Movies like Dark Waters (2019)
The best movies like Dark Waters (2019) are The Insider (1999), Misconduct (2016) and Spotlight (2015). If Dark Waters hooked you with its drama and thriller, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSpotlight (2015)7.8/10 from 9,081 votes
- NewestThe Social Reckoning (2026)Released 2026
The Insider (1999)
A research chemist comes under personal and professional attack when he decides to appear in a 60 Minutes exposé on Big Tobacco.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMisconduct (2016)
An ambitious lawyer finds himself caught in a power struggle between a corrupt pharmaceutical executive and his firm’s senior partner. When the case takes a deadly turn, he must race to uncover the truth before he loses everything.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisSpotlight (2015)
The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJuror #2 (2024)
While serving as a juror in a high profile murder trial, family man Justin Kemp finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma…one he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict—or free—the accused killer.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe 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...
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe 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.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRoman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)
Hard-nosed liberal lawyer Roman J. Israel has been fighting the good fight forever while others take the credit. When his partner – the firm's frontman – has a heart attack, Israel suddenly takes on that role. He soon discovers some unsettling truths about the firm – truths that conflict with his values of helping the poor and dispossessed – and finds himself in an existential crisis that leads to extreme actions.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Mauritanian (2021)
The true story of the Mauritanian Mohamedou Ould Slahi, who was held at the U.S military's Guantanamo Bay detention center without charges for over a decade and sought help from a defense attorney for his release.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Civil Action (1998)
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.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMichael Clayton (2007)
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.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisErin Brockovich (2000)
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.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Verdict (1982)
Frank Galvin is a down-on-his-luck lawyer and reduced to drinking and ambulance chasing, when a former associate reminds him of his obligations in a medical malpractice suit by serving it to Galvin on a silver platter—all parties are willing to settle out of court. Blundering his way through the preliminaries, Galvin suddenly realizes that the case should actually go to court—to punish the guilty, to get a decent settlement for his clients... and to restore his standing as a lawyer.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPrimal 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.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIkka (2026)
With a loved one's life at stake, a celebrated lawyer must defend a man he suspects is guilty — battling his conscience every step of the way.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
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.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisZipper (2015)
Sam Ellis is a man on the rise — a hot-shot federal prosecutor on the cusp of a bright political future. But what was meant to be a one-time experience with an escort turns into a growing addiction — a new demon threatening to destroy his life, family, and career.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisAll the President's Men (1976)
During the 1972 elections, two reporters' investigation sheds light on the controversial Watergate scandal that compels President Nixon to resign from his post.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRunaway 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.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Pelican Brief (1993)
A law student's theory about the recent deaths of two Supreme Court justices embroils her in a far-reaching web of murder, corruption, and greed.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisConcussion (2015)
A dramatic thriller based on the incredible true David vs. Goliath story of American immigrant Dr. Bennet Omalu, the brilliant forensic neuropathologist who made the first discovery of CTE, a football-related brain trauma, in a pro player and fought for the truth to be known. Omalu's emotional quest puts him at dangerous odds with one of the most powerful institutions in the world.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Report (2019)
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.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBridge of Spies (2015)
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union captures U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers after shooting down his U-2 spy plane. Sentenced to 10 years in prison, Powers' only hope is New York lawyer James Donovan, recruited by a CIA operative to negotiate his release. Donovan boards a plane to Berlin, hoping to win the young man's freedom through a prisoner exchange. If all goes well, the Russians would get Rudolf Abel, the convicted spy who Donovan defended in court.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPhiladelphia (1993)
Two 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.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe China Syndrome (1979)
While doing a series of reports on alternative energy sources, opportunistic reporter Kimberly Wells witnesses an accident at a nuclear power plant. Wells is determined to publicize the incident, but soon finds herself entangled in a sinister conspiracy to keep the full impact of the incident a secret.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisArgo (2012)
As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA 'exfiltration' specialist concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA 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.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisConfirmation (2016)
Judge Clarence Thomas' nomination to the United States' Supreme Court is called into question when former colleague, Anita Hill, testifies that he had sexually harassed her.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Social Reckoning (2026)
Frances Haugen, a young Facebook engineer, enlists the help of Jeff Horwitz, a Wall Street Journal reporter, to go on a dangerous journey that ends up blowing the whistle on the social network's most guarded secrets.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisClosed Circuit (2013)
A high-profile terrorism case unexpectedly binds together two ex-lovers on the defense team - testing the limits of their loyalties and placing their lives in jeopardy.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Collini Case (2019)
A young lawyer stumbles upon a vast conspiracy while investigating a brutal murder case.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Dark Waters?
The closest matches to Dark Waters are The Insider (1999), Misconduct (2016) and Spotlight (2015). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Dark Waters?
People who watched Dark Waters most often go on to The Insider (1999), Misconduct (2016) and Spotlight (2015).
What is the highest-rated movie like Dark Waters?
Spotlight (2015), rated 7.8/10 by 9,081 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Dark Waters?
The Social Reckoning (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Dark Waters?
Yes: The Insider (1999), Misconduct (2016) and Spotlight (2015).
How are movies similar to Dark Waters chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Dark Waters, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.