Top 50 Courtroom Dramas
Best Courtroom / Legal Drama Movies of All Time
Best courtroom/legal drama films in any form (drama, crime, mystery, wartime, conspiracy fiction e.t.c.).
Definition: courtroom (or legal) drama is a genre of film that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in which a system of justice plays a critical role in the film's narrative. The focal point of courtroom dramas, more often, are events occurring within a courtroom, but may include any phases of legal procedure, such as jury deliberations or work done at law firms or present stories of the miscarriages of justice, such as persons wrongly convicted of a crime they did not commit.
Essential / Must-see / Genre-defying courtroom-drama movies:
Other Lists:
Top 100 Political Movies
Top 50 Legal Thrillers
Best courtroom/legal drama films in any form (drama, crime, mystery, wartime, conspiracy fiction e.t.c.).
Definition: courtroom (or legal) drama is a genre of film that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in which a system of justice plays a critical role in the film's narrative. The focal point of courtroom dramas, more often, are events occurring within a courtroom, but may include any phases of legal procedure, such as jury deliberations or work done at law firms or present stories of the miscarriages of justice, such as persons wrongly convicted of a crime they did not commit.
Essential / Must-see / Genre-defying courtroom-drama movies:
- Twelve Angry Men (1957)
- Witness For The Prosecution (1957)
- Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
- To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
- Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
Other Lists:
Top 100 Political Movies
Top 50 Legal Thrillers
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62 titles
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsHenry FondaLee J. CobbMartin BalsamThe jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.Twelve Angry Men (1957)*
Golden Age – Drama – Crime – Courtroom Crime Drama – First-Degree Murder Trial – Puerto Rican Teenager Murder Case – Criminal Conviction – Verdict Process – Jury Room – Twelve Ordinary Men Jury-Members – Different Personalities – Different Background – Jury’s Deliberations – Critically Thinking – Evidence Debate – Reasonable Doubt – Difficult Situations – Arguments – Frustration – Moral Conflict – Uncertainty Stress – Claustrophobic Tension – Gritty Realism – Others – Legal Drama – American Legal System Study – Character-Driven Drama – Social Commentary – Social Justice – Social Influence – Social Psychology Theories – Groups Dynamics Theory – Schema Pattern – Racism – Thought-Provoking – Sophisticate – Minimalistic Setup – Stage-To-Screen – Criterion Collection – Iconic Film – Influential Film – Cult Status – Classic Status – T o p – Best 50's – F a v e – Re-Watch Value – U.S.A. – 1001 Must-See Movies
★★★★★★★★★★ (10/10)-M
############################## - DirectorStanley KubrickStarsKirk DouglasRalph MeekerAdolphe MenjouAfter a failed attack on a German position, a general orders three soldiers, chosen at random, court-martialed for cowardice and their commanding officer must defend them.Paths of Glory (1957)
★★★★★★★★ (8/10) - DirectorOtto PremingerStarsJames StewartLee RemickBen GazzaraAn upstate Michigan lawyer defends a soldier who claims he killed an innkeeper due to temporary insanity after the victim raped his wife. What is the truth, and will he win his case?Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
Golden Age – Drama – Crime – Mystery – Crime Mystery – Small Michigan Town – Young US Army Lieutenant – Local Tavern-Keeper Murder Arrest – Wife's Rape Assertion – Courtroom Drama – Criminal Trial – Humble Lawyer at-Defence – "Not-Guilty" Plead – Difficult Case – Couple's Mysterious Relationship – Violently Possessive Jealous Husband – Temporary-Insanity Defense – Cross-Examinations – Witness – Dead-Ends – Verdict – Others – Legal Drama – Legal System Study – Scepticism – Pragmatism – Low-Key Thriller – John D.Voelker's 1958 Novel – Criterion Collection – Landmark Film – Cult Status – Classic Status – Best 50s – Re-Watch Value – U.S.A.
