The Firm is a 1993 legal thriller that takes a spin on most legal movies. Starring great names like Tom Cruise, Heanna Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, and many more, the movie is based on the 1991 novel by John Grisham. If you enjoy legal movies with a thrilling spin, then check out some of the best movies like The Firm.
The plot follows a young lawyer, Mitch McDeere, who joins a promising law firm with an offer that he can’t reduce. He begins his career oblivious to the darker side of the firm thanks to the money and gifts he’s showered with. But when the FBI makes contact with him, he starts to see the other side of things and must choose between working with the Firm and keeping his lavish lifestyle, or working with the FBI.
6. Enemy of the State, Prime Video (1998)
Political thrillers are the main genre for movies like The Firm, and one of the best examples is Enemy of the State. The 1998 movie starring Will Smith and Gene Hackman along with an ensemble cast is an exciting watch. The movie was praised for its writing, directing, and brilliant acting, receiving positive reviews upon release.
The movie follows a group of corrupt National Security Agency, or NSA, agents conspiring to kill a congressman. But when the tape of the murder ends up in the possession of an unsuspecting lawyer, the cover-up that begins is a tangle of webs. The themes of conspiracy, injustice, and corruption are thrilling stories that will scratch the itch of more movies like The Firm.
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5. Three Days of the Condor, Paramount (1975)
This 1975 political thriller stars Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, and Max von Sydow. The movie is another adaptation of the James Grady novel released in 1974 called Six Days of the Condor.
Three Days of the Condor is set in New York City and Washington D.C., the film follows a bookish CIA who comes back from lunch one day to discover his coworkers murdered. At that moment, he not only has to avoid his own murder but outwit and figure out who the murderers are and understand their motives.
4. The Client, Prime Video (1994)
The Firm is all about thrilling political cases and legal cases, and if you need more movies like The Firm, then The Client Client is a perfect choice. The 1994 film stars Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Renfro, Mary-Louise Parker, and more. It’s also another one of the great movies based on a novel released in 1993 by John Grisham.
The movie follows an 11-year-old boy, Mark Sway, who lives with his mother and brother in a trailer. One day when he and his brother are hanging out, events cause him to witness the suicide of a mafia lawyer. When they hire an attorney to protect him, the District Attorney turns up to try and use him to take down the mob family, causing danger for not only him and his family, but the lawyer.
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3. The Lincoln Lawyer, Paramount (2011)
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Philippe, and more, The Lincoln Lawyer is one of the best movies like The Firm. The 2011 legal thriller is based on a series of novels, the first one released in 2005, by Michael Connelly, all following the same main character.
McConaughey plays the main character, Mick Haller, who is a lawyer working out of his vehicle, a Lincoln. When a weather realtor is accused of assaulting a prostitute, Haller is asked to defend him. The man claims that the woman is trying to get some money out of his, but when Haller checks the evidence against him, he realizes the case is linked to an older case of his.
2. The Parallax View, Prime Video (1974)
If you need more movies like The Firm that focus on political thrillers, then try The Parallax View. The 1974 film stars Warren Beatty, Hume Cronyn, William Daniels, and Laula Prentiss. The movie is based on the 1970 novel by Loren Singer sharing the same name, another one of the best book-to-movie adaptations.
Joe Frady is a determined reporter who always seems to defend his work to his colleagues. But after the assassination of one of the most prominent U.S. senators, Frady begins to notice that reporters present during the assassination are dying mysteriously. Frady decides to get involved in the case and starts to see a conspiracy involving the Parallax Corporation, an enigmatic training institution. To uncover the truth, Frady enrolls himself in the corporation.
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1. The Pelican Brief, Prime Video (1993)
The all-time best movie like The Firm goes to The Pelican Brief, a 1993 legal thriller that has the same suspense as The Firm. What makes it even better is that it’s another film based on a book by John Grisham that was released in 1992. The film starred Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington and was one of the last Alan J. Pakula films before his death.
The movie focuses on two Supreme Court Justices that have been killed. Robert plays the role of a young law student named Darby Shaw, with Washington as a reporter named Gray Grantham. When Darby Shaw starts to uncover the conspiracy within the law, she needs the help of a reporter without knowing that she starts to put herself and others in danger by what she finds.