The best courtroom dramas
A great courtroom drama is one that not only offers enough intellectual stimulation but also one whose impact continues to linger even after days, months and years. And it doesn't necessarily have to be serious, like one of the titles in this list.
12 Angry Men (1957)
Sidney Lumet's instant, indisputable classic is easily among the greatest directorial debuts of all time. An example of a filmmaker putting the lessons he absorbed during his television directing days to good use.
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
A stacked cast featuring acting heavyweights like Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich, Montgomery Clift, and Maximillian Schell powers this supremely effective, fictionalised court drama based on the famous Nuremberg trials.
My Cousin Vinny (1992)
One of the greatest comedies ever made. Those who have only seen Joe Pesci in Martin Scorsese's intense gangster dramas will see a refreshingly lighter side of the actor here. And, oh, Marisa Tomei!
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
Here's another court drama featuring Marlene Dietrich, this time directed by another legend, Billy Wilder, who based his superb screenplay on the Agatha Christie story of the same name.
Prince of the City (1981)
Another Sidney Lumet classic, but a relatively underappreciated one. Another Sidney Lumet film on a real-life police corruption incident that feels more like an epic compared to Lumet's Serpico starring Al Pacino.
The Verdict (1982)
Cannot resist adding another Lumet film here. Paul Newman in one of his greatest, most moving performances as an ageing, sold-out lawyer seeking a last chance at redemption and restoring his self-esteem.
Court (2014)
Chaitanya Tamhane's Court is the least cinematic, most realistic courtroom drama in this list, and for good reason. Not that every legal drama has to follow the same rule, but this one is as raw and true-to-life as it gets.
Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem (2014)
The late Ronit Elkabetz co-wrote, co-directed and played with supreme conviction the titular character of a woman who has to fight with all her might in court to get a divorce after being trapped in a suffocating marriage.