As the nation mourns the death of George Floyd by the hands of Minneapolis police, Warner Bros. has opted to allow everyone in the country to freely access their civil rights film Just Mercy. The movie can be watched from now until the end of June through virtually every major digital rental service.
Just Mercy tells the true story of civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson as he fights vigilantly to free innocent death row prisoner Walter McMillian. The film was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and stars Michael B. Jordan as Stevenson and Jamie Foxx as the wrongly-convicted McMillian. It currently sits at 83% on Rotten Tomatoes alongside the 99% audience score due to its phenomenal acting and direction.
Earlier today, a statement from Warner Bros. said the following:
We believe in the power of story. 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.
To actively be part of the change our country is so desperately seeking, we encourage you to learn more about our past and the countless injustices that have led us to where we are today. Thank you to the artists, storytellers and advocates who helped make this film happen. Watch with your family, friends and allies. For further information on Bryan Stevenson and his work at the Equal Justice Initiative please visit EJI.org.
The announcement comes on Blackout Tuesday, a movement started by music executives Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang that originally asked for those in the music industry to take a stand against racism by changing their social media photos to a solid black background. It’s since gained nationwide support and prompted millions of people to join in to show their support following the death of George Floyd.
Floyd was killed by officer Derek Chauvin, who held a knee on his neck for nearly 9 minutes despite pleas to stop. The pressure on his neck caused a lack of blood to reach Floyd’s brain and cut off his oxygen, resulting in asphyxia. His death has sent hundreds of thousands of people to the streets to protest police brutality and has led to various riots in major cities across the country every night for the past week.
You can rent Just Mercy right now using your digital rental service of choice. And if you haven’t yet seen it, get ready, as you’re in for a treat.
