MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for The Liberation of L.B. Jones

The Liberation of L.B. Jones

1970 · 102 min

A slow, suffocating look at racism and corruption that leaves you tense and sickened, with moments of shocking violence.

Directed by
William Wyler
Genres
Drama, Crime
Starring
Lee J. Cobb, Anthony Zerbe, Roscoe Lee Browne
Tagline
Some of his best friends were black... some of her best friends were white.
Overview
A successful African American businessman has a quarrel with a white policeman, suspecting that he is having an affair with his wife. The policeman's colleagues are seeking to avoid publicity.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
Directed by
William Wyler
Genres
Drama, Crime
Starring
Lee J. Cobb, Anthony Zerbe, Roscoe Lee Browne
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • darkstrength 3 of 3
  • bleakstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • race
  • corruption
  • justice
  • power
  • betrayal
Places
  • small town
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • true story
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence strong
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action3
Horror3
Humour1
Realism8
Romance2
Tension8
Darkness9
Complexity6
Emotional weight9

More like this

Titles like The Liberation of L.B. Jones

Movie

Killers of the Flower Moon

2023

A long, quietly devastating descent into greed and complicity, suffocating in its slow accumulation of dread and moral rot.

Dark, bleak, slow-burn · about race and corruption · true story

Via
  • dark
  • bleak
  • race
  • corruption
  • true story
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
206 min
Details
Killers of the Flower MoonHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

In the Heat of the Night

1967

A simmering, socially charged mystery that keeps you tense with its racial friction and slow-burn investigation.

Same writer: Stirling Silliphant · Dark, tense · about race and justice

Also
Same writer: Stirling Silliphant
Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • race
  • justice
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
109 min
Details
In the Heat of the NightHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Training Day

2001

A sweaty, nerve-jangling ride through LA's underworld that keeps you tense and morally off-balance from start to finish.

Dark, tense · about corruption and power

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • corruption
  • power
Pacing
relentless
Attention
engaged
Runtime
122 min
Details
Training DayHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

2017

A raw, darkly funny, and emotionally charged ride through grief and rage, with sharp dialogue and a stellar ensemble.

Dark, bleak · about justice

Via
  • dark
  • bleak
  • justice
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
115 min
Details
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, MissouriHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Leviathan

2014

A slow, crushing descent into injustice and grief, set against stark northern landscapes that mirror the characters' inner desolation.

Dark, bleak, slow-burn · about corruption and justice

Via
  • dark
  • bleak
  • corruption
  • justice
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
141 min
Details
LeviathanHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Godfather of Harlem

2019–2025

A slow-burning, weighty crime saga that simmers with racial and political tension, anchored by a commanding, brooding lead performance.

Dark, tense · about race and power

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • race
  • power
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Seasons
4
Details
Godfather of HarlemHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Mississippi Burning

1988

A tense, morally charged procedural that immerses you in racial hatred and institutional corruption, with a slow-burn intensity and a few shocking bursts of violence.

Dark, tense · about race and corruption · true story

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • race
  • corruption
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
128 min
Details
Mississippi BurningHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Devil in a Blue Dress

1995

A slow-burning, atmospheric noir that wraps you in postwar LA's shadows and keeps you tense with its intricate mystery.

Same composer: Elmer Bernstein · Dark, tense, slow-burn · about race and corruption

Also
Same composer: Elmer Bernstein
Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • race
  • corruption
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
102 min
Details
Devil in a Blue DressHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Memories of Murder

2003

A slow, haunting procedural that shifts from absurd comedy to profound despair, leaving a lingering sense of unease.

Dark, bleak, slow-burn · about corruption and justice · true story

Via
  • dark
  • bleak
  • corruption
  • justice
  • true story
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
131 min
Details
Memories of MurderHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Letter

1940

A slow-burning, atmospheric noir that tightens like a noose, with a chilling central performance and a fatalistic pull.

Same director: William Wyler · Dark, tense · about justice and betrayal

Also
Same director: William Wyler
Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • justice
  • betrayal
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
95 min
Details
The LetterHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Just Mercy

2019

A sobering, heartfelt true story that builds quiet outrage and hope as it follows a determined fight against a rigged system.

Tense · about race and corruption · true story

Via
  • tense
  • race
  • corruption
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
137 min
Details
Just MercyHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Perry Mason

1957–1966

A steady, talky courtroom puzzle that rewards patience, building quiet suspense until the satisfying reveal and a wry closing joke.

Same writer: Stirling Silliphant · Tense · about justice

Also
Same writer: Stirling Silliphant
Via
  • tense
  • justice
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Seasons
9
Details
Perry MasonHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
drama, crime
Directed by
William Wyler
Written by
Jesse Hill Ford, Stirling Silliphant
Starring
Lee J. Cobb, Anthony Zerbe, Roscoe Lee Browne, Lola Falana, Lee Majors, Barbara Hershey, Yaphet Kotto, Arch Johnson
Music
Elmer Bernstein
Cinematography
Robert Surtees
Runtime
102 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.