Year: 1993
Runtime: 107 mins
Language: English
Director: Sidney Lumet
When she finally encounters her perfect match—a handsome, wealthy, and dangerously seductive man—she discovers he is a real lady‑killer. Before the criminal lawyer can fully grasp the situation, she is compelled to defend the murder of his wife, even though she is convinced of his guilt.
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Jennifer Haines is an up-and-coming Chicago attorney who rides a wave of success after a big courtroom win. Fresh off the victory, she enjoys a celebratory moment with the man in her life, Phil Garson, and returns to a workplace where she is greeted as a rising star. Their personal dynamics are complicated by a fresh arrival: David Greenhill, a suave, self-assured figure who was in the gallery during Haines’s previous trial and now stands accused of murdering his wealthy wife, Rita Greenhill. Greenhill wants Haines to take his case, but she initially refuses, wary of his charm and the danger it could bring.
Something about him pulls at her curiosity, however, and she reconsiders. The more she learns, the more she sees a potential high-profile, media-friendly courtroom battle ahead—and she openly proclaims, “I am that good.” Greenhill maintains his innocence while exhibiting volatile, unpredictable behavior that makes Haines cautious. To uncover the truth, she assigns her longtime investigator, Moe Moe, to dig into Greenhill’s shadowy past. Meanwhile, Greenhill begins showing up unannounced in Haines’s social circles, hinting at a personal connection that unsettles Phil and threatens to derail her judgment.
Phil dislikes Greenhill and presses Haines to drop him, a demand she resists despite her own misgivings. The tension is intensified by a payment dispute—Greenhill’s fee remains unpaid—and an unsympathetic judge, Judge Tompkins, who bluntly insists that abandoning the case isn’t an option. As Moe presses for answers, the investigation reveals a disturbing pattern: Greenhill has a history of pursuing older women who end up dead, a fact that horrifies Haines and raises the stakes of the defense.
Desperate to win, Haines considers fabricating evidence to sabotage Greenhill’s case, hoping that a planted clue at his apartment might secure a conviction. Greenhill, fully aware of her maneuver, exacts his own revenge by viciously assaulting Phil, leaving him hospitalized and vulnerable. The trial ends in a mistrial when the jury cannot reach a unanimous verdict, and Greenhill, though seemingly pleased, reveals a chilling truth in a private moment: he did kill his wife and explains his meticulous stalking and manipulation.
Knowing he could leverage her past actions, Greenhill contends with Haines’s potential exposure of the planted evidence. He murders Moe, knocks out the investigator, and then sets fire to Haines’s office, stepping into the next phase of his menace. He tracks Haines to her apartment building, where a fierce struggle ensues. Greenhill hurls Haines over a railing, but she drags him down with her, and they both tumble several stories. Greenhill dies in the fall, while Haines survives, badly injured but determined. As she’s carried away toward the hospital, she delivers a hard-won declaration of triumph: > I beat him, Phil. I beat him. Tough way to win a case.
Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 12:29
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Stories where a charismatic villain manipulates and toys with their victim.For viewers who liked Guilty as Sin, this list features movies with similar stories of dangerous seduction and psychological manipulation. If you enjoy thrillers where a charismatic villain ensnares their victim, these movies will deliver the same claustrophobic tension and complex cat-and-mouse dynamics.
The narrative typically involves a seemingly perfect individual—handsome, wealthy, and charismatic—who reveals themselves to be a predatory threat. The story follows the protagonist's growing realization of the danger they are in, often after it's too late to easily extricate themselves, leading to an escalating psychological and physical conflict.
These films are grouped by the core dynamic of a charming psychopath targeting a protagonist. They share a high-intensity, dark tone, creating a consistently suspenseful and anxious mood focused on manipulation and the horror of being deceived by a friendly facade.
Courtroom dramas where the lawyer's ethics are the real crime.If you enjoyed the ethical dilemmas and legal suspense of Guilty as Sin, explore these similar movies. Discover other thrillers where lawyers face profound moral compromises, defend dangerous clients, and find their own survival and integrity on the line within a corrupt system.
The narrative pattern centers on a legal professional, often a defense attorney, who takes on a case that challenges their core principles. As they dig deeper, they become complicit or trapped by the very system they represent, leading to a personal and professional crisis where winning the case might mean losing their soul.
These films share a common setting in the legal world but are united by their exploration of moral ambiguity and corruption. They feature a steady pace that builds suspense, a dark and gritty tone, and a heavy emotional weight stemming from the protagonist's ethical collapse and fight for survival.
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Track the full timeline of Guilty as Sin with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
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Discover movies like Guilty as Sin that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.
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