Overview
A disillusioned lawyer takes on a case that could redeem his lost ideals.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- combative
- serious
- tense
- legal thriller night
- 1980s movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an engaging courtroom mystery elevated by James Woods's magnetic performance, while acknowledging its fictionalized and incomplete treatment of Asian struggles.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Eddie and Roger investigate whether Shu Kai Kim has spent eight years imprisoned for a murder he did not commit, building toward courtroom confrontation.
Roger's admiration and idealistic pressure push burnt-out defense lawyer Eddie Dodd to reconsider the kinds of clients and cases he will defend.
The case challenges the criminal justice system's treatment of an imprisoned Korean man and its failure to acknowledge Asian community concerns.
Newly graduated Roger follows Eddie's celebrated career and learns from him while also challenging his cynical methods.
Films like True Believer, and why
The Verdict
courtroom suspense, idealistic lawyer confronting institutional failure, and morally complicated defense work
And Justice for All
legal investigation, wrongful conviction themes, and procedural drama driven by determined advocates
A Time to Kill
socially conscious trial drama centered on prejudice, justice, and a lawyer challenging entrenched assumptions
Movie Details
- Director
- Joseph Ruben
- Release Date
- 1989-02-17
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (123)
Cast
- James Woods
- Robert Downey Jr.
- Margaret Colin
- Yuji Okumoto
- Kurtwood Smith
- Tom Bower
- Luis Guzmán
- Graham Beckel
- Sully Diaz
- Woody Harrelson
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is True Believer about?
- A jaded defense lawyer and his idealistic protégé reopen a Korean immigrant’s long-buried murder case, forcing a compromised legal system to confront its own failure.
- What is True Believer like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of True Believer as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is True Believer violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in True Believer as mild.
- What did critics think of True Believer?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an engaging courtroom mystery elevated by James Woods's magnetic performance, while acknowledging its fictionalized and incomplete treatment of Asian struggles.
- Which films are like True Believer?
- Films with a similar feel include The Verdict, And Justice for All, and A Time to Kill.
- How long is True Believer?
- True Believer runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch True Believer?
- In United States, True Believer is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
