Best movies like The Insider
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Tells the true story of a 60 Minutes television series exposé of the tobacco industry, as seen through the eyes of a real tobacco executive, Jeffrey Wigand.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 178000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 157 min
Plot tags: political, suspense, cerebral, clever, intense, fast paced, tense, sincere, realistic, suspenseful
Best tv shows and movies like The Insider (1999):
Similar in 88%
Kill the Messenger (2014)
Plot Summary:
A reporter becomes the target of a vicious smear campaign that drives him to the point of suicide after he exposes the CIA's role in arming Contra rebels in Nicaragua and importing cocaine into California. Based on the true story of journalist Gary Webb.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 48000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: political, tense, suspenseful, thought provoking, clever, captivating, disturbing, spiritual, neo noir, emotional
Similar in 90%
The Rainmaker (1997)
Plot Summary:
When Rudy Baylor, a young attorney with no clients, goes to work for a seedy ambulance chaser, he wants to help the parents of a terminally ill boy in their suit against an insurance company. But to take on corporate America, Rudy and a scrappy paralegal must open their own law firm.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 82000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Germany
Duration: 135 min
Plot tags: suspense, exciting, intense, tense, thought provoking, clever, serious, realistic, scary, inspirational
Similar in 75%
North Country (2005)
Plot Summary:
A fictionalized account of the first major successful sexual harassment case in the United States -- Jenson vs. Eveleth Mines, where a woman who endured a range of abuse while working as a miner filed and won the landmark 1984 lawsuit.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 45000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 126 min
Plot tags: dramatic, sincere, emotional, factual, disturbing, inspirational, realistic, educational, rough, touching
Similar in 78%
The China Syndrome (1979)
Plot Summary:
A modern nightmare nearly becomes reality in this tension-filled story about an "incident" at a nuclear power plant. Jane Fonda stars as Kimberly Wells, an ambitious TV reporter covering a story on energy sources, who is present at the nuclear plant when a startling accident occurs that nearly causes the meltdown of the reactor. A newsreel cameraman accompanying Wells (Michael Douglas) captures the incident on film but the television station won't air the footage. Though the plant's corporate heads are quick to deny the possibility of any real danger, Jack Godell (Jack Lemmon), the plant's veteran engineer, discovers faulty equipment at the plant. Attempting to tell others about his findings, an attempt is made on his life. In desperation, he forcibly takes control of the power plant and invites the media to hear his ceremony. But the corporation is determined to stop him in a taut and shocking climax!.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 32000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, suspense, tense, political, psychological, serious, captivating, realistic, neo noir, political thriller
Similar in 76%
You Don't Know Jack (2010)
Plot Summary:
Angel of mercy… or murderous “Doctor Death”? Jack Kervorkian is one of the most polarizing figures in modern American history, a man whose passionate belief that people have the right to die has brought him both praise and vilification. Oscar®- and Emmy®-winning actor Al Pacino brings “Dr. Death” to life in an all-new HBO Films presentation: You Don’t Know Jack, directed by Oscar®-winner Barry Levinson.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 30000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 134 min
Plot tags: serious, emotional, intense, compassionate, intellectual, unusual plot structure, witty, talky, realistic, depressing
Similar in 88%
Dark Waters (2019)
Plot Summary:
A corporate defense attorney takes on an environmental lawsuit against the DuPont chemical company that exposes a lengthy history of pollution.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 98000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 126 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, factual, thought provoking, political, motivational, social, compassionate, sexy, feel good
Similar in 77%
The Firm (1993)
Plot Summary:
Mitch McDeere is a young man with a promising future in Law. About to sit his Bar exam, he is approached by 'The Firm' and made an offer he doesn't refuse. Seduced by the money and gifts showered on him, he is totally oblivious to the more sinister side of his company. Then, two Associates are murdered. The FBI contact him, asking him for information and suddenly his life is ruined. He has a choice - work with the FBI, or stay with the Firm. Either way he will lose his life as he knows it. Mitch figures the only way out is to follow his own plan.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 145000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 154 min
Plot tags: suspense, suspenseful, tense, surprise ending, clever, psychological, serious, realistic, stylized, entertaining
Similar in 85%
A Civil Action (1998)
Plot Summary:
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.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 31000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: suspense, suspenseful, thought provoking, serious, disturbing, sincere, realistic, inspirational, feel good, sad
Similar in 76%
The Pelican Brief (1993)
Plot Summary:
Two Supreme Court Justices have been assassinated. One lone law student has stumbled upon the truth. An investigative journalist wants her story. Everybody else wants her dead.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 94000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 141 min
