The new Netflix drama The Trial of the Chicago 7 is one of the most anticipated films of the fall season. It comes from Aaron Sorkin, a filmmaker responsible for some of the most acclaimed projects in recent memory. In this true-life tale, Sorkin tackles the courtroom drama, one of the most exciting genres of all time.
Though these films tend to lack action and revolve around people talking in a room for extended periods of time, courtroom dramas can be hugely entertaining when done right. They can be filled with riveting dialogue, intense sequences, and big shocks. Sorkin's latest is one of many great courtroom dramas worth seeking out.
A Few Good Men (1992)
Interestingly, Aaron Sorkin got his start in films with his big-screen adaptation of his own play A Few Good Men. Tom Cruise stars as a military defense attorney assigned to defend a pair of soldiers accused of killing a fellow soldier in a hazing gone wrong.
As expected with Sorkin's work, the dialogue is razor-sharp and watching the actors go back and forth in the heated courtroom scenes is a thrill. Of course, the climax comes when Cruise faces off with Jack Nicholson as the commanding officer is the film's most iconic moment.
Philadelphia (1993)
Courtroom dramas can often be used to highlight injustices among an overlooked community. Such is the case with Philadelphia, a hard-hitting drama that uses its story to examine the AIDS epidemic among the gay community.
Tom Hanks stars as a gay lawyer dying from the disease who believes he was fired from his job because of his condition. He hires a narrow-minded lawyer (Denzel Washington) to represent him in the wrongful dismissal case. Hanks won his first Oscar for his heartbreaking and powerful performance.
Witness For The Prosecution (1957)
Just as Aaron Sorkin is highly acclaimed for his expert writing skills, Billy Wilder remains one of the most celebrated storytellers in Hollywood history. Witness for the Prosecution is one of his most popular films, which finds the filmmaker tackling a story by another brilliant writer, Agatha Christie.
The film mixes Wilder's sharp humor with a nail-biting murder trial story. As the case goes on, the experienced lawyer finds himself facing one shocking surprise after another, leading up to the fantastic final reveal.
Inherit The Wind (1960)
While there are plenty of films that do a fine job of creating compelling and fictional cases for their courtroom dramas, there are also many real cases with stories so incredible they make for unforgettable films.
Inherit the Wind is a fictionalized version of the groundbreaking "Scopes Monkey Trial" and stars Spencer Tracy as a lawyer defending a teacher who is accused of the crime of teaching the theory of evolution in the classroom. It is an engrossing look at a period of time that doesn't feel all that removed from our current society.
A Time To Kill (1996)
John Grisham is an author known for his entertaining courtroom novels and A Time to Kill is one of his most popular ones. The film adaptation is a star-studded drama where Matthew McConaughey plays a young lawyer defending a man (Samuel L. Jackson) who killed the racist men who abused and tried to kill his 10-year-old daughter.
The cast does a wonderful job in bringing so much emotion and power to this story. Jackson is especially good as the family man trying to protect his loved ones.
The Verdict (1982)
One of the greatest actors to ever live, Paul Newman gives one of his greatest performances in the legal drama The Verdict. From director Sidney Lumet, Newman plays an alcoholic and washed-up lawyer who takes a wrongful death lawsuit against a hospital.
The film is a wonderful mix of courtroom drama and a redemption story. Newman's character gradually begins to believe in this case and himself even as he faces countless roadblocks along the way.
To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
Based on the famous novel by Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird is a thoughtful and moving look at one of cinema's most heroic lawyers. Gregory Peck stars as Atticus Finch, a family man living with his two children in the South who defends a Black man accused of rape.
In his white community, the Black man is considered guilty as soon as he was accused yet Atticus fights as hard as he can to prove the man's innocence. He attempts to show his children what it means to stand up for what is right even when it isn't easy.
Just Mercy (2019)
One of the more recent courtroom drama films, Just Mercy is a heartbreaking and incredible true story about Bryan Stevenson and his fight to free Walter McMillian. Michael B. Jordan stars as Stevenson, a young lawyer who travels to Alabama to represent Black men who fill the state's death row prisons.
Jamie Foxx gives a harrowing performance as McMillian, a man wrongfully accused of murder and sentenced to death. Stevenson's fight through all the ignorance, corruption, and injustice that places McMillian in his position is frustrating and eye-opening.
The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (2020)
In his second directorial effort, Aaron Sorkin assembled an extremely talented group of actors to tell the story of this monumental trial. Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II star as activists charged with inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.
Sorkin once again stages the film similar to a play and handles the large ensemble wonderfully. There are thrills, shocks, and laughs throughout, which makes for an entertaining drama that feels quite timely.
12 Angry Men (1957)
It's fascinating how one of the most famous and most brilliant courtroom dramas of all time takes place almost entirely outside of the courtroom. The Sidney Lumet film focuses on the twelve jury members of a murder case as they deliberate on the verdict.
Henry Fonda stars as the lone juror who believes the accused to be innocent. Gradually, he forces the others to look at the facts and ensure that justice is truly done. 12 Angry Men is a claustrophobic and thrilling display of acting, writing, and directing.