6 Best Death Row and Wrongful Conviction Movies

By Vlad Zakh · April 26, 2026

The race to prove innocence on death row is heartbreaking, and these films make you feel every day of it. Just Mercy has a young lawyer fighting to overturn a wrongful conviction, Dead Man Walking pairs a nun with a convicted murderer awaiting execution, and The Thin Blue Line is the documentary that uncovers evidence a man on death row was wrongly convicted. The Green Mile, I Want to Live! and I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang round out the six.

Just Mercy (2019)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A young lawyer fights to overturn the wrongful conviction of a Black man sentenced to death.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton · 2h 17m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Green Mile (1999)

IMDb ★ 8.6 RT 78% Metacritic 61

A death row prison guard witnesses miraculous events around a gentle inmate convicted of a brutal crime.

Directed by Frank Darabont · 3h 09m · Rated R

Nominated for 4 Oscars15 wins & 37 nominations

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Dead Man Walking (1995)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A nun becomes the spiritual adviser to a convicted murderer awaiting execution on death row.

Directed by Tim Robbins · 2h 02m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Philo, YouTube TV · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Thin Blue Line (1988)

IMDb ★ 7.9 RT 100% Metacritic 79

A filmmaker's investigation into a wrongful murder conviction helps overturn it in real life.

Directed by Errol Morris · 1h 43m · Rated NR

12 wins & 5 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Criterion Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

I Want to Live! (1958)

TMDB ★ 7.5

A woman convicted of murder on questionable evidence fights for her life on death row.

Directed by Robert Wise · 2h 00m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, ScreenPix Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

TMDB ★ 7.7

A war veteran wrongly imprisoned on a brutal chain gang makes a desperate escape.

Directed by Mervyn LeRoy · 1h 32m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Death Row and Wrongful Conviction Movies

Just Mercy (2019)

The Green Mile (1999)

Dead Man Walking (1995)

The Thin Blue Line (1988)

I Want to Live! (1958)

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

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