6 Best Exoneration and Innocence Project Movies

By Vlad Zakh · April 26, 2026

Overturning a wrongful conviction takes years of stubborn work, and these true-story dramas honour that. Just Mercy follows a young lawyer fighting to free a man on death row, Conviction has a woman putting herself through law school for eighteen years to prove her brother innocent, and Trial by Fire argues for a man wrongly executed. The Hurricane, In the Name of the Father and True Story 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

Trial by Fire (2018)

TMDB ★ 7.2

An advocate fights to prove the innocence of a man wrongly executed for arson and murder.

Directed by Edward Zwick · 2h 07m · Rated R

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

True Story (2015)

TMDB ★ 6.2

A disgraced journalist becomes entangled with a murder suspect who has been using his identity.

Directed by Rupert Goold · 1h 39m · Rated R

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Conviction (2010)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A woman puts herself through law school for eighteen years to prove her brother's innocence.

Directed by Tony Goldwyn · 1h 47m · Rated R

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Hurricane (1999)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A wrongly convicted boxer's decades-long fight for exoneration is helped by a devoted group of supporters.

Directed by Norman Jewison · 2h 26m · Rated R

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

In the Name of the Father (1993)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 94% Metacritic 84

An Irishman wrongly imprisoned for an IRA bombing fights for years to clear his name.

Directed by Jim Sheridan · 2h 13m · Rated R

Nominated for 7 Oscars7 wins & 41 nominations

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 Exoneration and Innocence Project Movies

Just Mercy (2019)

Trial by Fire (2018)

True Story (2015)

Conviction (2010)

The Hurricane (1999)

In the Name of the Father (1993)

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