A Glean movie guide
The Golden Age of Legal Thrillers
Objection overruled.
Iconic courtroom dramas from the 1990s that defined the genre.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
A Few Good Men
A military lawyer faces off against a hardened colonel in this definitive, high-stakes courtroom showdown.
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.
- 02
Philadelphia
A powerful and moving performance anchors this landmark drama about justice and human rights.
Two competing lawyers join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination. As their unlikely friendship develops, their courage overcomes the prejudice and corruption of their powerful adversaries.
- 03
A Time to Kill
A gripping, emotionally charged trial that explores the complexities of justice in the American South.
A young lawyer defends a black man accused of murdering two white men who raped his 10-year-old daughter, sparking a rebirth of the KKK.
- 04
Primal Fear
A defense attorney’s case takes a shocking turn in this twist-filled legal thriller.
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.
- 05
The Firm
A young lawyer discovers his prestigious new firm is a front for a dangerous criminal organization.
Mitch McDeere is a young man with a promising future in Law. About to sit his Bar exam, he is approached by 'The Firm' and made an offer he doesn't refuse. Seduced by the money and gifts showered on him, he is totally oblivious to the more sinister side of his company. Then, two Associates are murdered. The FBI contact him, asking him for information and suddenly his life is ruined. He has a choice - work with the FBI, or stay with the Firm. Either way he will lose his life as he knows it. Mitch figures the only way out is to follow his own plan...
- 06
The Rainmaker
Francis Ford Coppola directs this compelling story of an underdog lawyer taking on a corrupt insurance giant.
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.
- 07
My Cousin Vinny
A loud-mouthed New York lawyer brings unexpected brilliance to a small-town Alabama murder trial.
Two carefree pals traveling through rural Alabama on their way back to college are mistakenly arrested and charged with murder. Fortunately, one of them has a cousin who's a lawyer - Vincent Gambini, a former auto mechanic from Brooklyn who has just passed his bar exam after his sixth try. When he arrives with his leather-clad girlfriend to try his first case, it's a real shock - for him and the Deep South!
- 08
Murder in the First
Based on true events, this film follows a lawyer’s fight to expose the brutal conditions of Alcatraz.
A young, inexperienced public defender is assigned to defend an inmate accused of committing murder while behind bars.