Movies Like The Pelican Brief

If you liked The Pelican Brief (1993), a thriller and drama movie directed by Alan J. Pakula, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
The Rainmaker (1997)
★ 7/10Also drama
Fresh out of law school and desperate for work, idealistic rookie Rudy Baylor takes on a powerful insurance company accused of denying a dying boy’s claim. Teaming up with a scrappy, unlicensed paralegal, he finds…
2
The Woman in the Window (1944)
★ 7.4/10Also drama and thriller
A seductive woman gets an innocent professor mixed up in murder.
3
Murder in Three Acts (1986)
★ 6/10Also drama
In Acapulco, Hercule Poirot attends a dinner party in which one of the guests clutches his throat and suddenly dies. The causes seem to be natural until another party with most of the same guests produces another corpse.
4
Appointment with Death (1988)
★ 6.1/10Also thriller and drama
Emily Boynton, the stepmother to three children, blackmails the family lawyer into destroying a second will of her late husband that would have freed the children from her dominating influence. She takes herself, the…
5
The Seven-Ups (1973)
★ 6.3/10Also thriller
A tough detective who is part of an elite New York City unit is trying to find out who killed his partner, but uncovers a plot to kidnap mobsters for money.
6
Miss Marple: They Do It with Mirrors (1992)
★ 6.9/10Also drama
At the insistence of Ruth Van Rydock, an old schoolfriend who is convinced that there is something wrong, Miss Marple agrees to visit 'Stonygates', the country house of Ruth's sister.
7
16 Blocks (2006)
★ 6.5/10Also thriller
An aging cop is assigned the ordinary task of escorting a fast-talking witness from police custody to a courthouse, but they find themselves running the gauntlet as other forces try to prevent them from getting there.
8
Just Mercy (2019)
★ 7.8/10Also drama
The powerful true story of Harvard-educated lawyer Bryan Stevenson, who goes to Alabama to defend the disenfranchised and wrongly condemned — including Walter McMillian, a man sentenced to death despite evidence…
9
The Star Chamber (1983)
★ 6/10Also drama and thriller
As violence escalates in Los Angeles and heinous murders are committed, Steven Hardin, a young judge of the California Supreme Court, must struggle with his tortured conscience and growing despair as he watches…
10
Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)
★ 6.3/10Also drama and thriller
Hard-nosed liberal lawyer Roman J. Israel has been fighting the good fight forever while others take the credit. When his partner – the firm's frontman – has a heart attack, Israel suddenly takes on that role. He soon…
11
Evil Under the Sun (1982)
★ 6.9/10Also thriller and drama
An opulent beach resort provides a scenic background to this amusing whodunit as Poirot attempts to uncover the nefarious evildoer behind the strangling of a notorious stage star.
12
Insomnia (2002)
★ 7/10Also thriller and drama
Two Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.
13
Tatami (2024)
★ 7.7/10Also thriller and drama
Iranian female judokas Leila and her coach Maryam, travel to the Judo World Championship, intent on bringing home Iran’s first gold medal. Midway through the Judo World Championships, they receive an ultimatum from the…
14
Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Reunited and It Feels So Deadly (2020)
★ 7.3/10Also drama
Aurora's high school reunion turns deadly when a body is found in the hotel pool. Aurora and her Real Murders Club help investigate which classmate was most likely to kill.
15
TalhotBlond (2012)
★ 6.3/10Also drama
Thomas Montgomery, a married father of two young daughters, gets seduced by the world of online gambling and chat rooms where a virtual romance and sexual obsession ultimately leads to the murder of an innocent man.
16
Riddled with Deceit: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery (2020)
★ 7.4/10Also drama
Former detective Jeff Jackson teams up with Dr. Zee Madieras to track down their friend's missing emerald brooch, a thief, and also... a murderer.
17
Cry of the City (1948)
★ 6.7/10Also drama
Petty crook and cop-killer Martin Rome, in bad shape from wounds in the hospital prison ward, still refuses to help slimy lawyer Niles clear his client by confessing to another crime. Police Lt. Candella must check…
18
Black Widow (1987)
★ 6.2/10Also thriller
Federal agent Alexandra Barnes believes that Catherine Petersen is a serial killer who marries rich men and then murders them for their money. But since Catherine is seemingly a master of disguise and has multiple…
19
Obsession (1976)
★ 6.7/10Also thriller and drama
A wealthy New Orleans businessman becomes obsessed with a young woman who resembles his late wife.
20
Strangers on a Train (1951)
★ 7.7/10Also thriller and drama
A charming psychopath tries to coerce a tennis star into his theory that two strangers can commit the perfect crime by exchanging murders—each killing the other’s most-hated person.