Plot tags: tense, suspense, suspenseful, political thriller, political, clever, exciting, intense, realistic, serious
Similar in 77%
...and justice for all. (1979)
Plot Summary:
An ethical Baltimore defense lawyer disgusted with rampant legal corruption is asked to defend a judge he despises in a rape trial. But if he doesn't do it, the judge will have him disbarred.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 38000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: suspense, realistic, disturbing, clever, offbeat, humorous, witty, cynical, captivating, inspirational
Similar in 79%
Michael Clayton (2007)
Plot Summary:
A law firm brings in its 'fixer' to remedy the situation after a lawyer has a breakdown while representing a chemical company that he knows is guilty in a multi-billion dollar class action suit.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 172000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: suspense, serious, suspenseful, tense, political thriller, disturbing, clever, political, psychological, realistic
Similar in 85%
Network (1976)
Plot Summary:
A TV network cynically exploits a deranged ex-TV anchor's ravings and revelations about the media for their own profit.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 167000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 121 min
Plot tags: talky, political, realistic, clever, dark comedy, biting, black comedy, captivating, absurd, intense
Similar in 81%
Official Secrets (2019)
Plot Summary:
The true story of British intelligence whistleblower Katharine Gun, who prior to the 2003 Iraq invasion leaked a top-secret NSA memo exposing a joint US-UK illegal spying operation against members of the UN Security Council. The memo proposed blackmailing member states into voting for war.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 53000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller, War
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: political, psychological, suspenseful, surprise ending, serious, tense, thought provoking, captivating, motivational, inspirational
Similar in 84%
Body of Lies (2008)
Plot Summary:
The CIA’s hunt is on for the mastermind of a wave of terrorist attacks. Roger Ferris is the agency’s man on the ground, moving from place to place, scrambling to stay ahead of ever-shifting events. An eye in the sky – a satellite link – watches Ferris. At the other end of that real-time link is the CIA’s Ed Hoffman, strategizing events from thousands of miles away. And as Ferris nears the target, he discovers trust can be just as dangerous as it is necessary for survival.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 237000
Genere: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: clever, political, exciting, tense, realistic, political thriller, serious, suspense, entertaining, enigmatic
Similar in 87%
Syriana (2005)
Plot Summary:
The Middle Eastern oil industry is the backdrop of this tense drama, which weaves together numerous story lines. Bennett Holiday is an American lawyer in charge of facilitating a dubious merger of oil companies, while Bryan Woodman, a Switzerland-based energy analyst, experiences both personal tragedy and opportunity during a visit with Arabian royalty. Meanwhile, veteran CIA agent Bob Barnes uncovers an assassination plot with unsettling origins.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 133000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, United Arab Emirates
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: political thriller, suspense, cerebral, political, tense, realistic, intense, thought provoking, serious, disturbing
Similar in 87%
The Report (2019)
Plot Summary:
The story of Daniel Jones, lead investigator for the US Senate’s sweeping study into the CIA's Detention and Interrogation Program, which was found to be brutal, immoral and ineffective. With the truth at stake, Jones battled tirelessly to make public what many in power sought to keep hidden.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 49000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: political, uplifting, psychological, ambiguous ending, enigmatic, political thriller, informative, non-linear, philosophical, interesting
Similar in 76%
Margin Call (2011)
Plot Summary:
A thriller that revolves around the key people at an investment bank over a 24-hour period during the early stages of the financial crisis.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 141000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: suspense, realistic, serious, captivating, political, intellectual, talky, tricky, enigmatic, suspenseful
Similar in 77%
JFK (1991)
Plot Summary:
New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison discovers there's more to the Kennedy assassination than the official story.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 167000
Genere: Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA, France
Duration: 189 min
Plot tags: controversial, suspense, political, captivating, disturbing, tense, political thriller, factual, suspenseful, talky
Similar in 86%
Missing (1982)
Plot Summary:
Based on the real-life experiences of Ed Horman. A conservative American businessman travels to a South American country to investigate the sudden disappearance of his son after a right-wing military takeover. Accompanied by his son's wife he uncovers a trail of cover-ups that implicate the US State department which supports the right-wing dictatorship.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Mexico
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: political, political thriller, emotional, talky, tense, thought provoking, suspenseful, disturbing, serious, poignant
Similar in 82%
All the President's Men (1976)
Plot Summary:
