If there is one genre that suffers from cliches, it has to be the courtroom drama. Real courts rarely have as much drama, as many extended monologues or as many over-the-top moments as they do in the movies. Yet, they fascinate and often get the blood pressure rising with their levels of excitement and enjoyment. The Burial, a new courtroom drama based on a real case, delivers everything you expect and, with the help of two strong leads, even more emotion and humour.

Jeremiah O’Keefe, a family-run funeral business owner, has faced financial difficulties and needs to sell some of his business to a huge corporation. Having yet to deliver the deal, O’Keefe takes the company to court and hires wealthy lawyer Willie Gary to take the case. Not knowing contract law, Gary is determined to keep his winning streak going, but as the case goes deeper, he finds it is much more than just the little man taking on the big boys.

Directed with confidence by Maggie Betts, this film is fearless in dealing with several significant issues, from how big business feels it can push around the smaller ones to racial tension and, in particular, the treatment of people experiencing poverty. Betts doesn’t feel the need to confuse the audience with a large amount of legal jargon; instead, by using a larger-than-life character like Gary, it allows us to follow the proceedings clearly, so once the movie moves into the courtroom itself, we can follow the action without too much difficulty.

Although based on an actual case, the filmmakers have taken some liberties with the truth to inject dramatic tension, and there are some apparent moments when you feel this fictionalised for entertainment purposes. Yet this never interferes in the events, and as the case digs up a scandal that the Loewen Corporation, this vast company that dealt with funerals and insurance, were involved in, you feel that the case is all but sown up. Yet, with all courtroom dramas, you should never think this is an open and shut case.

The real reason this film works so well, and trust me, it is a gripping two-hour, is that you genuinely care for the characters. The fact that O’Keefe and Gary are like chalk and cheese also helps. Both men come from very different worlds: O’Keefe, the family man who only wanted to do well for his extended klan, who had dealt with the Klu Klux Klan in the past, while Gary is a man from a poor background who made good by going for the cases he knows he can win and win with big dividends. Yet watching these two men form a unique bond to take down the big bully who is out to make money any way possible makes you wish this could happen much more often.

It also helps that the two leads are so watchable. Jamie Foxx is on fire as the extravagant Gary, a man who loves his job, is passionate about winning, and lives the expensive lifestyle he has had to work hard to get. It’s a performance that proves just how good Foxx can be given the suitable material. It’s never too over-the-top to be unbelievable, and yet it is almost comical for the seriousness of the case. On the other hand, veteran Tommy Lee Jones delivers a nicely controlled performance as the downtrodden O’Keefe. Quiet and understated, you would think it was too much of a difference to Foxx’s character to work, but it does. You genuinely feel for his plight and are on his side throughout. Kudos also goes to Alan Ruck as O’Keefe’s friend and lawyer, as a man with a dark past and Jurnee Smollett as the lawyer who goes up against Foxx.

The Burial may look like the kind of film that would go straight to streaming, but it is much more than that. A crowd-pleaser with plenty of bite and a touch of humour that works on every level. So invested in the tale it becomes emotional by the end. Perfect for those looking for something other than the horrors currently being released in cinemas.

4 out of 5

Director: Maggie Betts

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones, Alan Ruck, Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie, Pamela Reed, Bill Camp, Amanda Warren, Dorian Missick, Tywayne Wheatt

Written by: Maggie Betts, (also story) Doug Wright and (based on the article) Jonathan Harr

Running Time: 126 mins

Cert: 15

Release date: 6th October 2023

Amazon Prime: 13th October 2023