Nuts (1987)

Nuts is the kind of courtroom drama that grabs you by the lapels and refuses to let go, not because of legal twists, but because it’s powered by a raw, human fight for dignity. Barbra Streisand gives a scorching, full-bodied performance—furious, funny, wounded, and unbreakable—while Richard Dreyfuss brings a grounded decency that turns their wary alliance into the movie’s beating heart. Martin Ritt keeps the tension humming with thriller-like momentum, but the real hook is how the film peels back appearances and asks who gets to define “sanity” when a woman refuses to be conveniently silenced. It’s intense and deals with heavy, upsetting material, so it’s not a casual watch, but if you want a drama with teeth and a lead performance that practically dares you to look away, this one delivers.

Nuts is clearly aiming for a courtroom-driven character study about a woman fighting to be seen as competent and in control of her own fate, with Barbra Streisand going big and emotionally raw. The problem is that it often plays more like a long, talky stage piece than a gripping legal thriller, with familiar courtroom beats and psychological “revelations” that can feel prepackaged rather than genuinely illuminating. If you need momentum, subtlety, or fresh insight into trauma and the justice system, this may test your patience—especially given the heavy subject matter and intense scenes. Still, if you’re in the mood for an actor-forward drama with strong performances (particularly Streisand and Dreyfuss) and don’t mind some melodrama and clichés, it has enough conviction to hold your attention.