MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for A Civil Action

A Civil Action

1998 · 115 min

A slow, sobering legal drama that immerses you in the grinding cost of a righteous fight, leaving a quiet ache.

Directed by
Steven Zaillian
Genres
Drama
Starring
John Travolta, Robert Duvall, Tony Shalhoub
Tagline
Justice has its price.
Overview
Jan Schlickmann is a cynical lawyer who goes out to 'get rid of' a case, only to find out it is potentially worth millions. The case becomes his obsession, to the extent that he is willing to give up everything—including his career and his clients' goals—in order to continue the case against all odds.

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

Stream in the UK
  • Paramount Plus
More options Data from JustWatch
Directed by
Steven Zaillian
Genres
Drama
Starring
John Travolta, Robert Duvall, Tony Shalhoub
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • justice
  • obsession
  • corruption
  • grief
  • ambition
Places
  • small town
  • big city
  • workplace
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • true story
  • procedural
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence none
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action1
Horror1
Humour2
Realism9
Romance1
Tension6
Darkness6
Complexity7
Emotional weight7

More like this

Titles like A Civil Action

Movie

Erin Brockovich

2000

A scrappy, satisfying fight against corporate power, anchored by a fierce, funny performance and a slow-building sense of righteous anger.

Earnest · about justice and corruption · true story

Via
  • earnest
  • justice
  • corruption
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
131 min
Details
Erin BrockovichHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Dark Waters

2019

A slow-burning, somber legal drama that immerses you in a frustrating fight for justice, leaving a lingering sense of unease.

Tense, melancholic · about justice and corruption · true story

Via
  • tense
  • melancholic
  • justice
  • corruption
  • true story
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
127 min
Details
Dark WatersHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Moneyball

2011

A quietly absorbing underdog story that mixes dry wit with genuine emotional pull, making baseball statistics feel like a high-stakes gamble.

Same writer: Steven Zaillian · Melancholic, earnest · about ambition · true story

Also
Same writer: Steven Zaillian
Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • ambition
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
134 min
Details
MoneyballHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Verdict

1982

A somber, deliberate legal drama that immerses you in a flawed man's struggle for justice, with quiet tension and emotional weight.

Tense, melancholic · about justice · procedural

Via
  • tense
  • melancholic
  • justice
  • procedural
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
129 min
Details
The VerdictHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Philadelphia

1993

A somber, dignified courtroom drama that aches with injustice and slowly warms as prejudice gives way to empathy.

Tense, melancholic · about justice · procedural

Via
  • tense
  • melancholic
  • justice
  • procedural
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
126 min
Details
PhiladelphiaHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Rainmaker

1997

A grounded, slow-burning legal drama that mixes courtroom tension with moral weight and a touch of gritty realism.

Tense, earnest · about justice and corruption · procedural

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • justice
  • corruption
  • procedural
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
135 min
Details
The RainmakerHidden 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, melancholic · about justice and corruption · true story

Via
  • tense
  • melancholic
  • justice
  • corruption
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
137 min
Details
Just MercyHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Reversal of Fortune

1990

A cool, cerebral legal drama that keeps you at a distance, watching privilege and ambiguity play out with unsettling calm.

Tense · about justice · true story

Via
  • tense
  • justice
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
111 min
Details
Reversal of FortuneHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

American Gangster

2007

A cool, sprawling crime saga that moves between two driven men, feeling gritty and controlled rather than flashy.

Same writer: Steven Zaillian · About corruption and ambition · true story

Also
Same writer: Steven Zaillian
Via
  • corruption
  • ambition
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
157 min
Details
American GangsterHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Schindler's List

1993

A harrowing, black-and-white immersion into the Holocaust that is emotionally devastating yet ultimately offers a glimmer of hope.

Same writer: Steven Zaillian · Melancholic, earnest · true story

Also
Same writer: Steven Zaillian
Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • true story
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
195 min
Details
Schindler's ListHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Insider

1999

A slow-burning, tense procedural that immerses you in paranoia and moral weight, demanding focus as it builds to a quiet but powerful climax.

Tense, melancholic · about justice and corruption · true story

Via
  • tense
  • melancholic
  • justice
  • corruption
  • true story
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
158 min
Details
The InsiderHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Manchester by the Sea

2016

A quietly devastating, deeply human portrait of grief and guilt, leavened by moments of everyday humor and tenderness.

Melancholic, earnest · about grief

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • grief
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
138 min
Details
Manchester by the SeaHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Stream
  • Paramount Plus
Rent or buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store
  • YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
drama
Directed by
Steven Zaillian
Written by
Steven Zaillian
Starring
John Travolta, Robert Duvall, Tony Shalhoub, William H. Macy, Željko Ivanek, Bruce Norris, John Lithgow, Kathleen Quinlan
Music
Danny Elfman
Cinematography
Conrad Hall
Runtime
115 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.