A Glean movie guide
Masters of the Courtroom
Justice on trial.
Definitive classic legal dramas and high-stakes trial masterpieces.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
12 Angry Men
A single dissenting juror forces a tense, riveting re-examination of evidence in a high-stakes murder trial.
The defense and the prosecution have rested and the jury is filing into the jury room to decide if a young Spanish-American is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open and shut case soon becomes a mini-drama of each of the jurors' prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, and each other.
- 02
To Kill a Mockingbird
A courageous southern lawyer mounts a powerful defense in a racially charged town trial.
Scout Finch, 6, and her older brother Jem live in sleepy Maycomb, Alabama, spending much of their time with their friend Dill and spying on their reclusive and mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley. When Atticus, their widowed father and a respected lawyer, defends a black man named Tom Robinson against fabricated rape charges, the trial and tangent events expose the children to evils of racism and stereotyping.
- 03
Anatomy of a Murder
Otto Preminger's meticulous courtroom classic offers a brilliant look at trial strategy and legal ethics.
Semi-retired Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler takes the case of Army Lt. Manion, who murdered a local innkeeper after his wife claimed that he raped her. Over the course of an extensive trial, Biegler parries with District Attorney Lodwick and out-of-town prosecutor Claude Dancer to set his client free, but his case rests on the victim's mysterious business partner, who's hiding a dark secret.
- 04
Witness for the Prosecution
Billy Wilder's clever courtroom thriller twists expectations through sharp dialogue and brilliant performances.
An ailing barrister is thrust back into the courtroom in what becomes one of the most unusual and eventful murder cases of the lawyer's career when he finds himself defending a man being tried for the murder of a socialite.
- 05
Judgment at Nuremberg
An American judge presides over a monumental war crimes trial exploring deep ethical and historical questions.
In 1947, four German judges who served on the bench during the Nazi regime face a military tribunal to answer charges of crimes against humanity. Chief Justice Haywood hears evidence and testimony not only from lead defendant Ernst Janning and his defense attorney Hans Rolfe, but also from the widow of a Nazi general, an idealistic U.S. Army captain and reluctant witness Irene Wallner.
- 06
A Few Good Men
Military lawyers face off in an iconic courtroom confrontation packed with unforgettable dramatic tension.
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.
- 07
Inherit the Wind
Two legendary lawyers clash in a fierce ideological trial over a teacher arrested for teaching evolution.
Schoolteacher Bertram Cates is arrested for teaching his students Darwin's theory of evolution. The case receives national attention and one of the newspaper reporters, E.K. Hornbeck, arranges to bring in renowned defense attorney and atheist Henry Drummond to defend Cates. The prosecutor, Matthew Brady is a former presidential candidate, famous evangelist, and old adversary of Drummond.
- 08
The Verdict
Paul Newman delivers a masterclass performance as a troubled lawyer fighting for redemption in a medical case.
Frank Galvin is a down-on-his-luck lawyer and reduced to drinking and ambulance chasing, when a former associate reminds him of his obligations in a medical malpractice suit by serving it to Galvin on a silver platter—all parties are willing to settle out of court. Blundering his way through the preliminaries, Galvin suddenly realizes that the case should actually go to court—to punish the guilty, to get a decent settlement for his clients... and to restore his standing as a lawyer.
- 09
The Caine Mutiny
The film culminates in a gripping naval court-martial that tests the boundaries of duty and command.
When a US Naval captain shows signs of mental instability that jeopardize his ship, the first officer relieves him of command and faces court martial for mutiny.
- 10
Primal Fear
A high-profile defense attorney tackles a twist-filled murder trial involving an altar boy accused of a heinous crime.
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.