Movies Like Music Box (1989)

Music Box is a 1989 drama, mystery, thriller film from Costa-Gavras with a MovieMagicScore of 7.1/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Rainmaker and A Time to Kill.

Drama Mystery Thriller

The Rainmaker

1997

Fresh out of law school and desperate for work, idealistic rookie Rudy Baylor takes on a powerful insurance company accused of denying a dying boy’s claim. Teaming up with a scrappy, unlicensed paralegal, he finds himself in a David-versus-Goliath courtroom battle that tests his ethics, courage, and belief in justice.

7.0

MagicScore

A Time to Kill

1996

A young lawyer defends a black man accused of murdering two white men who raped his 10-year-old daughter, sparking a rebirth of the KKK.

7.4

MagicScore

The Juror

1996

With his gangster boss on trial for murder, a mob thug known as "the Teacher" tells Annie Laird she must talk her fellow jurors into a not-guilty verdict, implying that he'll kill her son Oliver if she fails. She manages to do this, but, when it becomes clear that the mobsters might want to silence her for good, she sends Oliver abroad and tries to gather evidence of the plot against her, setting up a final showdown.

5.7

MagicScore

Dead Man Walking

1995

A death row inmate turns for spiritual guidance to a local nun in the days leading up to his scheduled execution for the murders of a young couple.

7.3

MagicScore

Primal Fear

1996

Defense attorney Martin Vail takes on jobs for money and prestige rather than any sense of the greater good. His latest case involves an altar boy, accused of brutally murdering the archbishop of Chicago. Vail finds himself up against his ex-pupil and ex-lover, but as the case progresses and the Church's dark secrets are revealed, Vail finds that what appeared a simple case takes on a darker, more dangerous aspect.

7.7

MagicScore

Storm

2009

Hannah Maynard, a prosecutor of Hague's Tribunal for war crimes in former Yugoslavia, charges a Serbian commander for killing Bosniaks. However, her main witness might be lying, so the court sends a team to Bosnia to investigate.

6.1

MagicScore

Jagged Edge

1985

After a wealthy heiress is murdered in her beach house, her devastated husband becomes the prime suspect. He hires a lawyer who hasn’t taken a criminal case in years, and as they work together, a complicated romance develops amidst the trial.

6.3

MagicScore

Murder Most Foul

1964

A murderer is brought to court and only Miss Marple is unconvinced of his innocence. Once again she begins her own investigation.

7.0

MagicScore

The Passion of Joan of Arc

1928

A classic of the silent age, this film tells the story of the doomed but ultimately canonized 15th-century teenage warrior. On trial for claiming she'd spoken to God, Jeanne d'Arc is subjected to inhumane treatment and scare tactics at the hands of church court officials. Initially bullied into changing her story, Jeanne eventually opts for what she sees as the truth. Her punishment, a famously brutal execution, earns her perpetual martyrdom.

8.0

MagicScore

#10

Anatomy of a Murder

1959

Semi-retired Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler takes the case of Army Lt. Manion, who murdered a local innkeeper after his wife claimed that he raped her. Over the course of an extensive trial, Biegler parries with District Attorney Lodwick and out-of-town prosecutor Claude Dancer to set his client free, but his case rests on the victim's mysterious business partner, who's hiding a dark secret.

7.8

MagicScore

#11

12

2007

A loose remake of “12 Angry Men”, “12” is set in contemporary Moscow where 12 very different men must unanimously decide the fate of a young Chechen accused of murdering his step-father, a Russian army officer. Consigned to a makeshift jury room in a school gymnasium, one by one each man takes center stage to confront, connect, and confess while the accused awaits a verdict and revisits his heartbreaking journey through war in flashbacks.

6.6

MagicScore

#12

High Crimes

2002

A female attorney learns that her husband is really a marine officer awol for fifteen years and accused of murdering fifteen civilians in El Salvador. Believing her husband when he tells her that he's being framed as part of a U.S. Military cover-up, the attorney defends him in a military court.

6.4

MagicScore

#13

12 Angry Men

1957

The defense and the prosecution have rested and the jury is filing into the jury room to decide if a young Spanish-American is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open and shut case soon becomes a mini-drama of each of the jurors' prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, and each other.

8.6

MagicScore

#14

Philadelphia

1993

Two competing lawyers join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination. As their unlikely friendship develops their courage overcomes the prejudice and corruption of their powerful adversaries.

7.7

MagicScore

#15

12 Angry Men

1997

During the trial of a man accused of his father's murder, a lone juror takes a stand against the guilty verdict handed down by the others as a result of their preconceptions and prejudices.

7.7

MagicScore

#16

Runaway Jury

2003

After a workplace shooting in New Orleans, a trial against the gun manufacturer pits lawyer Wendell Rohr against shady jury consultant Rankin Fitch, who uses illegal means to stack the jury with people sympathetic to the defense. But when juror Nicholas Easter and his girlfriend Marlee reveal their ability to sway the jury into delivering any verdict they want, a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game begins.

6.9

MagicScore

#17

A Few Good Men

1992

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.

7.5

MagicScore

#18

Find Me Guilty

2006

Based on the true story of Jack DiNorscio, a mobster who defended himself in court for what would be the longest mafia trial in U.S. history.

6.6

MagicScore

#19

Rashomon

1950

Four people recount different versions of the story of a man's murder and the rape of his wife.

8.0

MagicScore

#20

Sleepers

1996

Two gangsters seek revenge on the state jail worker who during their stay at a youth prison sexually abused them. A sensational court hearing takes place to charge him for the crimes.

7.6

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Music Box?

The top films similar to Music Box by MovieMagicScore are The Rainmaker (7.0), A Time to Kill (7.4), The Juror (5.7). Each shares drama/mystery/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Music Box worth watching?

Music Box holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.1/10 from 172 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Music Box?

Music Box (1989) is a drama, mystery, thriller film directed by Costa-Gavras, starring Jessica Lange, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Donald Moffat.

Where can I find more recommendations like Music Box?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more drama recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like The Rainmaker Movies like A Time to Kill Movies like The Juror Movies like Dead Man Walking Movies like Primal Fear Movies like Storm

About movies like Music Box

This ranked list pairs Music Box (1989), a drama and mystery and thriller film from Costa-Gavras, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Jessica Lange take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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