Best movies like A Cry in the Dark
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Based on the true story of Lindy Chamberlain: During a camping trip to Ayers Rock in outback Australia, she claims she witnessed a dingo taking her baby daughter, Azaria, from the family tent. Azaria's body is never found. After investigations and two public inquests, she is charged with murder. The case attracts a lot of attention, turning it into a media sideshow.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: Australia, UK, USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: realistic, disturbing, tense, emotional, suspense, thought provoking, serious, sincere, sad, compassionate
Best tv shows and movies like A Cry in the Dark (1988):
Similar in 85%
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978)
Plot Summary:
The true story of a part aboriginal man who finds the pressure of adapting to white culture intolerable, and as a result snaps in a violent and horrific manner.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, History
Country: Australia
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, grindhouse, psychological, rough, epic, serious, emotional, realistic, disturbing, contemplative
Similar in 88%
Whitewash: The Clarence Brandley Story (2002)
Plot Summary:
Based on the true story of Clarence Brandley, a black man wrongly accused in 1980 of the murder of a 16-year-old white high school girl named Cheryl Ferguson. Brandley worked at Conroe High School, where Ferguson was visiting as a member of the Belleville High School volleyball team. Three days after her body was discovered, Brandley was arrested as the murderer. Jew Don Boney, a popular activist and Houston city council member, leads the fight to uncover the truth about the Ferguson murder. Mike DeGeurin, a Texas attorney, is brought in to act as the head defense attorney for Brandley, and is joined by a former minister, Jim McCloskey. The lawyers discover that not only is there a complete lack of evidence against Brandley, but the District Attorney, James Keeshan, has been strategizing with the presiding judge. After nine years in prison, three trials and a stay of execution that saved Brandley's life, justice finally prevails as Brandley is granted his freedom.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 165
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: disturbing, emotional, realistic, suspenseful, tense, serious
Similar in 89%
Black and White (2002)
Plot Summary:
Australia, 1958. When a nine year old white girl is found murdered, police are quick to arrest illiterate Aborigine, Max Stuart. Under interrogation Max admits to the killing and signs a statement that will send him to the gallows. With no Court of Appeal established in the country, and with a legal system compromised by intimidation tactics and the stain of institutional racism, the skills of his two gifted but naive defense lawyers are put to the test. Based on a true story.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 861
Genere: Drama
Country: Australia, UK
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, serious, realistic
Similar in 77%
An American Crime (2007)
Plot Summary:
The true story of suburban housewife Gertrude Baniszewski, who kept a teenage girl locked in the basement of her Indiana home during the 1960s.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 37000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Horror
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: disturbing, harsh, serious, bleak, brutal, psychological, suspense, suspenseful, emotional, sad
Similar in 77%
A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story (2006)
Plot Summary:
The story of Gwen Araujo, a transgender teen who was murdered in California in 2002.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: suspense, suspenseful, exciting, tense, captivating, motivational, sad, hispanic, queer cinema
Similar in 83%
Jump! (2007)
Plot Summary:
JUMP is a psychological drama revealing for the first time the extraordinary circumstances behind the unjust murder trial of the young Jew, Philippe Halsman, who would later become the most sought after celebrity portrait photographer of his generation.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 648
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: Austria
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: serious, disturbing, contemplative, thought provoking, bleak, realistic, political
Similar in 88%
Prosecuting Casey Anthony (2013)
Plot Summary:
"Prosecuting Casey Anthony" reveals Florida prosecutor, Jeff Ashton’s inside story of the true crime drama that captivated and then shocked the nation when Caylee Anthony’s mother, Casey, was acquitted of killing her daughter, despite what many thought to be overwhelming evidence of guilt. The movie is seen from Ashton’s (Lowe) perspective and it takes viewers behind-the-scenes of both the investigation into Caylee’s tragic death and the ensuing trial, shedding new light on the many questions of what happened to the two year-old girl, how Ashton and his fellow prosecutors built their case and why a woman so shrouded in suspicion was proclaimed innocent. With in-depth information about the case and the accused, "Prosecuting Casey Anthony" examines what the prosecution got right, what they got wrong and why Ashton remains convinced of Casey Anthony’s guilt.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: disturbing, serious, captivating, realistic, emotional, detective, bleak, gloomy
Similar in 79%
One Angry Juror (2010)
Plot Summary:
Based on the true story of Sarah Walsh, a tough New Orleans attorney who serves on a murder trial jury and does some investigating of her own.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 279
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: sincere, serious, captivating, realistic, tense, independent film
Similar in 86%
Before and After (1996)
Plot Summary:
Two parents deal with the effects when their son is accused of murdering his girlfriend.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: suspense, melancholic, serious, suspenseful, psychological thriller, tense, sincere, bleak, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 84%
Saint Judy (2018)
Plot Summary:
The true story of immigration attorney Judy Wood and how she singlehandedly changed the U.S. law of asylum to save women's lives.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, captivating, disturbing, factual
Similar in 83%
I Want to Live (1983)
Plot Summary:
The movie tells the story of a woman who struggles and fights to escape the gas chamber being condemned with capital punishment because of her participation in a hold up in which a person was killed.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 196
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: rough, thought provoking, bleak, serious, realistic, disturbing
Similar in 84%
Marie (1985)
Plot Summary:
A single mother takes a job with the government where she is confronted with corruption.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: political, independent film, sincere, thought provoking, serious, realistic, talky, eighties
