Just Mercy is a powerful legal drama now streaming on Max, bringing to life Bryan Stevenson’s relentless fight for justice. Starring Michael B. Jordan as Stevenson and Jamie Foxx as Walter McMillan, the film is based on Stevenson’s memoir and sheds light on the deep flaws in the U.S. justice system, particularly in cases involving racial bias and wrongful convictions.
Stevenson, a Harvard-educated lawyer, moved to Alabama to defend prisoners who couldn’t afford legal representation. He co-founded the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) to take on cases of those unfairly sentenced, often facing systemic racism and resistance. His most famous case involved McMillan, a Black man wrongfully convicted of murdering a white woman in Monroeville, Alabama.
Arrested in 1986 despite a solid alibi and no criminal history, McMillan’s conviction rested solely on the coerced testimony of Ralph Meyers, a white man with his own legal troubles. Stevenson’s investigation exposed police misconduct, prosecutorial misconduct, and judicial bias. Though his appeals were initially denied, national attention—including a 60 Minutes feature—helped turn the tide. The Alabama Supreme Court eventually ruled in favor of a retrial, leading to McMillan’s exoneration in 1993.
While Just Mercy stays true to the heart of the case, it slightly tones down the level of racism Stevenson endured, including a real-life moment where a prosecutor questioned whether he truly attended Harvard. The film also highlights the plight of Anthony Ray Hinton, McMillan’s cellmate, who spent nearly 30 years on death row before being freed in 2014.
Beyond its gripping legal drama, Just Mercy is a sobering reminder of the deep racial injustices within the criminal justice system, making it a must-watch for those interested in true stories of resilience and reform.