In the run-up to the 1972 elections, Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward covers what seems to be a minor break-in at the Democratic Party National headquarters. He is surprised to find top lawyers already on the defense case, and the discovery of names and addresses of Republican fund organizers on the accused further arouses his suspicions. The editor of the Post is prepared to run with the story and assigns Woodward and Carl Bernstein to it. They find the trail leading higher and higher in the Republican Party, and eventually into the White House itself.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 124000
Genere: Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 138 min
Plot tags: political thriller, political, cerebral, realistic, serious, suspense, factual, tense, captivating, neo noir
Similar in 81%
Spotlight (2015)
Plot Summary:
In 2001, editor Marty Baron of The Boston Globe assigns a team of journalists to investigate allegations against John Geoghan, an unfrocked priest accused of molesting more than 80 boys. Led by editor Walter "Robby" Robinson, reporters Michael Rezendes, Matt Carroll and Sacha Pfeiffer interview victims and try to unseal sensitive documents. The reporters make it their mission to provide proof of a cover-up of sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 494000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 129 min
Plot tags: factual, emotional, suspense, thought provoking, psychological, tense, talky, political, intellectual, intense
Similar in 89%
The Post (2017)
Plot Summary:
A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country's first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between journalist and government. Inspired by true events.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 160000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Thriller, War
Country: USA, UK, India
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: political thriller, political, factual, tense, inspirational, exciting, thought provoking, suspenseful, disturbing, suspense
Similar in 84%
Snowden (2016)
Plot Summary:
CIA employee Edward Snowden leaks thousands of classified documents to the press.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 160000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Germany, France
Duration: 134 min
Plot tags: realistic, factual, political thriller, thought provoking, serious, political, intense, clever, tense, informative
Similar in 81%
The Ides of March (2011)
Plot Summary:
Dirty tricks stand to soil an ambitious young press spokesman's idealism in a cutthroat presidential campaign where 'victory' is relative.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 229000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: political thriller, talky, political, suspense, clever, tense, realistic, psychological, suspenseful, tricky
Similar in 82%
The Big Short (2015)
Plot Summary:
The men who made millions from a global economic meltdown.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 471000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: intellectual, realistic, tense, intelligent, inspirational, social, political, motivational, thought provoking, cult classic
Similar in 76%
Donnie Brasco (1997)
Plot Summary:
An FBI undercover agent infilitrates the mob and finds himself identifying more with the mafia life at the expense of his regular one.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 326000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 127 min
Plot tags: neo noir, tense, realistic, clever, suspense, serious, suspenseful, rough, talky, atmospheric
Similar in 86%
Erin Brockovich (2000)
Plot Summary:
A twice-divorced mother of three who sees an injustice, takes on the bad guy and wins -- with a little help from her push-up bra. Erin goes to work for an attorney and comes across medical records describing illnesses clustered in one nearby town. She starts investigating and soon exposes a monumental cover-up.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 214000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 131 min
Plot tags: inspirational, factual, uplifting, touching, feel good, motivational, political, captivating, entertaining, social
Similar in 87%
Quiz Show (1994)
Plot Summary:
Quiz Show is a 1994 American historical drama film which tells the true story of the Twenty One quiz show scandal of the 1950s.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 72000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 133 min
Plot tags: intellectual, clever, period piece, talky, intense, realistic, serious, entertaining, game show, sincere
Similar in 75%
A Few Good Men (1992)
Plot Summary:
When cocky military lawyer Lt. Daniel Kaffee and his co-counsel, Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway, are assigned to a murder case, they uncover a hazing ritual that could implicate high-ranking officials such as shady Col. Nathan Jessep.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 282000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 138 min
Plot tags: suspense, tense, serious, realistic, tricky, clever, suspenseful, feel good, entertaining, sincere
Similar in 88%
Frost/Nixon (2008)
Plot Summary:
For three years after being forced from office, Nixon remained silent. But in summer 1977, the steely, cunning former commander-in-chief agreed to sit for one all-inclusive interview to confront the questions of his time in office and the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency. Nixon surprised everyone in selecting Frost as his televised confessor, intending to easily outfox the breezy British showman and secure a place in the hearts and minds of Americans. Likewise, Frost's team harboured doubts about their boss's ability to hold his own. But as the cameras rolled, a charged battle of wits resulted.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 112000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, France, USA
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: clever, political, tense, tricky, psychological, factual, period piece, realistic, talky, political thriller