The Mauritanian is as controversial as a movie can get. In it, Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) defends Mohamedou Ould Slahi (Tahar Rahim), the alleged operations mastermind behind the 9/11 terror attacks. Whether or not you agreed with the defense of Ould Slahi, you would have surely appreciated the tense drama carefully orchestrated in the movie’s dialogs. Jodie Foster is brilliant. And, Benedict Cumberbatch plays an American, a southerner no less, pulling off a perfect drawling accent. The movie is tense and thought provoking. If you liked The Mauritanian, you will love movies like The Mauritanian we have suggested below.
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Movies like The Mauritanian
1 Conviction (2010)
Hillary Swank is absolutely brilliant as Betty Anne Waters in Conviction. Her brother Kenny Waters (Sam Rockwell) is wrongly convicted of murder. His only chance is his relentless sister who painstakingly puts herself through law school to seek out his freedom.
The movie is an emotional roller coaster. There are many, many moving scenes. Minnie Driver does an excellent job as friend to Betty. Just when you think that Betty is going to be disappointed, she somehow finds a way to push forward. But, will her relentless pursuit to seek justice for her brother result in victory, or end in wrenching heartbreak?
Watch Conviction to find out for yourself. This movie will not let you down, especially if you liked The Mauritanian.
2 United 93 (2006)
If it was 9/11 that got you interested to watch The Mauritanian, this is a movie that you must watch also. Though much didn’t go right on that fateful day, the passengers of United 93 together foiled what would have surely been another disaster of epic proportions. Their sacrifice, their courage and their selflessness is all beautifully portrayed in this brilliantly made movie.
The entire movie is made using handheld cameras. The idea is to give you as real a perspective as you can get, as if you really were on that plane. The movie is respectful to the heroic victims. It does a phenomenal job of presenting what surely is one of the most unfortunate incidents in modern day history as a movie that evokes your emotions and thoughts. The climax, though tragic, will inspire your spirit.
3 The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Shawshank Redemption is the mother of all wrongful conviction movies. Hailed as ‘The Best Movie’ ever made by popular Internet polls, this 2 hour 22 minute drama will inspire you to no bounds. Tim Robbins plays Andy Dufresne who is wrongfully convicted for the crime of murdering his wife.
Just absolutely everything in the movie ticks off the right boxes. A corrupt but incredibly well spoken warden, a narcissistic prison guard, deviant inmates and an ingenious escape plan. But, the movie’s biggest charm comes from the unlikely friendships Andy makes while incarcerated. Andy’s friendship with Red (Morgan Freeman) will truly warm your heart. There’s others too. An old timer who doesn’t want to get out of prison on parole to a young cocky prisoner who is instantly liked by Andy and his gang. And, the gloomy prison lends itself as an actor too, constantly reminding you of how debilitating it is to be a prisoner for life.
Shawshank Redemption is a movie that will make you laugh, cry and rejoice. It is an absolutely brilliant watch, every single minute of it.
4 Just Mercy (2019)
Michael B. Jordan plays Bryan Stevenson, a world renowned civil rights defense attorney. What is his mission? To free Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), wrongly convicted of ferociously murdering an 18 year old girl.
But, what makes this movie intriguing is that Bryan is a Harvard graduate who could have chosen an illustrious career working for big law firms. Instead, he is driven by his calling to free innocent men who are wrongly convicted, who are otherwise destined to die. Despite a complete lack of evidence, Walter waits on death row. A testimony by a known criminal is the only evidence against him. But, racial prejudice in Alabama in 1987 puts the odds firmly against him. It is up to Bryan and local lawyer Eva Ansley (Brie Larson) to find justice for Walter, against all odds.
5 Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
This might be a movie that might bring you closure on 9/11. We can recommend it as a movie to watch after The Mauritanian. It chronicles the decade long hunt and assassination of Osama Bin Laden, mastermind behind the 9/11 terror attacks.
6 Argo (2012)
Argo isn’t about a wrongful conviction. But, it has a similar high-strung political thriller theme to what you see in The Mauritanian. It is 1979. Six Americans are stranded in Tehran. A hostage crisis looms. The Americans need to get back. But, how? Ben Affleck plays Tony Medez, an exfiltration expert. His plan? To portray the 6 Americans as part of a Canadian film unit’s production crew. Against the clock and under scrutiny from Iranian security forces in a political environment growing tenser by the minute, Argo will have you on the edge of your seats.
Will the Americans make it back alive, or will their cover be blown?
7 Gone Girl (2014)
Gone Girl is as dark as a non-horror movie can get. Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) and Nick Dunne (Ben Afflect) are a seemingly perfect couple. Good looking, charming and glamourous. But, when Nick reports his wife as gone missing, the façade of their perfect marriage falls apart. The media exposes Nick’s infidelities and his financial troubles, portraying him as a killer who is trying to gain sympathy by reporting his missing wife.
Did Nick kill his wife? Is Amy really dead? Who did what? Absolutely nothing is given away in this movie until the very end. A dark and mysterious thriller that dissects the imperfections of the modern marriage.
8 A Few Good Men (1992)
A Few Good Men is a movie about the law. But, where it is both similar and different to The Mauritanian is that it is about military lawyers. Tom Cruise plays Lt. Daniel Kaffee. Demi Moore plays Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway. Kevin Bacon plays Capt. Jack Ross. Perhaps the most notable performance comes from Jack Nicholson who plays a supremely arrogant but proud and accomplished Col. Nathan R. Jessep.
Two marines have been accused of murdering a fellow Marine. The Marines state they were acting under orders, from a code red issued by Col. Nathan R. Jessep. But, Kaffee suspects something fishy and thinks something larger is at play.
A slow but gradually escalating courtroom drama explodes into a courtroom confrontation between Jessep and Kaffee. It’s an iconic scene by which Jack Nicholson will be remembered by, simply for the conviction in his dialogue and delivery.
There you have it. Our list of suggestions for movies like The Mauritanian. Loved it? Give us a shout out on social share. Have your own suggestions? Please use the comment box to drop in your suggestions. Our readers will only be too glad to find more great movies to watch!