★★★★★★★★ (8/10)-M
############################## - DirectorBilly WilderStarsTyrone PowerMarlene DietrichCharles LaughtonA veteran British barrister must defend his client in a murder trial that has surprise after surprise.Witness For The Prosecution (1957)*
Golden Age – Crime – Mystery – Crime Mystery Drama – Wealthy Widow Murder – Prime Suspect: Unemployed American Expatriate Inventor – Recently-Changed Will Main Beneficiary – Bombastic Near-Retirement Age London Barrister / Defense Attorney – Circumstantial Evidence – Wrong-Man Scenario – Villainous German-Refugee Wife Testimony – Twisted Victimise Plan – Murder Mystery – Whodunit – Suspense – Tension – Intrigue – Manipulation – Perfect Murder Plan – Film-Noir – Femme Fatale – Sinister Secrets – Marital Infidelities – Deception – Amoralism – Cynicism – Others – Courtroom Drama – Legal Thriller – English Justice System – Black Humour – Sarcasm – Mise-en-Scene – Stage-To-Screen – Agatha Christie's Short-Story – Plot Twist – Classic Status – Cult Status – Best 50's – F a v e – Re-Watch Value – U.S.A.
★★★★★★★★ (8/10)-S
############################# - DirectorRobert BentonStarsDustin HoffmanMeryl StreepJane AlexanderAfter his wife leaves him, a work-obsessed Manhattan advertising executive is forced to learn long-neglected parenting skills, but a heated custody battle over the couple's young son deepens the wounds left by the separation.Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
★★★★★★★★ (8/10)
############################# - DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsHenry FondaVera MilesAnthony QuayleIn 1953, an innocent man named Christopher Emanuel "Manny" Balestrero is arrested after being mistaken for an armed robber.The Wrong Man (1956)
★★★★★★★★ (8/10) - DirectorAlan J. PakulaStarsHarrison FordRaul JuliaGreta ScacchiAs a lawyer investigates the murder of a colleague, he finds himself more connected to the crime than anyone else.Presumed Innocent (1990)*
Drama – Crime – Mystery – Thriller – Crime Mystery Drama – Respected Married Prosecuting Attorney – Beautiful Young Woman Lawyer–Colleague – Extramarital Affair – Mistress Brutal Murder – Investigation – Murder Mystery – Whodunit – Prosecutor Prime-Suspect – Blame Game – Planted Evidence – Frame-Up – Wrong-Man Scenario – Death Sentence – Desperation – Courtroom Thriller – Solid Case – Hidden Motives – Political Manipulations – Doubts – Suspense – Claustrophobic Tension – Uncertainly Stress – Anxiety – Intrigue – Moral Anguish – Psychological Collapse – Neo-Noir – Detective Story – Femme Fatale – Fatal Attraction – Deception – Infidelity – Hypocrisy – Mistaken Identity – Corruption – Moral Conflict – Ironic Fate – Low-Key Lighting – Others – Criminal Justice System – Legal Thriller – Erotic Thriller – Female Sexual Oppression – Hitchcockian Aura – Scott Turow's 1987 Novel – Plot Twist – F a v e – Best 90's – Re-Watch Value – U.S.A.
★★★★★★★★ (8/10)-S
############################## - DirectorJustine TrietStarsSandra HüllerSwann ArlaudMilo Machado-GranerA woman is suspected of murder after her husband's death; their half-blind son faces a moral dilemma as the main witness.Anatomy of a Fall (Anatomie d'une Chute) (2023)
Drama – Crime – Mystery – Thriller – Crime Mystery Drama – French Alps – Isolated Chalet – Three-Member Family – French Novelist Husband – German Novelist Wife – 11-Year-Old Visually-Impaired Son – Husband's Suspicious Death From-a-Fall – Police Investigation – Murdered or Committed Suicide Case – Body Autopsy – Ambiguous Evidence – Suspicions – Wife Prime-Suspect – Courtroom Drama – Murder Accusation – French Court – Marriage Examination – Motives Examination – Failing Marriage – Trail Procedural – Flashbacks – Nightmarish Situation – Unsettling Atmosphere – Uncertainty Stress – Psychological Struggle – Breakdown – Others – Family-Relation Drama – Character Study – Realism – Fragmented Plot – Thought-Provoking – Slow Burn – Low-Key Thriller – Indie Film – Re-Watch Value – European – Foreign Language – France
★★★★★★★ (7/10)
