Movies Like Illegal (1955)

Illegal is a 1955 crime, drama film from Lewis Allen with a MovieMagicScore of 6.4/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Flaxy Martin and The Walking Dead.

Crime Drama

Flaxy Martin

1949

Attorney Walter Colby has ties to the mob, but he begins to regret his criminal affiliations. When his girlfriend, showgirl Flaxy Martin, who also has shady connections, becomes a suspect in a murder, Walter takes the fall. However, on his way to prison, he escapes, determined to bring the real killer to justice.

5.5

MagicScore

The Walking Dead

1936

Down-on-his-luck John Ellman is framed for a judge's murder. After he's convicted and sentenced to death, witnesses come forth and prove his innocence. But it was too late for a stay to be granted and Ellman is executed. A doctor uses an experimental procedure to restore him to life, though the full outcome is other than expected.

6.2

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

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

Let Him Have It

1991

In 1950s England, slow-witted Derek Bentley falls in with a group of petty criminals led by Chris Craig, a teenager with a fondness for American gangster films. Chris and Derek's friendship leads to their involvement in the true case which would forever shake England's belief in capital punishment.

6.6

MagicScore

Nuts

1987

A high-class call girl accused of murder fights for the right to stand trial rather than be declared mentally incompetent.

6.3

MagicScore

Cry of the City

1948

Petty crook and cop-killer Martin Rome, in bad shape from wounds in the hospital prison ward, still refuses to help slimy lawyer Niles clear his client by confessing to another crime. Police Lt. Candella must check Niles' allegation; a friend of the Rome family, he walks a tightrope between sentiment and cynicism. When Martin fears Candella will implicate his girlfriend Teena, he'll do anything to protect her. How many others will he drag down to disaster with him?

6.7

MagicScore

The Underworld Story

1950

A blacklisted reporter brings his shady ways to a small-town newspaper after being fired from a big city daily.

6.1

MagicScore

#10

Johnny Eager

1941

A charming racketeer seduces the DA's stepdaughter for revenge, then falls in love.

6.1

MagicScore

#11

Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer

1992

In this documentary, filmmaker Nick Broomfield follows the saga of Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute who has been accused of committing a brutal series of murders. Broomfield conducts interviews with Wuornos herself, and his crew films her trial as well as her interactions with religious fanatic Arlene Pralle, who gives Wuornos dubious advice and legally adopts her. The cameras also roll as the accused's attorney ignores the case at hand to negotiate a deal to sell his client's story.

6.7

MagicScore

#12

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

#13

From the Hip

1987

Apprentice lawyer Robin Weathers turns a civil suit into a headline grabbing charade. He must reexamine his scruples after his shenanigans win him a promotion in his firm, and he must now defend a college professor who is appearantly guilty of murder.

5.8

MagicScore

#14

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

#15

The Sin of Nora Moran

1933

Nora Moran, a young woman with a difficult and tragic past, is sentenced to die for a murder that she did not commit. She could easily reveal the truth and save her own life, if only it would not damage the lives, careers and reputations of those whom she loves.

5.4

MagicScore

#16

Rampage

1987

Liberal district attorney decides to seek the death penalty for a man who slaughtered a family at Christmastime, then drank their blood. He escapes, though, and starts killing again.

5.9

MagicScore

#17

Party Girl

1958

Slick lawyer Thomas Farrell has made a career of defending mobsters in trials. It's not until he meets a lovely showgirl at a mob party that he realizes that there's more to life than winning trials. Farrell tries to quit the racket, but mob boss Rico Angelo threatens to hurt the showgirl if Farrell leaves him.

6.8

MagicScore

#18

The Petrified Forest

1936

Gabby, the waitress in an isolated Arizona diner, dreams of a bigger and better life. One day penniless intellectual Alan drifts into the joint and the two strike up a rapport. Soon enough, notorious killer Duke Mantee takes the diner's inhabitants hostage. Surrounded by miles of desert, the patrons and staff are forced to sit tight with Mantee and his gang overnight.

7.1

MagicScore

#19

The Accused

1988

Out drinking one night after a fight with her boyfriend, three men brutally rape Sarah Tobias in a bar while people watch and cheer. District Attorney Kathryn Murphy takes the case; however, she allows the rapists to receive a mild sentence. A distraught Sarah decides to seek punishment for the men who witnessed and encouraged the rape. To get justice, Sarah must take the stand and revisit the night of her attack.

7.1

MagicScore

#20

JFK

1991

Follows the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy led by New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison.

7.6

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Illegal?

The top films similar to Illegal by MovieMagicScore are Flaxy Martin (5.5), The Walking Dead (6.2), Primal Fear (7.7). Each shares crime/drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Illegal worth watching?

Illegal holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.4/10 from 44 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Illegal?

Illegal (1955) is a crime, drama film directed by Lewis Allen, starring Edward G. Robinson, Nina Foch, Hugh Marlowe.

Where can I find more recommendations like Illegal?

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 Flaxy Martin Movies like The Walking Dead Movies like Primal Fear Movies like A Time to Kill Movies like 12 Angry Men Movies like Let Him Have It

About movies like Illegal

This ranked list pairs Illegal (1955), a crime and drama film from Lewis Allen, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Edward G. Robinson 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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