Similar in 84%
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 89%
Trial by Fire (2018)
Plot Summary:
The tragic and controversial story of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was executed in Texas for killing his three children after scientific evidence and expert testimony that bolstered his claims of innocence were suppressed.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 127 min
Plot tags: depressing, emotional, realistic, thought provoking, disturbing, factual, compassionate, dark
Similar in 81%
Reversal of Fortune (1990)
Plot Summary:
Wealthy Sunny von Bülow lies brain-dead, husband Claus guilty of attempted murder; but he says he's innocent and hires Alan Dershowitz for his appeal.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA, Japan, UK
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: suspense, realistic, talky, tense, suspenseful, serious, captivating, clever, witty, neo noir
Similar in 82%
Gideon's Trumpet (1980)
Plot Summary:
True story of Clarence Gideon's fight to be appointed counsel at the expense of the state. This landmark case led to the Supreme Court's decision which extended this right to all criminal defendants.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: sincere, thought provoking, serious, captivating, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 87%
The Wronged Man (2010)
Plot Summary:
Janet Gregory, a single mother with a haunting past, is a paralegal struggling to overcome doubts about Calvin Willis, an African-American husband and father wrongfully accused of raping a neighborhood girl. Eventually convinced of his innocence, Janet takes Calvin's pro bono case and wages a dramatic and stormy 22-year battle with the justice system that ultimately redeems an unjustly accused man and cements a life-long friendship.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: emotional, serious, captivating, realistic, sincere, rough, bleak, disturbing
Similar in 82%
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 82%
Devil's Knot (2013)
Plot Summary:
The savage murders of three young children sparks a controversial trial of three teenagers accused of killing the kids as part of a satanic ritual.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: bleak, factual, intense, suspense, suspenseful, disturbing, independent film, rough, gothic, dark
Similar in 88%
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 90%
Shahid (2012)
Plot Summary:
This compelling drama tells the remarkable true story of slain human rights activist Shahid Azmi, who became a powerful voice against the intercommunal violence that has engulfed Mumbai since the early 1990s.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: India
Duration: 129 min
Plot tags: realistic, captivating, thought provoking, psychological, tense, offbeat, suspense, experimental, poignant, independent film
Similar in 84%
Just Mercy (2019)
Plot Summary:
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 proving his innocence. Bryan fights tirelessly for Walter with the system stacked against them.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 74000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 137 min
Plot tags: tense, suspense, suspenseful, disturbing, touching, inspirational, enigmatic, motivational, emotional, educational
Similar in 77%
Conviction (2010)
Plot Summary:
When Betty Anne Waters' older brother Kenny is arrested for murder and sentenced to life in 1983, Betty Anne, a Massachusetts wife and mother of two, dedicates her life to overturning the murder conviction. Convinced that her brother is innocent, Betty Anne puts herself through high school, college and, finally, law school in an 18 year quest to free Kenny. With the help of best friend Abra Rice, Betty Anne pores through suspicious evidence mounted by small town cop Nancy Taylor, meticulously retracing the steps that led to Kenny's arrest. Belief in her brother - and her quest for the truth - pushes Betty Anne and her team to uncover the facts and utilize DNA evidence with the hope of exonerating Kenny.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 46000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: Switzerland, UK, USA
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, emotional, inspirational, sad, thought provoking, disturbing, intense, motivational, entertaining
Similar in 79%
Guilty (2011)
Plot Summary:
Investigates the corrupt judicial system under which Alain Mar'caux and his wife Edith were arrested on accusations of pedophilia horrific acts they never committed- and the years he spent fighting to get out of prison, clear his name and keep his family.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: France, Belgium
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, disturbing, touching, sincere, serious, realistic, factual, social, bleak, gloomy
Similar in 86%
Ride Like a Girl (2019)
Plot Summary:
The story of Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: Australia
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: uplifting, inspirational, sincere, atmospheric, breathtaking, realistic, feel good, entertaining, dramatic, exciting
Similar in 84%
The Hurricane (1999)
Plot Summary:
The story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 101000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 146 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, touching, inspirational, factual, motivational, epic, political, twisted, sincere, uplifting
Similar in 83%
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
Plot Summary:
Ted Kramer is a career man for whom his work comes before his family. His wife Joanna cannot take this anymore, so she decides to leave him. Ted is now faced with the tasks of housekeeping and taking care of himself and their young son Billy.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 152000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: touching, sentimental, sad, realistic, clever, emotional, inspirational, crying, scary, philosophical
Similar in 89%
Denial (2016)
Plot Summary:
Acclaimed writer and historian Deborah E. Lipstadt must battle for historical truth to prove the Holocaust actually occurred when David Irving, a renowned denier, sues her for libel.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: factual, intellectual, costume drama, thought provoking, captivating, disturbing, inspirational, political, novela, anamorphic
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 85%
Flash of Genius (2008)
Plot Summary:
In this David vs. Goliath drama based on a true story, college professor Robert Kearns (Greg Kinnear) goes up against the giants of the auto industry when they fail to give him credit for inventing intermittent windshield wipers. Kearns doggedly pursues recognition for his invention, as well as the much-deserved financial rewards for the sake of his wife (Lauren Graham) and six kids.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: inspirational, thought provoking, sentimental, sincere, serious, depressing, sad, realistic, motivational, exciting