This seemingly forgotten eighties court thriller is a classic of the genre; Written by Joe Eszterhas (Basic Instinct) as a modern version of Anatomy of a Murder, Glenn Close plays a trial lawyer who is reluctant to take on the case of a man (a young and unfathomable Jeff Bridges) accused of brutally murdering his wife. The reason she`s not sure of herself because she can`t decide whether he did or not, which provides much of the growing tension – both sexual and legal – as the plot points come thick and quick to puzzle you until a very satisfying twist. As Finch, Gregory Peck delivers a powerful performance that has made him one of the greatest heroes in cinema. The film is just as relevant today as a legal drama as it was when it was released. With that in mind, this list will cover the best courtroom movies of all time, ranked by their IMDb rankings. These movies include well-known classics and other foreign titles that have gone under the radar and are all worth a look. Before raising your objections, let us set aside some reservations. For the purposes of this list, we`re mainly thinking of thrillers or thriller neighbors that have been ripped off the headlines – meaning we`ve left out a number of classic courtroom dramas and trends towards the `90s and the present. (No disrespect for Witness for the Prosecution, Anatomy of A Murder, 12 Angry Men, The Verdict, or a number of other legal classics.) Think of John Grisham and the scenes where Tom Cruise beats Wilford Brimley with a briefcase. The story Scout tells about the night his brother Jem broke his arm is such a mainstay of modern art and entertainment that most of us know the basic story.
It is not only about the trial that Atticus has taken over, but also about the associated politics in the small town, which ends up on which side and why. Michael B. Jordan is a young Harvard graduate, Bryan Stevenson, who travels to Alabama to give ordinary people the opportunity to properly represent themselves in court. The case of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx) soon gives him exactly the cause he was looking for: McMillian is on death row, based on the most fragile evidence. When Stevenson takes the lead in the cast, however, he faces all the darkest arts of the white establishment that turn away from deterrence. Based on a true story, this is an urgent thing. Order, order! I`ll have order in this list of film best-ofs, so help me God, put that aside: Devil`s Advocate is a wild movie. It is alternately a slow-burning legal drama with a thriller and a supernatural horror plot. It is also very difficult not to spoil because revelation is part of his glorious madness. Keanu Reeves plays an arrogant young Florida lawyer named Kevin Lomax who can`t and won`t lose a case and has even the most heinous criminals acquitted.
He is invited to come to New York and help a Hotshot law firm select the jury, and is eventually recruited by the firm headed by the mysterious John Milton of Al Pacino. The title really says everything you need to know about who this “John Milton” is, and soon Kevin and his wife (Charlize Theron) are doing some very scary things. But what you might forget about Devil`s Advocate is how much of a legal movie it is between all of Pacino`s screams. The scenes in the courtroom are crisp and will tie you to your seat. Of all the Michael Crichton books that have been filmed, this is one of the best, and it probably receives less attention compared to the others. This is the story of Rudy Baylor, a law student who does the right thing when he mixes in a practice that is more about ambulance hunting than justice. Ultimately, he works on a case involving a rejected health insurance claim that could have saved the victim`s life, and he begins to learn the hard way that justice also follows money. Based on the real-life case of Cheryl Araujo in New Bedford, Massachusetts, The Accused stars Jodie Foster as Sarah Tobias — the victim of a brutal gang rape in a bar where her attackers were encouraged by passers-by — and the ensuing trial in which her drunkenness, “provocative” behavior and clothing were challenged in court. Notably as one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to focus exclusively on rape, Foster`s appearance in The Accused earned the actress her first-ever Oscar for Best Actress. John Grisham`s series of adaptations in the 90s includes many of the greatest legal thrillers, but there have been a variety of great films with lawyers in the history of cinema.
Here are the eleven greatest legal dramas of all time, ranked. Right-wing dramas are a common theme in film and television. There are a whole kind of lawyers` shows on television, especially procedural dramas, so numerous that an entire channel could exist just to cover them all. In the world of cinema, there have also been many legal dramas that attempt to depict the judicial system and judicial procedures, both fictitious and based on real cases. What makes a really gripping legal drama? Corrupt legal systems? Injustices exposed? More twists and turns than you can shake a stick? We`ve rounded up some of the most intriguing legal dramas — some fictional, some based on real-life criminal cases — for moviegoers, from the 1957 classic 12 Angry Men to the British film Let Him Have It. The late Chadwick Boseman was the baron of the 2010s biopic that played Jackie Robinson, 42, James Brown (Get on Up) and Thurgood Marshall in just four years. He brings a different physicality to each role and turns Marshall into a flash of performance. The film traces a case dating back to the early career of the future Supreme Court justice, when he was an NAACP attorney defending a black driver (Sterling K. Brown) who was falsely accused of rape by his white employer (Kate Hudson). It`s one of those adult dramas that we now think is “old-fashioned,” but it`s not a blow: despite some simplistic characterizations, Marshall is a compelling legal saga backed by Boseman`s star-worthy turn.
Keanu Reeves, in his arrogant and confused pomp, is a hot and morally ambiguous lawyer confronted with the career opportunity of a lifetime by a charismatic, enigmatic and possibly demonic New York CEO, played by Al Pacino. It`s flashy, cheesy and hammy in the best possible way, as Pacino screams and whispers in turn to seduce Keanu into his circle. As a supernatural horror, it also has its moments, especially in a disturbing sequence with Reeves` wife, played by Charlize Theron. It is long and thick applied, but if you neglect its flaws and indulge in it, it is a Hollywood movie of the most entertaining order. Legendary director Billy Wilder takes the source material with wit and grace and gives it the necessary film noir flair. The result is a truly exciting courtroom/mystery saga. To Kill a Mockingbird tops the list. Gregory Peck`s best performance. 12 Angry Men is the definitive bedroom room. Legal thrillers often focus on the accumulation of evidence, the frequency of hearings, but the final decision process is all 12 Angry Men need to investigate the exact workings of the process and its pros and cons. Twelve jurors hold the fate of a man in their hands; They each bring their own ideas, prejudices and beliefs, which they discuss in detail without even knowing each other by name. 12 Angry Men features one of the largest sets of all time, cleverly balancing screen time between characters.
The source material of Reginald Rose`s stage material is quite brilliant, but it is Sidney Lumet`s frame that creates iconic images within the confines of a small courtroom. Aaron Sorkin is familiar with a rat-a-tat walking and conversation drama, and his new for Netflix starts with perhaps most of the rat-a-tat walking-and-talking sequence he`s tried so far. This is the story of how seven anti-Vietnam protesters (plus Black Panther founder Bobby Seale, who was expelled midway through the trial) were tried for conspiracy and incitement to riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. In Sorkin`s hands, the trial became a place of reasoning about the foundations of America. Who is allowed to protest and how? Can you reform failed systems? And should you compromise your principles with pragmatism? A Few Good Men has a large cast of well-known actors such as Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore and Kevin Bacon and takes place primarily in the courtroom when Cruise`s military attorney defends two Marines accused of killing another Marine at their Guantanamo Bay base.