Movies Like Michael Clayton (2007)

Michael Clayton is a 2007 crime, drama, thriller film from Tony Gilroy with a MovieMagicScore of 6.8/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Devil's Advocate and The Firm.

Crime Drama Thriller

The Devil's Advocate

1997

Aspiring Florida defense lawyer Kevin Lomax accepts a job at a New York law firm. With the stakes getting higher every case, Kevin quickly learns that his boss has something far more evil planned.

7.5

MagicScore

The Firm

1993

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...

6.7

MagicScore

Dark Waters

2019

A tenacious attorney uncovers a dark secret that connects a growing number of unexplained deaths to one of the world's largest corporations. In the process, he risks everything — his future, his family, and his own life — to expose the truth.

7.5

MagicScore

A Most Violent Year

2014

A thriller set in New York City during the winter of 1981, statistically one of the most violent years in the city's history, and centered on the lives of an immigrant and his family trying to expand their business and capitalize on opportunities as the rampant violence, decay, and corruption of the day drag them in and threaten to destroy all they have built.

6.6

MagicScore

Changing Lanes

2002

A rush-hour fender-bender on New York City's crowded FDR Drive, under most circumstances, wouldn't set off a chain reaction that could decimate two people's lives. But on this day, at this time, a minor collision will turn two complete strangers into vicious adversaries. Their means of destroying each other might be different, but their goals, ultimately, will be the same: Each will systematically try to dismantle the other's life in a reckless effort to reclaim something he has lost.

6.3

MagicScore

Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed

2021

Bob Ross brought joy to millions as the world's most famous art instructor. But a battle for his business empire cast a shadow over his happy trees.

6.8

MagicScore

Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde

2003

Now a rising young lawyer, Elle Woods is about to make partner at her firm, but when she finds out her dog's relatives are being used as cosmetic test subjects, she heads to Washington D.C. to fight for animal rights.

5.7

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

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

#10

The Lincoln Lawyer

2011

Mick Haller is a charismatic defense attorney who does business out of his Lincoln Continental sedan. Mick spends most of his time defending petty crooks and other bottom-feeders, so it comes as quite a surprise when he lands the case of a lifetime: defending a Beverly Hills playboy who is accused of attempted murder. However, what Mick initially thinks is an open-and-shut case with a big monetary reward develops into something more sinister.

7.2

MagicScore

#11

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

#12

The Client

1994

A street-wise kid, Mark Sway, sees the suicide of Jerome Clifford, a prominent Louisiana lawyer, whose current client is Barry 'The Blade' Muldano, a Mafia hit-man. Before Jerome shoots himself, he tells Mark where the body of a Senator is buried. Clifford shoots himself and Mark is found at the scene, and both the FBI and the Mafia quickly realize that Mark probably knows more than he says.

6.7

MagicScore

#13

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

#14

Presumed Innocent

1990

Rusty Sabich is a deputy prosecutor engaged in an obsessive affair with a coworker who is murdered. Soon after, he's accused of the crime. And his fight to clear his name becomes a whirlpool of lies and hidden passions.

6.8

MagicScore

#15

The Third Murder

2017

A lawyer tasked with defending a robbery-and-murder suspect begins developing doubts about what truly happened.

6.6

MagicScore

#16

The Whole Truth

2016

A defense attorney works to get his teenage client acquitted of murdering his wealthy father.

6.5

MagicScore

#17

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

#18

Valley of the Dolls

1967

Lured by their dreams of fame and fortune, three ambitious young women enter the world of show business and discover how easy it is to sink into a celebrity nightmare of ego, alcohol and pills — the beloved "dolls."

6.0

MagicScore

#19

In Bed with Victoria

2016

Victoria is a thirty-something divorced lawyer who's struggling to raise her two daughters. She is canny and cynical but on the verge of an emotional breakdown. At a friend's wedding she reconnects with Vincent, an old friend, and Sam, an old client. Her life is about to take a new turn.

5.8

MagicScore

#20

Karuppu

2026

In a world where justice falters, guardian deity Vettai Karuppu takes the guise of a lawyer to battle a corrupt legal system preying on the powerless.

6.8

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Michael Clayton?

The top films similar to Michael Clayton by MovieMagicScore are The Devil's Advocate (7.5), The Firm (6.7), Dark Waters (7.5). Each shares crime/drama/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Michael Clayton worth watching?

Michael Clayton holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.8/10 from 1,864 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Michael Clayton?

Michael Clayton (2007) is a crime, drama, thriller film directed by Tony Gilroy, starring George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton.

Where can I find more recommendations like Michael Clayton?

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

Keep exploring

Movies like The Devil's Advocate Movies like The Firm Movies like Dark Waters Movies like A Most Violent Year Movies like Changing Lanes Movies like Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed

About movies like Michael Clayton

This ranked list pairs Michael Clayton (2007), a crime and drama and thriller film from Tony Gilroy, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of George Clooney 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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