![]() ![]() The subsequent trial sparked a national conversation on victim blaming.Ī legal drama starring Jodie Foster as Sarah Tobias, a woman who was gang-raped a bar while other patrons looked on and cheered. The Accused (1988) Jodie Foster’s character is based on the real life Cheryl Araujo, a 21-year-old who was gang-raped in in New Bedford, Massachusetts. After having an affair with her client, she becomes convinced of his guilt. She takes the case of Jack Forrester, a man accused of murdering his socialite wife. Jagged Edge (1985) Glenn Close (Teddy Barnes) represents Jeff Bridges (Jack Forrester) in a murder trial.Ī neo-noir legal thriller starring Glenn Close as Teddy Barnes, a high-profile lawyer who is unsure she wants to practice criminal law. The Verdict received five Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Director (Sidney Lumet), Best Actor in a Leading Role (Paul Newman), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (James Mason), and Best Adapted Screenplay (David Mamet). Galvin takes a medical malpractice case for the money, but discovers that he actually believes in the case as it unfolds. The Verdict (1982) A young Bruce Willis makes a brief appearance as an audience member during the closing speeches.Ī legal drama starring Paul Newman as Frank Galvin, a once-promising attorney who has become an alcoholic and is now a seedy ambulance chaser. It is based on the non-fiction book of the same name written by the journalists as an in-depth account of their work on the scandal. The film follows the reports from the beginning of the case through meeting their informant “Deep Throat” and Nixon’s eventual resignation. ![]() All the President’s Men (1976) Redford and Hoffman memorized all of their lines so that they could naturally interrupt each other.Ī political thriller starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, two Washington Post reporters who investigated the Watergate scandal. The family deals with the fallout in their small Alabama town. Atticus teaches his children Scout and Jem that people deserve fair treatment and defends black man Tom Robinson (Brock Peters) who is accused of raping a white girl. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) Gregory Peck plays single father and lawyer Atticus Finch.īased on the famous Harper Lee novel, this legal drama follows Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), an lawyer embroiled in a racist criminal trial. The old timey prosecution argues this can’t be the case as his wife had previously flirted with her rapist. James Stewart plays Paul Biegler, a small town layer who takes a case defending US Army Lieutenant Frederick “Manny” Manion (Ben Gazzara), a man claiming temporary insanity after he murdered the innkeeper who raped his wife. ![]() Anatomy of a Murder (1959) Stewart’s father was so triggered by his son appearing in a “dirty picture” (the film was controversial for discussing rape) that made a newspaper ad urging people not to see it. (Charles Laughton) serves as the man’s defense lawyer who is equally convinced of his innocence. Dietrich’s character takes advantage of a legal loophole to testify against her husband, saying she is convinced of his guilt. Here are the best legal thrillers in cinema history: Witness for the Prosecution (1957) Audience members who went to previews were asked to sign a contract saying they would not reveal the film’s twist-ending.Ī legal mystery thriller starring Marlene Dietrich as the wife of a man (Tyrone Power) accused of murdering a wealthy widow who left him money in her will. Other popular writers in the genre include Marcia Clark (who was once the lead prosecutor in the OJ Simpson case), Bryan Stevenson (also a lawyer), and Michael Connelly. His books have been adapted into eleven movies and four television series. Grisham’s staggering success includes writing 28 consecutive bestsellers and selling 300 million copies of his books worldwide. In the present day, legal thrillers have almost become synonymous with lawyer and prolific novelist John Grisham who has written the basis for many films on this list. It was adapted for the big screen in 1962 with Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch and Brock Peters as Tom Robinson. One of the most widely read and beloved novels of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (whose father was a lawyer), is a Southern Gothic legal thriller. In most legal thrillers the audience is put in a jury seat, making guesses about whether the defendant is innocent or guilty before the outcome is revealed. Similar to a murder mystery, part of the draw for the audience is being able to guess the outcome of the case. A legal thriller is a crime movie where the plot mostly follows a criminal investigation or the drama of a courtroom trial. ![]()
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