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. Via YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Prime Video and Google Play.
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.
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.”
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.