There are few movie genres as enduring as the courtroom drama. The sight of a lawyer passionately making their case - either for the defense or the prosecution - never fails to be exciting, and this particular genre is also very adept at teasing out the complexities of both the law and the society that produces it.
Almost every decade has had at least one courtroom drama that has earned critical appreciation, both at the time that they were released and, as the AFI’s listing of the ten best courtroom dramas reveals, contemporary critics as well.
Judgment At Nuremberg (1961)
The horrible events of the Holocaust and its aftermath have been portrayed in numerous movies, but few have had quite the impact of Judgment at Nuremberg, which covers the famous trials for Nazi war criminals. This movie featured a truly stellar cast, with some of the biggest names then working in Hollywood - including Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Marlene Dietrich, and Judy Garland - giving powerful performances.
The film is successful in sweeping the viewer up in the power of its drama. More than that, however, the movie is also a warning and a reminder that it is always necessary to hold evil to account rather than letting it go unpunished.
A Cry In The Dark (1988)
Meryl Streep has definitely earned her reputation as one of Hollywood's most powerful actresses. Movies like A Cry in the Dark, which is among Meryl Streep's best roles, demonstrate why. In the film, which is based on real-world events, she portrays Lindy Chamberlain who, along with her husband Michael, was accused and convicted of murdering their baby.
Even though the courtroom scenes are full of power, it is in many ways Streep’s movie, as she emotionally and resonantly portrays a mother falsely accused of committing one of the most horrible and devastating crimes imaginable.
In Cold Blood (1967)
In the history of American literature, there are few figures quite as controversial as Truman Capote, famous for writing In Cold Blood, the account of two men who brutally murdered a farming family.
This movie is an adaptation of Capote’s work, and in many ways it has more in common with the documentary than it does a fiction movie, immersing the viewer in the bleak and ruthless world of the killers. When they are at last convicted of the crime, it’s hard not to feel a sense of relief that justice has been served.
Anatomy Of A Murder (1959)
Otto Preminger remains one of the most highly-regarded directors in the history of Hollywood, capable of creating epic drama out of whatever material he chose. His skills are evident in Anatomy of a Murder, which features a stunning cast that includes James Stewart and George C. Scott.
What really sets this courtroom drama apart from others, however, is how thorough it is in depicting the work that goes into the construction of a defense case. Stewart also captures the powerful essence of his character, delivering a stellar performance that keeps audiences hooked.
Witness For The Prosecution (1958)
The 1950s was a very strong decade for courtroom drama, producing such unsettling and powerful movies as Witness for the Prosecution, directed by Billy Wilder (another of the best directors in Hollywood). The movie focuses on an aging lawyer who decides to take on a defense case, though it ultimately becomes clear that the man did, in fact, commit the murder.
It is one of the most well-regarded adaptations of Agatha Christie’s work, and it features exemplary performances from the likes of Marlene Dietrich and Charles Laughton.
A Few Good Men (1992)
Tom Cruise has had an illustrious career in Hollywood, including some lesser-known Cruise films that fans may not have seen. A Few Good Men, however, is one of his better-known roles and rightly regarded as one of his best, as it showcases the strengths that he brought to so many of his movies in the early 1990s.
Cruise’s Daniel Kaffee is a man intent on discovering the truth as to why a young marine was killed by two of his fellows, but his investigation of the matter reveals a much more sinister truth than he had anticipated. His final confrontation with the brutal and sadistic Nathan R. Jessup (played by Jack Nicholson) has gone down as one of the most powerful courtroom drama moments in film history.
The Verdict (1982)
Even though the height of his career was in the 1960s and early 1970s, Paul Newman kept acting well into the 1980s and 1990s, bringing his signature charm along with him. In this movie, he plays Frank Galvin, an aging and alcoholic lawyer whose desperate attempt to rebuild his law career receives an unexpected boost when he takes on a malpractice case.
The combination of Newman’s performance, David Mamet’s screenplay, and Sidney Lumet’s direction create a gripping courtroom drama that well deserves its place amongst the best ever made.
Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)
Even though the emphasis of most courtroom dramas is, understandably, on the law and its application, some of them expand the frame to take account of other issues. Kramer vs. Kramer, for example, is as interested in the personal lives of its characters.
The most important are Joanna and Ted Kramer, played by Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman in one of his best roles, whose bitter divorce plays out during the course of the movie. As a result, the movie is as much an examination of their marriage as it is the law.
12 Angry Men (1957)
Just as Kramer vs. Kramer examines the personal lives of its characters through the courtroom, 12 Angry Men addresses race in America. In the movie, a jury (the titular twelve angry men) adjourns to deliberate the guilt or innocence of a young man accused of murdering his father.
What seems like a simple enough case at first soon becomes something more, as each of the men has to confront the uglier parts of their personalities, their values, and their prejudices.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
There are few literary adaptations quite as beloved as To Kill a Mockingbird, which is a movie that maintains its timeliness even all of these years after its release. Not only is it one of the best courtroom dramas ever made, but it's also one of the best movies based on a book.
Gregory Peck’s Atticus Finch, who takes on a case defending a black man accused of raping a white woman. Gregory Peck delivers one of his most powerful performances as Finch, and the movie continues to be well-regarded by critics for the ways in which it takes on the brutal reality of racism in the American South.