She-Hulk will bring the courtroom drama to the MCU when it debuts in August, and it will be interesting to see how this superhero procedural takes on the genre. Most legal shows and movies are high on the tense drama, and big twists revealed by the lawyers (not to mention the twists and turns of the criminal backstories), but knowing the MCU, She-Hulk is going to do something completely different, while retaining some of the best elements of the style.
Courtroom scenes are some of the best parts of crime story movies and shows. There is the anticipation of the verdict and the high tension in passionate debate on both sides. Reddit is a place where people debate in a similar fashion, and they've determined that some courtroom scenes just can't be beaten.
Primal Fear (1996)
This is more of a "courthouse" scene instead of specifically a courtroom--although Marty does poignantly walk through the empty courtroom after the revelation with Roy. The case was won and then viewers were hit with one of the biggest villain plot twists in movie history.
Reddit seandan317 commented on the scene saying, "Great movie and an amazing performance by Norton." Other Redditors chimed in to agree, with ccwillie writing, "God, I hate it, in the best way possible, when someone posts what I entered the thread to say. This movie is so good!"
My Cousin Vinny (1992)
A favorite across the board is My Cousin Vinny--with Joe Pesci playing the titular boisterous Italian-American New York lawyer. Specifically, viewers really seemed to enjoy the "gotcha" moment of the film wherein Marisa Tomei's character describes why the defendant's car couldn't have been involved in the crime.
Redditors love this film and Tomei's role in it, with boobsoftheface saying, "I remember enjoying Marisa Tomei's testimony in My Cousin Vinny." In another thread completely dedicated to love for the film, cdncbn wrote, "This is easily one of my favorite scenes of all time!"
To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
To Kill A Mockingbird got quite a few votes in the original Reddit thread, and for good reason. It stands as one of the best Hollywood movies of the 1960s and has remained largely respected by new and old fans online.
Redditors commented that the main reason that the scene in To Kill A Mockingbird stays with this is its emotional appeal. Cacacaw on Reddit wrote, "When everyone stands up, f*** that gets me." Yodango commented, "The scene where Atticus stands alone in the empty courtroom while all the people in the upper deck stand to show respect. That is what made the movie a classic."
Liar Liar (1997)
To be fair, Redditors have cited the entirety of Liar Liar as some of the best courtroom scenes in movie history. Jim Carrey gave everything he had to his scenes, and fans of the movie may not know that Carrey would be physically exhausted after filming days.
When discussing what some of the best courtroom scenes of all time are, tayryanw wrote, "Pretty much 1/3 of Liar Liar." FunetikPrugresiv added in a different thread, "It's honestly one of the great performances in comedic history."
Legally Blonde (2001)
Redditors have major love for the blonde bombshell lawyer, Elle Woods. Her cross-examination of Chutney lives on as some of the best quotable dialogue and Elle's victory in that moment makes it a great feel-good movie for fans.
When asked what scene they thought was an absolute masterpiece, Redditor srhlzbth731 said, "The courtroom scene in Legally Blonde when Elle takes the lead and exposes the entire case. Redditors chimed in and started replying to the comment with their favorite lines from the scene.
Better Call Saul (2105-pres)
While fans agree that there are many amazing courtroom moments in Better Call Saul, the wildly successful Breaking Bad spin-off featuring the show's con-artist-turned-lawyer Saul Goodman, they agree that the pilot episode of the show really pulled them in.
RaylanCrowder2 on Reddit commented, "I died laughing at the courtroom scene in the pilot episode itself," and dwianto_rizky added, "They hire a lawyer as a consultant for the show. I think that's where the dialog in the courtroom comes from."
A Few Good Men (1992)
A Few Good Men was another film that quite a few Redditors have cited as having one of the best courtroom scenes of all time. The legal drama even ranks third on Ranker in a list of Tom Cruise's best films. The last and most tense and dramatic courtroom left an impression on viewers the most.
When asked for the best courtroom thrillers of all time on Reddit, jessonnier wrote, "A Few Good Men for sure. The final courtroom scene never gets old. Ceases to amaze me."
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile (2019)
Extremely Wicked, Shocking Evil And Vile isn't necessarily one of the best because the scenes are captivating or funny--but it is definitely one of the best because its courtroom scenes match almost frame for frame with its subject matter of Ted Bundy's actual trial.
Fans on Reddit give the movie major props for this fact. Blackwellsucks complimented the film, saying, "Something I definitely will commend the filmmakers for is how closely some scenes actually followed the footage of Bundy. I mean the scenes in the courtroom where he's arguing with the judge--all taken from real footage!"
Law & Order: SVU (1999-pres)
Law & Order: SVU is one of the longest-running drama shows that's still airing in 2022. Because of this, it has some of the best source material for truly great courtroom scenes. One particular favorite of some Redditors, however, is an episode starring the late Robin Williams.
Williams was already a phenomenal actor, but his episode and the trial within it got praise on Reddit. Duckboi14 on the site wrote, "I always enjoyed the episode with Robin Williams. He represents himself in court and it's just a great episode."
A Time To Kill (1996)
A Time To Kill features Matthew McConaughey starring as lawyer Jake Brigance who is defending the father of a young black girl who was brutally kidnapped, raped, and almost murdered by two white men. When her father, played by Samuel L. Jackson, kills both rapists, he's then put on trial.
When asked to pick their favorite courtroom scene, Redditor Darko33 immediately thought of A Time To Kill and commented, "I gotta go with McConaughey's closing argument. The look on Spacey's face when he puts the hammer down is what nails it for me."