############################# - DirectorRobert MulliganStarsGregory PeckJohn MegnaFrank OvertonAtticus Finch, a widowed lawyer in Depression-era Alabama, defends a Black man against an undeserved rape charge, and tries to educate his young children against prejudice.To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
★★★★★★★ (7/10)
############################## - DirectorSidney LumetStarsPaul NewmanCharlotte RamplingJack WardenAn outcast, alcoholic Boston lawyer sees the chance to salvage his career and self-respect by taking a medical malpractice case to trial rather than settling.The Verdict (1982)
★★★★★★★ (7/10)
############################## - DirectorDavid DobkinStarsRobert Downey Jr.Robert DuvallVera FarmigaBig-city lawyer Hank Palmer returns to his childhood home where his father, the town's judge, is suspected of murder. Hank sets out to discover the truth; along the way he reconnects with his estranged family.The Judge (2014)
★★★★★★ (6/10)
############################## - DirectorJim SheridanStarsDaniel Day-LewisPete PostlethwaiteAlison CrosbieAn Irish man's coerced confession to an I.R.A. bombing he did not commit results in the imprisonment of his father as well. Meanwhile, a British lawyer fights to clear their names and free them.In The Name of The Father (1993)
★★★★★★ (6/10)
############################# - DirectorZiad DoueiriStarsAdel KaramKamel El BashaCamille SalamehAfter an emotional exchange between a Lebanese Christian and a Palestinian refugee escalates, the men end up in a court case that gets national attention.The Insult (L'insulte) (2017)
★★★★★★ (6/10)
############################## - DirectorAaron SorkinStarsEddie RedmayneAlex SharpSacha Baron CohenThe story of 7 people on trial stemming from various charges surrounding the uprising at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.The Trial of The Chicago 7 (2020)
★★★★★★ (6/10)
############################## - DirectorRichard MarquandStarsJeff BridgesGlenn ClosePeter CoyoteA wealthy woman is murdered in her beach house. The husband is allegedly knocked out first. He inherits all. He has a female ex criminal prosecutor represent him in court.Jagged Edge (1985)*
Drama – Crime – Mystery – Romance – Thriller – Crime Mystery Drama – San Francisco City – Socialite Wife Brutal Murder – Charming Newspaper-Publisher Husband Arrest – Prime-Suspect – Murder Accusation – Not-Guilty Allegation – Murder Mystery Case – Whodunit – Legal Thriller – High-Profile Female Defense-Attorney – Courtroom Procedural – Privet Investigation – Circumstantial Evidence – Key-Witnesses Examination – Erotic Thriller – Romantic Affair – Seduction-Deception – Fatal Attraction – Psychological Thriller – Doubts – Perfect-Crime-Plan Suspicions – Uncertainty Stress – Psychological Manipulation – Emotional Conflict – Neo-Noir – Dark Atmosphere – Detective Story – Opportunism – Cynicism – Nihilism – Others – Hitchcockian Feel – Plot Twist – F a v e – Best 80's – Re-Watch Value – U.S.A.
★★★★★★ (6/10)-S - DirectorStanley KramerStarsSpencer TracyBurt LancasterRichard WidmarkIn 1948, an American court in occupied Germany tries four Nazis judged for war crimes.Judgment At Nuremberg (1961)
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorGregory HoblitStarsRichard GereLaura LinneyEdward NortonAn altar boy is accused of murdering a priest, and the truth is buried several layers deep.
- DirectorGregory HoblitStarsAnthony HopkinsRyan GoslingDavid StrathairnAfter shooting his wife, Ted confesses his crime and asks the court to move his case to trial. He represents himself against Willy, a successful lawyer. But there's more to the case than meets the eye.
- DirectorYoung-Sung SohnStarsHa Jung-wooPark Hee-soonJang HyukElite attorney Kang Seong-Hee goes up against a top prosecutor over a case involving a man accused of killing his wife.
- DirectorMarco KreuzpaintnerStarsElyas M'BarekAlexandra Maria LaraHeiner LauterbachA young lawyer stumbles upon a vast conspiracy while investigating a brutal murder case.
- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsPaul ScofieldWendy HillerRobert ShawThe story of Sir Thomas More, who stood up to King Henry VIII when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarry.
