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You know that little jolt of satisfaction you get when an underdog wipes the smug smile off a corporate villain’s face? That’s The Rainmaker‘s heartbeat.
It’s not just a courtroom drama — it’s scrappy lawyers, big gambles, and emotional haymakers, all wrapped in “how the hell did they pull that off?” energy.
And because it’s coming to USA Network, it’s worth remembering… this network used to own high-stakes, high-entertainment TV. Think Suits, White Collar, Psych — shows that made you care just as much about the characters as the cases.
So if you’re looking for a warm-up before Rudy Baylor and Deck Shifflet hit your screen, here’s your 13-title prep course.
This isn’t homework. This is fun!
The Rainmaker (1997 Film)
Matt Damon is Rudy Baylor, a rookie attorney with more moral fiber than billable hours.
Danny DeVito plays Deck Shifflet, the fast-talking, ethically flexible partner you don’t admit you need until you do.
Their David-vs-Goliath battle against an insurance giant has everything — corporate greed, moral victories, and a courtroom climax so satisfying you’ll want to stand up and clap in your living room.
This is the blueprint for what’s coming.
Watch The Rainmaker Online
Presumed Innocent (Apple TV+)
Jake Gyllenhaal’s Rusty Sabich is a prosecutor accused of murdering his mistress, which means he knows exactly how screwed he is.
The tension? Off the charts.
Ruth Negga and Peter Sarsgaard add fuel to the fire as his wife and rival, each holding more secrets than the case file.
Presumed Innocent is a slow-burn thriller where trust erodes in real time, and every scene feels like a chess move toward inevitable disaster.
Watch Presumed Innocent Online
Suits (USA Network) – Blue Sky Break
Harvey Specter and Mike Ross are the reason USA dominated summer TV for nearly a decade.
Harvey’s all swagger and tailored suits, Mike’s all secret and photographic memory, and together they play legal chess like it’s a contact sport.
Suits is probably lighter than The Rainmaker, but it’s proof that when you blend sharp dialogue, confident leads, and cases with personal stakes, people come back week after week.
Watch Suits Online
Goliath (Prime Video)
Billy Bob Thornton‘s Billy McBride is a legend turned legal burnout — until a wrongful death case against a powerful corporation drags him back into the fight.
Each season features a different brand of corruption — oil barons, Big Pharma, water rights — with villains so despicable you can’t wait for them to lose.
Billy is what Rudy Baylor might become if he traded idealism for experience and realized the system is even uglier than he imagined.
Watch Goliath Online
The Lincoln Lawyer (Netflix)
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey Haller doesn’t have a corner office — he has a Lincoln Town Car and a knack for winning cases other lawyers wouldn’t touch.
Between charming judges, navigating dangerous clients, and pulling off improbable last-minute saves, Mickey is a master of controlled chaos.
Like The Rainmaker, The Lincoln Lawyer about finding the truth when the deck is stacked against you — only here, the office is on four wheels.
Watch The Lincoln Layer Online
White Collar (USA Network) – Blue Sky Break
Matt Bomer’s Neal Caffrey is a con man turned FBI consultant, partnered with Tim DeKay’s Peter Burke, the fed who finally caught him.
White Collar is whip-smart, stylish, and anchored by chemistry so good you’d watch them argue about sandwiches.
Swap art heists for legal loopholes, and you get a lesson in charm as a tactical weapon — something Rudy and Deck know a thing or two about.
Watch White Collar Online
Your Honor (Showtime)
Bryan Cranston plays a New Orleans judge whose son’s hit-and-run accident kills the child of a crime boss.
In trying to protect his son, he breaks every law he’s sworn to uphold, setting off a chain reaction of lies, betrayals, and moral compromises.
Your Honor is an unflinching look at how quickly righteousness can collapse when the threat is personal.
Watch Your Honor Online
Damages (FX/Hulu)
Glenn Close’s Patty Hewes is the legal world’s apex predator — brilliant, manipulative, and utterly ruthless.
Rose Byrne’s Ellen Parsons starts as her idealistic protégé and is quickly schooled in the reality that in Patty’s world, there’s no such thing as a clean win.
Every season of Damages is a tightly coiled thriller with betrayals, billion-dollar stakes, and jaw-dropping turns that make you rethink who you’re rooting for.
Watch Damages Online
The Good Fight (Paramount+)
Christine Baranski’s Diane Lockhart loses everything in a Ponzi scheme and lands at an all-Black law firm where cases are urgent, politics are volatile, and reality sometimes gets surreal.
It’s sharp, witty, fearless in tackling the big issues, and unapologetically weird when it wants to be.
Like The Rainmaker, The Good Fight about fighting battles that matter — even when the odds are terrible.
Watch The Good Fight Online
Psych (USA Network) – Blue Sky Break
Sure, Shawn Spencer’s fake psychic shtick isn’t about the law, but Psych was the epitome of what USA did best — character-driven mysteries with banter that kept you grinning.
Its charm came from chemistry, humor, and making you feel like you were in on the joke.
If The Rainmaker leans into that kind of camaraderie between Rudy and Deck, it’ll be just as watchable.
Watch Psych Online
The Night Of (HBO)
One bad night changes everything for Riz Ahmed’s Nasir Khan, whose arrest for murder launches him into a justice system that doesn’t care whether he’s guilty or innocent.
John Turturro’s eczema-afflicted defense attorney is part comic relief, part tragic hero, and all heart.
The Night Of is a meticulous, heartbreaking look at what happens when someone’s entire life hinges on one lawyer’s ability to find a way out.
Watch The Night Of Online
Erin Brockovich (2000)
Julia Roberts plays the real-life legal clerk who uncovers a massive water contamination scandal in a small town.
With zero legal training but infinite determination, she pushes the case forward with sass, empathy, and a refusal to back down.
It’s the perfect Rainmaker parallel — one determined person, up against impossible odds, doing the right thing because no one else will.
Watch Erin Brockovich Online
A Time to Kill (1996)
Matthew McConaughey’s Jake Brigance defends Samuel L. Jackson’s Carl Lee Hailey, a father who killed the men who assaulted his daughter.
Sandra Bullock adds firepower to the defense team, Kevin Spacey prosecutes, and McConaughey’s climactic “now imagine she’s white” speech is one of cinema’s most unforgettable closing arguments.
It’s raw, emotional, and as high-stakes as courtroom drama gets.
Watch A Time to Kill Online
USA Network once owned this corner of television — smart, addictive, character-driven series with enough charm to keep you smiling and enough stakes to keep you glued.
The Rainmaker has the bones to bring that back: high stakes, high entertainment, and the sweet satisfaction of watching the underdog make the whole room sweat.
If you’re ready for that moment, these titles will get you in fighting shape.
The Rainmaker premieres on USA Network on Friday, August 15 at 10/9c. If you’re looking for another show that will steal your heart after Resident Alien went off the air, give it a try. Rudy is worth the effort!
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The post Your Official Rainmaker Prep Kit: 13 Legal Thrillers and Blue Sky Favorites to Get You Courtroom-Ready appeared first on TV Fanatic.
