Legal Drama backdrop

Legal Drama movies

Courtroom and justice drama built on cases, evidence pressure, moral dilemmas, and institutional constraints.

High Crimes

1. High Crimes

Drama Mystery Thriller Crime Legal Drama
6.4
20021h 55min

Overview

A female attorney learns that her husband is really a marine officer awol for fifteen years and accused of murdering fifteen civilians in El Salvador. Believing her husband when he tells her that he's being framed as part of a U.S. Military cover-up, the attorney defends him in a military court.

Themes

Loyalty vs duty, Defense strategy under pressure, Cover-up consequences, Military justice tension, Legal manipulation and blackmail, Evidence versus security

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Thirteen Conversations About One Thing

2. Thirteen Conversations About One Thing

Drama Legal Drama
7.0
20011h 44min

Overview

In New York City, the lives of a lawyer, an actuary, a house-cleaner, a professor, and the people around them intersect as they ponder order and happiness in the face of life's cold unpredictability.

Themes

Moral ambiguity, Deception and consequence, Infidelity and trust, Human condition under pressure, Urban alienation and connectivity, Intersecting social worlds

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
YouTube
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Rules of Engagement

3. Rules of Engagement

War Drama Modern Conflicts Legal Drama
6.4
20002h 8min

Overview

A Marine Colonel is brought to court-martial after ordering his men to fire on demonstrators surrounding the American embassy in Yemen.

Themes

Leadership under fire, Political interference, Military accountability, Ethical duty, Propaganda vs evidence, Civilian casualties

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Erin Brockovich

4. Erin Brockovich

Drama Legal Drama
7.5
20002h 11min

Overview

A twice-divorced mother of three who sees an injustice, takes on the bad guy and wins -- with a little help from her push-up bra. Erin goes to work for an attorney and comes across medical records describing illnesses clustered in one nearby town. She starts investigating and soon exposes a monumental cover-up.

Themes

Investigative persistence, Environmental injustice, Community mobilization, Corporate negligence, Legal accountability

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Rainmaker

5. The Rainmaker

Drama Crime Thriller Legal Drama Courtroom Thriller
7.2
19972h 15min

Overview

Fresh out of law school and desperate for work, idealistic rookie Rudy Baylor takes on a powerful insurance company accused of denying a dying boy’s claim. Teaming up with a scrappy, unlicensed paralegal, he finds himself in a David-versus-Goliath courtroom battle that tests his ethics, courage, and belief in justice.

Themes

Leukemia care denial, Insurance company accountability, Court case pressure, Paralegal collaboration, Bar owner dynamics, Ethics under pressure

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Devil's Advocate

6. The Devil's Advocate

Drama Mystery Horror Legal Drama Investigation Mystery
7.5
19972h 24min

Overview

Aspiring Florida defense lawyer Kevin Lomax accepts a job at a New York law firm. With the stakes getting higher every case, Kevin quickly learns that his boss has something far more evil planned.

Themes

Ambition versus ethics, Pact with the devil, Legal ethics under pressure, Deception in court, Family ties corruption, Perjury and manipulation, Temptation and ambition

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Sleepers

7. Sleepers

Crime Drama Thriller Prison Crime Legal Drama
7.5
19962h 27min

Overview

Two gangsters seek revenge on the state jail worker who during their stay at a youth prison sexually abused them. A sensational court hearing takes place to charge him for the crimes.

Themes

Trauma and resilience, Power and corruption, Silence and disclosure, Abuse and accountability, Justice vs manipulation, Institutional abuse

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Primal Fear

8. Primal Fear

Crime Drama Mystery Thriller Legal Drama
7.7
19962h 11min

Overview

Defense attorney Martin Vail takes on jobs for money and prestige rather than any sense of the greater good. His latest case involves an altar boy, accused of brutally murdering the archbishop of Chicago. Vail finds himself up against his ex-pupil and ex-lover, but as the case progresses and the Church's dark secrets are revealed, Vail finds that what appeared a simple case takes on a darker, more dangerous aspect.

Themes

Power dynamics, Moral ambiguity in law, Duty vs prestige, Manipulation in high-profile cases, Deception and evidence, Identity and persona ambiguity

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Dolores Claiborne

9. Dolores Claiborne

Crime Drama Mystery Legal Drama Detective Mystery Crime
7.4
19952h 12min

Overview

In a town that never forgets a rumor, a housekeeper once suspected of killing her husband stands over her wealthy employer’s dead body. With a witness pointing at her and a hard-nosed detective digging, her estranged journalist daughter returns home and uncovers buried memories that could destroy them both.

Themes

Caregiving under pressure, Moral ambiguity in justice, Family violence and fear, Domestic abuse dynamics, Economic leverage and control, Repressed memory risk

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

A Few Good Men

10. A Few Good Men

Drama Legal Drama
7.7
19922h 18min

Overview

When cocky military lawyer Lt. Daniel Kaffee and his co-counsel, Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway, are assigned to a murder case, they uncover a hazing ritual that could implicate high-ranking officials such as shady Col. Nathan Jessep.

Themes

Code red consequences, Court martial proceedings, Military court legitimacy, Military law scrutiny, Navy command pressure, Military base scrutiny

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.