- DirectorBarbet SchroederStarsJeremy IronsGlenn CloseRon SilverWealthy Sunny von Bülow lies brain-dead, husband Claus guilty of attempted murder; but he says he's innocent and hires Alan Dershowitz for his appeal.
- DirectorOtto PremingerStarsGary CooperCharles BickfordRalph BellamyA dramatization of the American general and his court martial for publically complaining about High Command's dismissal and neglect of the aerial fighting forces.
- DirectorBrad FurmanStarsMatthew McConaugheyMarisa TomeiRyan PhillippeA lawyer defending a wealthy man begins to believe his client is guilty of more than just one crime.
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsTom CruiseJack NicholsonDemi MooreMilitary lawyer Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee defends Marines accused of murder. They contend they were acting under orders.
- DirectorMarc RoccoStarsChristian SlaterKevin BaconGary OldmanAn eager and idealistic young attorney defends an Alcatraz prisoner accused of murdering a fellow inmate. The extenuating circumstances: his client had just spent over three years in solitary confinement.
- DirectorJoel SchumacherStarsMatthew McConaugheySandra BullockSamuel L. JacksonIn Canton, Mississippi, a fearless young lawyer and his assistant defend a black man accused of murdering two white men who raped his ten-year-old daughter, inciting violent retribution and revenge from the Ku Klux Klan.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsMatt DamonDanny DeVitoClaire DanesAn underdog lawyer takes on a fraudulent insurance company.
- DirectorGary FlederStarsJohn CusackRachel WeiszGene HackmanA juror on the inside and a woman on the outside manipulate a court trial involving a major gun manufacturer.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsVin DieselPeter DinklageRon SilverIn the late 1980s, a low level gangster named Jackie DiNorscio defends himself in court in what became the longest criminal trial in American judicial history.
- DirectorTodd HaynesStarsMark RuffaloAnne HathawayTim RobbinsA corporate defense attorney takes on an environmental lawsuit against a chemical company that exposes a lengthy history of pollution.
- DirectorDestin Daniel CrettonStarsMichael B. JordanJamie FoxxBrie LarsonWorld-renowned civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson works to free a wrongly condemned death row prisoner.
- DirectorReginald HudlinStarsChadwick BosemanJosh GadKate HudsonThe story of Thurgood Marshall, the crusading lawyer who would become the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, as he battles through one of his career-defining cases.
- DirectorMimi LederStarsFelicity JonesArmie HammerJustin TherouxThe true story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her struggles for equal rights, and the early cases of a historic career that lead to her nomination and confirmation as U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice.
- DirectorJonathan LynnStarsJoe PesciMarisa TomeiRalph MacchioTwo New Yorkers accused of murder in rural Alabama while on their way back to college call in the help of one of their cousins, a loudmouth lawyer with no trial experience.
- DirectorNorman JewisonStarsAl PacinoJack WardenJohn ForsytheA lawyer is forced to defend a judge, while defending other clients, and trying to find punishment for the guilty and provide justice for the innocent.
- DirectorJonathan KaplanStarsKelly McGillisJodie FosterBernie CoulsonAfter a young woman suffers a brutal gang rape in a bar one night, a prosecutor assists in bringing the perpetrators to justice, including the ones who encouraged and cheered on the attack.
- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsTom HanksDenzel WashingtonRoberta MaxwellWhen a man with HIV is fired by his law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic-small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.
- DirectorSantiago MitreStarsRicardo DarínGina MastronicolaFrancisco BertínA team of lawyers takes on the heads of Argentina's bloody military dictatorship during the 1980s in a battle against odds and a race against time.
- DirectorAlbert BrooksStarsAlbert BrooksMeryl StreepRip TornIn an afterlife way-station resembling a major city, the lives of the recently deceased are examined in a court-like setting.
- DirectorAlice DiopStarsKayije KagameGuslagie MalandaValérie DrévilleFollows Rama, a novelist who attends the trial of Laurence Coly at the Saint-Omer Criminal Court to use her story to write a modern-day adaptation of the ancient myth of Medea, but things don't go as expected.
- DirectorJoseph RubenStarsJames WoodsRobert Downey Jr.Margaret ColinA cynical former civil liberties attorney now reduced to "specializing" in defending drug dealers becomes transformed by an eight-year-old murder case.
- DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsTommy Lee JonesSamuel L. JacksonGuy PearceAn attorney defends an officer on trial for ordering his troops to fire on civilians after they stormed a U.S. embassy in a Middle Eastern country.
- DirectorBrian GibsonStarsDemi MooreAlec BaldwinJoseph Gordon-LevittA juror in a Mafia trial is forced to convince the other jurors to vote not guilty by an obsessive mob enforcer.
- DirectorRobert RedfordStarsRobin WrightJames McAvoyTom WilkinsonMary Surratt is the lone female charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln. As the whole nation turns against her, she is forced to rely on her reluctant lawyer to uncover the truth and save her life.
- DirectorJoel SchumacherStarsSusan SarandonTommy Lee JonesBrad RenfroA young boy who witnessed the suicide of a mafia lawyer hires an attorney to protect him when the District Attorney tries to use him to take down a mob family.
- DirectorPeter HyamsStarsJesse MetcalfeAmber TamblynMichael DouglasRemake of the 1956 film noir film "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" in which a writer's plan to expose a corrupt district attorney takes an unexpected turn.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsDjimon HounsouMatthew McConaugheyAnthony HopkinsIn 1839, the revolt of Mende captives aboard a Spanish owned ship causes a major controversy in the United States when the ship is captured off the coast of Long Island. The courts must decide whether the Mende are slaves or legally free.
- DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsKiefer SutherlandJason ClarkeJake LacyFollows a naval officer who stands trial for mutiny after taking command from a ship captain he felt was acting in an unstable way, putting both the ship and its crew in danger.
- DirectorRichard FleischerStarsOrson WellesDean StockwellDiane VarsiTwo wealthy law-school students go on trial for murder in this version of the Leopold-Loeb case.
- DirectorOrson WellesStarsAnthony PerkinsArnoldo FoàJess HahnAn unassuming office worker is arrested and stands trial, but he is never made aware of his charges.
- DirectorCosta-GavrasStarsJessica LangeArmin Mueller-StahlFrederic ForrestA lawyer defends her father accused of war crimes, but there is more to the case than she suspects.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsMontgomery CliftAnne BaxterKarl MaldenA priest, who comes under suspicion for murder, cannot clear his name without breaking the seal of the confessional.
- DirectorHenri-Georges ClouzotStarsBrigitte BardotPaul MeurisseCharles VanelA liberated small-town girl and the family's black sheep moves to Paris with her sister, only to find herself standing trial for the shocking murder of her young lover. Was his killing premeditated or was this a crime of passion?
- DirectorBretaigne WindustRaoul WalshStarsHumphrey BogartZero MostelTed de CorsiaA crusading district attorney finally gets a chance to prosecute the organizer and boss of Murder Inc.
- DirectorElia KazanStarsDana AndrewsJane WyattLee J. CobbThe true story of a prosecutor's fight to prove the innocence of a man accused of a notorious murder.
- DirectorVincent GarenqStarsPhilippe TorretonWladimir YordanoffNoémie LvovskyA family man battles to prove his innocence after being accused of a heinous crime.
- DirectorTakashi MiikeStarsHiroki NarimiyaTakumi SaitôMirei KiritaniFollowing the murder of his mentor, rookie Defense Attorney Phoenix Wright must find the truth behind not only her death, but that of an unsolved case from 15 years prior.
- DirectorStanley KramerStarsSpencer TracyFredric MarchGene KellyBased on a real-life case in 1925; two great lawyers argue the case for, and against, a Tennessee science teacher accused of the crime of teaching Darwin's theory of evolution.
- DirectorAbbas KiarostamiStarsHossain SabzianMohsen MakhmalbafAbolfazl AhankhahThe true story of Hossain Sabzian, a cinephile who impersonated the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf to convince a family they would star in his so-called new film.
- DirectorMilos FormanStarsWoody HarrelsonCourtney LoveEdward NortonThe story of controversial pornography publisher Larry Flynt, and how he became a defender of free speech.
- DirectorSydney PollackStarsPaul NewmanSally FieldBob BalabanWhen a prosecutor leaks to a Miami reporter that a liquor wholesaler is suspected in the murder of a union head, the man's life begins to unravel.