Movies are a representation of our society. Movies on law are a representation of human living in the very society! Law movies can be exciting, thrilling, and, most importantly, relatable to most. So if you are a law enthusiast or just anyone who loves great movies, here is a quick compilation of top 10 law movies every law student should watch -
1. 12 Angry Men (1957):
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A single juror in a murder trial convinces all others that the case is not as simple as it seems and prevents miscarriage of justice.
Why should you watch it? – the movie inspires you not to take any case at its face value and encourages you to look beyond the picture painted by our prejudices and assumptions and strive for truth, even when you are the only one fighting for it.
Cast: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Ed Begley
Stream Link: Amazon Prime
2. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962):
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The film revolves around Atticus Finch, a lawyer in Maycomb, a racially divided town. Finch’s attempt to defend Tom Robinson, a young black man accused of raping a white woman, results in the white population in the city trying, by all means, to make Finch walk out of the case, to the extent of attacking his children.
Why should you watch it? – as an aspiring lawyer, you need to be brave enough to stand against the majority. You should ensure that truth and justice stand above everything.
Cast: Julia Roberts, David Brisbin, Dawn Didawick, Albert Finney, Valente Rodriguez, Conchata Ferrell, George Rocky Sullivan, Pat Skipper.
Stream Link: Netflix
3. Erin Brockovich (2000):
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Erin Brockovich is a dramatized adaptation of Erin Brockovich, who sued the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), a corporation in the energy business, for contaminating the water of a town in Hinkley PG&E had a plant. The movie’s storyline revolves around the journey of Erin in gathering evidence to build a strong case against the energy giant.
Why should you watch it? – this movie is based on a real-life story and inspires one to believe in fighting for justice for all truth. If one truly believes in bringing justice, nothing and no one can stop him. Overall, Erin has all those traits that should be found in an aspiring lawyer.
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Stream Link:
4. Thank you for smoking (2006):
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A dark satire following Nick Naylor, spokesperson of big tobacco. Nick has to defend the ever-undefended cigarette industry while being a role 12 model to his 12-year-old son.
Why should you watch it? There are times in a lawyer’s career where he gets to defend someone no one wants to defend. This is the time when he has to introspect the case as well as himself. If he can find the truth in the case, he should have enough courage to stand against the world and bring justice.
Cast: Aaron Eckhart Maria Bello Cameron Bright Adam Brody Sam Elliott Katie Holmes David Koechner Rob Lowe William H. Macy J. K. Simmons Robert Duvall
Stream Link: Disney+Hotstar
5. The Paper Chase (1973):
PC: IMDB
The plot of the film revolves around James Hart, who is a fresher at Harvard Law School. In his first class conducted by Professor Charles Kingsfield, his expectations of learning from the basics are shattered when Kingsfield, who believes in the inquiry and discussion medium, asks James a question he cannot answer. The rest of the movie is about James’ journey of working his way up to become the best performer of his batch.
Why should you watch it? – the movie shows the real-life scenario of the harsh competition and study techniques employed by law graduates in law school. To avoid unrealistic expectations, every aspirant should scrutinize them to know what to expect in law school.
Cast: Timothy Bottoms, James T. Hart, Lindsay Wagner, Susan Kingsfield Fields, John Houseman, Charles W. Kingsfield, Graham Beckel, Franklin Ford III
Stream Link: Rotten tomatoes
6. The Accused (1988):
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The film’s plot revolves around Sarah Tobias, a gang-rape victim, and her intolerance of not being heard. When Sarah approaches Kathryn Murphy, an assistant district attorney, who is inclined towards entering a plea bargain, Sarah is enraged. She rams her car into a pickup truck driven by a witness of the rape who encouraged the rapists. This incident makes Kathryn decide to investigate the case to dept and prosecute the men who raped the victim a well as witnesses who cheered the crime.
Why should you watch it? – lLawirants get a fair idea of how proceedings of criminal cases take place and what tasks lawyers need to perform therein.
Cast: Kelly McGillis, Jodie Foster, Bernie Coulson
Stream Link: Amazon Prime
7. And Justice for All (1979):
PC: Wikipedia
The movie revolves around lawyer Arthur Kirkland, who is in jail for assaulting a judge, H.T. Fleming. Arthur represents two innocent clients who are victims of loopholes in the legal system and are charged for crimes they never committed. Arthur is then asked to defend Fleming for a rape, which Fleming is openly guilty of committing. The movie narrates how Arthur deals with the case.
Why should you watch it? As a lawyer, there will come a situation where you will start questioning the entirely legal system. This movie is a must for those aspirants who understand this particular facet of pursuing a career in law.
Cast: Al Pacino, Jack Warden, John Forsythe
Stream Link: Amazon Prime
8. My Cousin Vinny (1992):
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This is a legal comedy revolving around Vinny, a personal injury lawyer when first hired to defend two wrongly accused New York University students, Billy and Tan. Vinny has recently been admitted to the bar after giving six attempts at the Bar exam. He has also lied that he has a lot of trial experience, while he hasn’t had his first trial yet. The movie shows how Vinny fights the case.
Why should you watch it? – Although this is not a serious drama, it depicts the courtroom procedures, trial strategies in a realistic light.
Cast: Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio, Marisa Tomei, Mitchell Whitfield, Fred Gwynne, Lane Smith, Austin Pendleton, Bruce McGill.
Stream Link: Amazon Prime
9. Justice at Nuremberg (1961):
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This movie is the adaptation of a real-life trial of judges of Germany, who were instrumental in atrocities committed by Nazis in their regime in Germany. The film revolves around a military tribunal being convened in Nuremberg, where four Nazi judges stand accused of crimes against humanity.
Why should you watch it? – For those who wish to understand the basic philosophies underlying various laws, this movie is a must. The carefully crafted dialogues and their immaculate delivery by Maximilian Schell will leave a long-lasting impression.
Cast: Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark
Stream Link: Amazon Prime
10. Pink (2016):
PC: Wikipedia
Minal and her roommates tried to file an FIR against Rajveer after he attempted to molest her. Deepak, a retired lawyer, takes the case to help them fight and get justice when the case gets rigged.
Why should you watch it? – In his career, a lawyer comes across cases that defy societal norms, go against society’s judgment and question his fundamental beliefs. This film inspires the aspirants to take up even such cases.
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Amitabh Bachchan, Kirti Kulhari, Piyush Mishra, Angad Bedi, Vijay Varma, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Sushil Dahiya, Andrea Tariang, Raashul Tandon, Tushar Pandey
Stream Link: Disney+ Hotstar
Bonus: Article 375 (2019):
PC:TimesOfIndia
Rohan Khurana, a celebrated filmmaker, stands accused of rape by Anjali Dangle, a junior costume designer, and is sentenced to ten years of jail time by a sessions court.
Cast: Akshaye Khanna, Richa Chadda, Meera Chopra and Rahul Bhat
Stream Link: Amazon Prime
Conclusion
So, these were a few movies on law everyone must watch. Law movies are a close representation of the history of justice around the world. Instead of flipping pages, why not binge on these movies to learn?
Visit Rest The Case and read more such interesting blog pieces every day! We can go on and on with our list for the list of good movies never really ends!
