Overview
A high-priced fixer navigates a treacherous web of deceit and danger as he fights for survival.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- paranoid
- morally serious
- restrained
- late night thriller viewing
- serious movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the sharply scripted, morally alert legal thriller for its suspense, realistic characters, and faultless acting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The pesticide lawsuit, merger negotiations, and coordinated cover-up make institutional corruption the film's central pressure point.
Michael Clayton repairs problems for a powerful law firm while facing gambling debt, family obligations, and personal vulnerability.
The film begins with Clayton's car explosion and then moves back four days to explain how he became a target.
Law offices, boardrooms, restaurants, and affluent suburban spaces are presented with controlled realism and underlying menace.
Films like Michael Clayton, and why
The Firm
shared legal thriller framework, corporate corruption, moral compromise, and restrained suspense
The Insider
shared morally serious crime drama, institutional power, and escalating cover-up
The Verdict
shared neo-noir atmosphere, compromised professionals, and morally ambiguous corporate intrigue
A Few Good Men
shared intelligent thriller pacing, ethical conflict, and pressure within powerful institutions
Movie Details
- Director
- Tony Gilroy
- Release Date
- 2007-09-28
- Runtime
- 120 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (2070)
Cast
- George Clooney
- Tom Wilkinson
- Tilda Swinton
- Sydney Pollack
- Michael O'Keefe
- Ken Howard
- Sean Cullen
- Merritt Wever
- Austin Williams
- Robert Prescott
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- 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 Michael Clayton about?
- A debt-ridden law-firm fixer confronts a deadly corporate cover-up that forces him to choose between damage control and conscience.
- What is Michael Clayton like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Michael Clayton as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Michael Clayton violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Michael Clayton as moderate.
- What did critics think of Michael Clayton?
- Critics broadly praised the sharply scripted, morally alert legal thriller for its suspense, realistic characters, and faultless acting.
- Which films are like Michael Clayton?
- Films with a similar feel include The Firm, The Insider, The Verdict, and A Few Good Men.
- How long is Michael Clayton?
- Michael Clayton runs 120 minutes.
- Where can I watch Michael Clayton?
- In United States, Michael Clayton is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
