one of many films and shows that have been recommended to educate non-Black people on systemic racism. Among other recommendations have been Ava DuVernay's powerful documentary 13th and her Emmy-nominated limited series When They See Us, which are both available on Netflix, along with Ryan Coogler's Fruitvale Station and George Tillman Jr.'s The Hate U Give, which are both currently available on VOD as well.
The official synopsis for Just Mercy reads: "After graduating from Harvard, Bryan Stevenson heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or those not afforded proper representation. One of his first cases is that of Walter McMillian, who is sentenced to die in 1987 for the murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite evidence proving his innocence. In the years that follow, Stevenson encounters racism and legal and political maneuverings as he tirelessly fights for McMillian's life."
Source: Just Mercy/Twitter