Is The Burial movie on Netflix? Is it based on true story?

The 2023 legal drama film The Burial, directed by Maggie Betts, that follows the true story of an American attorney Willie E Gray and his financially troubled client Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe, who is forced to sell some parts of his business to meet the financial requirements by the state of Mississippi State Insurance Commission.

In the film, O’Keefe is a small-town funeral home owner who is approached by the Loewen Group with an offer to buy his business. When the businessman initially agrees to the deal, he soon discovers that the Loewen Group has no intention of honoring their agreement and just want to push him into bakruptcy.

O’Keefe hires Gary, a charismatic and successful attorney, in order to sue the Loewen Group for breach of contract. The case goes to trial, and Gary delivers a powerful closing argument that exposes the Loewen Group’s unethical business practices. The jury ultimately finds in favor of O’Keefe, awarding him a significant amount of money in damages.

Is The Burial movie on Netflix?

No, the legal drama movie is not available to stream on Netflix but there are many similar films that you can watch right now if a Netflix subscription like The Rainmaker (1997), Just Mercy (2019), The Lincoln Lawyer (2011), Marshall (2017), The Trial of the Chiacago 7 (2020), Michael Clayton (2007), The Mauritanian (2021), etc.

Jamie Foxx as Willie E Gary in The Burial movie 2023
Courtsey of Amazon Prime Video

Where to watch The Burial movie?

The Burial movie 2023 is a Prime original and is exclusivlely streaming for Prime Video subscribers subscribers inside the United States. A Prime Video subscription costs $8.99* per month. You can also sign up for a Prime membership, which includes Prime Video, for $14.99* per month or $139* per year.

Is The Burial movie 2023 based on a true story?

Yes, The Burial is inspired from the true story of Willie E. Gary and Jeremiah O’Keefe’s lawsuit against the Loewen Group where O’Keefe won a $500 Million jury award, later settlling for $175 Millon. However, we should understand that the film is not a documentary, and it does escape from the truth.

The Burial movie true story
Courtsey of Amazon Prime Video

For example, the character of Mame Downes (played by Jurnee Smollett) is a combination of several different people who were involved in the case. Only Mama is shown while ignoring all those amazing people who were actually part of the case. The film’s depiction of the trial is dramatized as Maggie has made the series more dramatic through her creativity.

But still, The Burial is a good film that sheds light on the real-world issue of corporate greed, and how large companies manipulate small business owners to maintain their monopoly. The film’s message of standing up for what is right is what makes worth-watching.

What is the true story behind the 2023 movie?

In 1995, Gary filed a lawsuit on behalf of Jeremiah O’Keefe, a funeral home owner in Mississippi against the Canadian businessman Raymond Loewen when The Loewen Group began pressuring O’Keefe to sell his business for a lower price than they offered initially. They even threatened to put him out of business if he did not comply.

The case went to trial where lawyer Gary delivered a powerful closing argument that exposed the Loewen Group’s unethical business practices and ultimately, the decision was made in the favor of O’Keefe, awarding him $500 million in damages.

The Loewen Group appealed the verdict, and the damages were eventually reduced to $175 million. However, the lawsuit was a major victory for O’Keefe that helped him exposing the dark side of the funeral giant. It’s an iconic film that should be recognized as one of the best biographical films ever made.

Lakshya Kaushik

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