We Need More Good Law Movies

It feels like we're missing an opportunity here.

I studied journalism in college (and in grad school for some reason), so I have a lot of friends who have become or are becoming lawyers.

Journalism is—how does one say this politely—a constant shitshow, so many of our best decided to take the LSAT for a Plan B. Not me. I will live and die in the always-entertaining (and ridiculous) world of journalism for as long as it will have me.

Just because I’ve never opened a law textbook doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate some good lawyering, especially on film. A few days ago, we watched A Few Good Men, which features Tom Cruise, a baseball bat and Jack Nicholson yelling. It’s great despite Aaron Sorkin Aaron Sorkining it up and it made me think about the genre as a whole.

Some of my favorite movies are law movies. We’ve got Michael Clayton, The Verdict, 12 Angry Men, My Cousin Vinny, Philadelphia and The Social Network (kind of). And there are so many great American classics from 12 Angry Men to Kramer vs. Kramer to Erin Brockovich to Legally Blonde. These aren’t just fun to watch, they’re actor showcases that allow the best in the world to glare menacingly, go on long monologues and pace around right before striking.

I’m sure it’s very different when you’re in a real courtroom, but there’s something calming about seeing those brown wooden tables, a stack of papers and a bunch of rules being thrown around wily-nily. Maybe what makes it so dependable is that we go in with an understanding of what’s to come and the best law movies then use those preconceived notions to subvert our expectations. It’s a fun game and a maze made up of legislation and objections.

To be fair, last year we had Anatomy of a Fall, a multi-lingual “Did she do it?” chockful of tremendous performances and 50 Cent beats, and yet, that shouldn’t be all we get this decade.

Where are the new American law movies? And I’m not talking about Netflix shlock that looks like it was shot in one day. We need our up-and-coming stars appealing and seeking damages with the best directors out there.

Glen Powell, as always, is ahead of the curve with the upcoming Monsanto, “the true story of young, untried attorney Brent Wisner (Powell), who takes on a seemingly insurmountable case against the giant U.S. chemical company Monsanto.” Now, that’s a man who knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s essentially copying the Tom Cruise playbook at this point.

But that shouldn’t be all. Give us Zendaya in a courtroom thriller. Lupita Nyong'o, Josh O’Connor, Cailee Spaeny, Anya Taylor-Joy, Greta Lee. And they don’t all have to be lawyers. Maybe they’re under investigation or a court reporter. A journalist covering the case that gets too intertwined.

There are so many options. We need the Lawyer Cinematic Universe at this point. There’s a lot of truth out there, give us actors who can handle it.