The legal drama is one of the most watchable sub-genres in cinema if handled correctly, and more often than not delivers big performances and plenty of fireworks. So if you are after movies like The Judge, you’re in the right place!
Robert Downey Jr. stepped outside of his Marvel Cinematic Universe comfort zone for David Dobkin’s The Judge, playing a hotshot big-city lawyer who heads back to his small hometown and ends up representing his father in a murder trial.
If you’re looking for movies like The Judge then you’ve come to the right place for recommendations, and there’s even a couple that doesn’t even take place in the courtroom.
10+ Gripping Legal Drama Movies Like The Judge
1. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
One of the greatest novels ever written resulted in one of the greatest movies ever made, which should have been expected given the quality of the source material and talent assembled for the big-screen adaptation.
To Kill a Mockingbird was nominated for eight Oscars and won three, most famously Best Actor for Gregory Peck’s iconic performance as Atticus Finch, but director Robert Mulligan and his team fired on all cylinders to create a stone-cold Hollywood classic.
Essentially a message movie, but a landmark of cinema nonetheless, To Kill a Mockingbird is the milestone that all movies like The Judge continue to owe a massive debt to.
2. 12 Angry Men (1957)
Minimalist filmmaking at its finest, the dozen title characters don’t even get given names, but 12 Angry Men is still one of the most thought-provoking and provocative dramas ever made, not just in the legal genre.
Personalities, conflicts, belief systems, experiences, and prejudices are all brought the fore as the dozen jurors hammer out a verdict in a murder trial.
Almost the entire movie takes place on a single set, giving it a theatrical edge that only increases the audience’s immersion in the story, and there’s barely a single fault to be found in any of the 96 minutes.
3. A Time to Kill (1996)
Arguably the greatest John Grisham adaptation ever committed to film, A Time to Kill boasts top tier star power and subject matter that at its very core will always remain timely.
Led by Matthew McConaughey’s breakout performance, the stacked cast also features Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, Chris Cooper, Ashley Judd, and both Kiefer and Donald Sutherland, while director Joel Schumacher marshals proceedings with both style and substance.
A lot of movies like The Judge would struggle to hold audience interest for as long as 149 minutes, but A Time to Kill is never anything less than completely engrossing.
4. Conviction (2010)
A gripping legal drama based on a true story, Conviction is one of the more little-seen and underrated entries the genre has seen in recent years.
Directed by well-known actor Tony Goldwyn, the movie boasts a solid cast including Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver, and Melissa Leo, all of whom bring their A-game and elevate an already solid script.
As is the case with many films of this type, the facts aren’t strictly adhered to, but the creative license only serves to enhance the final product.
5. Bridge of Spies (2015)
Not all entries in the legal genre have to be straightforward and entirely fictional movies like The Judge, and Bridge of Spies is one of the best examples of the basic setup’s versatility.
Steven Spielberg effortlessly brings the best out of his cast, with Mark Rylance’s Oscar-winning performance superbly supported by the always reliable Tom Hanks on top form in a fascinating account of Cold War espionage.
Spielberg doesn’t make contained character studies very often, and Bridge of Spies proves why he’ll go down in history as one of the all-time directorial greats.
6. Nebraska (2014)
Movies like The Judge aren’t all about the law, and at its heart it tells a father/son story, making Nebraska well worth checking out if thematic similarities are what you’re after.
Bruce Dern gives one of the best performances of a career that’s spanned over half a century in Alexander Payne’s black and white road trip, with comedian Will Forte surprising a lot of people with an impressive dramatic turn.
A firm awards season favorite, Payne further enhanced his standing as a master of heightened cinematic realism, while Dern received more acclaim for his work than he’d seen in decades.
7. A Civil Action (1998)
The sort of high-powered legal thriller that Hollywood doesn’t seem to be interested in making anymore, A Civil Action came armed with a $75 million budget, a cast of heavy hitters, and an Oscar winning writer pulling double duty.
Steve Zaillian pulls from his own back catalog to offer the polished thrills of Mission: Impossible and Clear and Present Danger, but married to the true-life drama of Awakenings and Searching for Bobby Fischer, with John Travolta and Robert Duvall the undoubted standouts among the ensemble.
A morality play mounted on a blockbuster-sized scale, A Civil Action is characterized by moral complexity and grandstanding scenes that let the roster of talented actors do what they do best.
8. The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
After spending years coasting by as the shirtless star of many a rom-com, Matthew McConaughey’s career resurgence started with his effortlessly charismatic performance in The Lincoln Lawyer.
Brad Furman’s literary adaptation is the kind of glossy, star-powered, and breezy ensemble piece you can’t take your eyes off, and McConaughey is lent solid support by the likes of Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillipe, Michael Pena, William H. Macy, and Bryan Cranston.
The Lincoln Lawyer sticks rigidly to formula, and the breezy thriller shows that movies like The Judge don’t all have to be similarly somber dramas to succeed.
9. Runaway Jury (2003)
John Grisham is the king of churning out legal thrillers on the printed page, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that his works have resulted in some great movies.
Gary Fleder directs an all-star cast that pits Hollywood icons Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman against each other as rival lawyers, with John Cusack and Rachel Weisz anchoring a story that twists and turns into unexpected directions.
The narrative might stretch the boundaries of credibility and realism, but it offers plenty of entertainment and a surprisingly complex moral center.
10. Molly’s Game (2017)
Aaron Sorkin is famed for his impeccably crafted dialogue, and his directorial debut showed that he’s no slouch behind the camera either.
Leading lady Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, and Kevin Costner are clearly having a great time spouting Sorkin’s signature monologues in the true story of the wannabe entrepreneur arrested for running a high-stakes poker game in L.A.
Not all movies like The Judge have to be set entirely in the courtroom, and Molly’s Game only introduces lawyers in the third act but remains riveting throughout.