There aren’t nearly enough courtroom dramas at the movies these days. What was once one of the most popular genres in the United States, during the heyday of movies like A Few Good Men or A Time to Kill, is now all but vanished, or worse, relegated to television shows that are six-hours longer than they need to be. But The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, which released a trailer on Thursday, is here to fix that. The movie is set to be released on Oct. 6 on Paramount Plus with Showtime.
The movie follows the court martial of a Naval officer who attempted to relieve his captain of his duties when the officer found the captain to be mentally incapable of command. This is an act of mutiny according to the Navy, or at least it is if the officer was wrong. In classic courtroom fashion, all of this unfolds through a litany of cross-examinations, sweeping statements by attorneys, and passionate outbursts that are quickly silenced by a stern, no-nonsense judge, in this case played by the late Lance Reddick.
The movie is based on a novel of the same name by Herman Wouk, and it’s been adapted and directed by William Friedkin, the legendary director behind movies like The Exorcist and Sorcerer, who died in August of this year.
Supporting Reddick in the movie is Kiefer Sutherland (Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me) as Lieutenant Commander Phillip Queeg (the man who has command of the boat taken from him), Jake Lacy (The White Lotus) as Lieutenant Stephen Maryk (the officer on trial), and Jason Clark (Oppenheimer) as Lieutenant Barney Greenwald, Maryk’s reluctant attorney.