A Glean movie guide
The Definitive Courtroom Dramas
Cinema's most gripping trials
Masterful legal battles, intense cross-examinations, and the pursuit of justice.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
12 Angry Men
A masterclass in tension that unfolds entirely within the confines of a jury deliberation room.
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
Gregory Peck delivers an iconic performance in this profound exploration of justice and morality.
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
Witness for the Prosecution
Billy Wilder directs this sharp legal thriller renowned for its brilliant, unpredictable plot twists.
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.
- 04
Anatomy of a Murder
A remarkably realistic look at the legal process that remains a gold standard for courtroom authenticity.
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.
- 05
Inherit the Wind
Two legendary actors face off in this powerful dramatization of the historic Scopes Monkey Trial.
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.
- 06
Judgment at Nuremberg
A monumental film that examines the heavy burden of legal and moral responsibility after World War II.
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.
- 07
A Few Good Men
This modern classic features one of the most electrifying cross-examination scenes in film history.
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.
- 08
The Verdict
Paul Newman shines as a struggling lawyer seeking redemption in this gritty, character-driven drama.
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
Paths of Glory
Stanley Kubrick’s taut military court-martial drama is a searing indictment of institutional injustice.
A commanding officer defends three scapegoats on trial for a failed offensive that occurred within the French Army in 1916.
- 10
And Justice for All
Al Pacino gives a powerhouse performance as an attorney fighting a deeply corrupt legal system.
An ethical Baltimore defense lawyer disgusted with rampant legal corruption is forced to defend a judge he despises in a rape trial under the threat of being disbarred.