Overview
A defense lawyer navigates a web of deceit and danger while seeking justice.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- suspenseful
- grounded
- crime movie night
- legal thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an entertaining, engagingly acted legal crime thriller whose effective performances outweigh familiar or somewhat uneven plotting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mickey Haller works as a defense lawyer while personally investigating evidence connecting his wealthy client to an older case.
Haller initially approaches the wealthy Realtor's defense as routine work, then confronts its link to a prior case and the threat surrounding it.
The film follows a defense attorney moving through Los Angeles courts, clients' homes, investigations, and his mobile Lincoln office.
Mickey Haller conducts his defense practice out of a Lincoln, making the car a recurring setting and professional signature.
Films like The Lincoln Lawyer, and why
Primal Fear
shared courtroom suspense, morally compromised professionals, and a defense attorney confronting hidden criminal connections
A Few Good Men
shared legal thriller structure, investigative reversals, and tense clashes between attorneys and dangerous clients
The Ghost Writer
shared neo-noir atmosphere, crime investigation, and protagonists navigating corrupt or deceptive systems
The Firm
shared procedural mystery, escalating personal danger, and an engaging morally complex lead investigator
Movie Details
- Director
- Brad Furman
- Release Date
- 2011-03-17
- Runtime
- 119 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (3777)
Cast
- Matthew McConaughey
- Ryan Phillippe
- William H. Macy
- Marisa Tomei
- Josh Lucas
- John Leguizamo
- Michael Peña
- Bob Gunton
- Frances Fisher
- Trace Adkins
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Lincoln Lawyer about?
- A streetwise Los Angeles defense attorney discovers that defending a wealthy client may reopen the darkest case of his career.
- What is The Lincoln Lawyer like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Lincoln Lawyer as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Lincoln Lawyer violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Lincoln Lawyer as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Lincoln Lawyer?
- Critics broadly found the film an entertaining, engagingly acted legal crime thriller whose effective performances outweigh familiar or somewhat uneven plotting.
- Which films are like The Lincoln Lawyer?
- Films with a similar feel include Primal Fear, A Few Good Men, The Ghost Writer, and The Firm.
- How long is The Lincoln Lawyer?
- The Lincoln Lawyer runs 119 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Lincoln Lawyer?
- In United States, The Lincoln Lawyer is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex.
