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Poster for True Believer

True Believer

1989 · 105 min

A gritty, slow-burning legal drama that feels like a throwback to 70s paranoia thrillers, with a weary, cynical edge and a satisfying courtroom payoff.

Tagline
Someone got away with murder...until now.
Overview
Eddie Dodd is a burnt out former civil rights lawyer who now specializes in defending drug dealers. Roger Baron, newly graduated from law school, has followed Eddie's great cases and now wants to learn at his feet. With Roger's idealistic prodding, Eddie reluctantly takes on a case of a young Korean man who, according to his mother, has been in jail for eight years for a murder he didn't commit.

Search YouTube for the trailer

Rent or buy in the UK
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store
More options Data from JustWatch
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 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
  • corruption
  • redemption
  • guilt
  • betrayal
Places
  • big city
  • workplace
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • procedural
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language strong
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action3
Horror1
Humour3
Realism8
Romance1
Tension6
Darkness6
Complexity6
Emotional weight6

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Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store
  • YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
crime, drama
Directed by
Joseph Ruben
Written by
Wesley Strick
Starring
James Woods, Robert Downey Jr., Margaret Colin, Yuji Okumoto, Kurtwood Smith, Tom Bower, Luis Guzmán, Graham Beckel
Music
Brad Fiedel
Cinematography
John Lindley
Runtime
105 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

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