Television series
Rake
Rake follows Cleaver Greene, a brilliant, chaotic barrister who defends the indefensible—murderers, terrorists, sex offenders—with unshakeable conviction and terrible judgment in everything else. It's a darkly funny, propulsive drama about a man addicted to impossible cases and destructive thrills, set in Sydney's legal and criminal underworld. For anyone who loves flawed antiheroes and courtroom fireworks.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy a scruffy, morally slippery antihero whose wit covers real chaos, and you like courtroom drama that stays happy to be rude about itself.
Skip it if you want tidy legal procedure or a basically decent hero, since the charm rests on bad habits and the personal mess gets as much airtime as the cases.
What it asks of you: Expect an hour-long episode, forty of them across five seasons, where the banter runs quick and the mood swings from sharp laughs to something much heavier without much warning.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
The Practice1997
A gripping legal drama with similar moral ambiguity: lawyers defending guilty clients, the systems that protect them, and the human cost. Jimmy Smits and Camryn Manheim deliver powerful performances across eight seasons.
But Slower pacing than Rake, more earnest in tone, and some storylines feel dated now. It's also a significant time commitment.
Better Call Saul2015
Jimmy McGill is Rake's spiritual cousin: brilliant, unethical, self-sabotaging, drawn to the gutter. Exceptional writing, cinematography, and a slow-burn trajectory that makes his decline utterly gripping and tragic.
But Deliberately paced for drama, not speed. The show takes its time building dread, which some find frustrating. And yes, it's still going.
Suits2011
Fast-talking lawyers, high-stakes cases, the same gleeful pleasure in courtroom tricks and personal chaos. Patrick J. Adams and Gabriel Macht have terrific chemistry, and the twists come thick and fast.
But Less interested in moral ambiguity than Rake; it wants you to root for its heroes. Some plots feel recycled, and it gets lighter and sillier as it goes.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Rake
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Fall2013
Both centre on a flawed, brilliant protagonist whose addiction—to cases, to danger, to the thrill—is inseparable from their talent. Both ask whether someone this damaged can ever win.
Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) is a detective pursuing a serial killer through Belfast. It's a psychological cat-and-mouse game between two brilliant, broken people—not about guilt or innocence, but about obsession and damage. Hypnotic and dark.
But Bleaker than Rake; there's no comedy, no lightness, only creeping dread. The case unfolds slowly, and it's deeply upsetting. Not escapism.
More like this (8)
The Good Wife2009
Sophisticated legal drama that shares Rake's willingness to pit principle against expediency. Strong ensemble, complex cases, and it respects your intelligence. Julianna Margulies is excellent.
But More procedural than character-driven, and the tone is considerably more buttoned-up. Takes several episodes to hit its stride.
Damages2007
Nasty, propulsive thriller with Glenn Close as Patty Hewes, a barrister as morally flexible as Cleaver. Tangled plots, non-linear storytelling, and performances that crackle with malice and ambition.
But Can be gratuitously brutal. The non-linear structure is occasionally confusing, and some viewers found it exhausting rather than engaging.
Underbelly2008
Australian crime drama about Melbourne's underworld in the 1980s. Gritty, brutal, and genuinely gripping. Shares Rake's Australian sensibility and willingness to depict morally compromised lives without softening them.
But Extremely violent and often depressing. Based on true events, so the darkness isn't cinematic gloss; it's historical fact.
Boston Legal2004
James Spader as Alan Shore: brilliant, unprincipled, hilarious. It's lighter than Rake but shares the same fascination with clever lawyers bending rules. Wild cases, great one-liners, genuine heart beneath the chaos.
But Gets increasingly silly as it goes on. Relies heavily on Spader's charm, which is fun but not everyone's cup of tea. Some cases feel more absurdist than grounded.
The Lincoln Lawyer2011
Mickey Haller (Matthew McConaughey) works from his car, takes any client, and navigates a morally murky legal system with charm and cunning. Tight thriller with excellent courtroom work and a smart twist.
But Single film, so no ongoing character development. The plot is tidy in ways Rake refuses to be. McConaughey's charm works, but it's not as edgy as the show.
My Brilliant Career1979
A gorgeous, thoughtful Australian film about ambition, independence, and the price of principle. Judy Davis is luminous. It shares Rake's Australian DNA and interest in talented people destroying themselves.
But Period drama, not contemporary. Slow, introspective, and deeply unglamorous. The protagonist's choices are quieter, not as explosive as Cleaver's.
Chungking Express1994
Both are about people making terrible choices in love and work, unable to stop themselves. Both use humour and style to survive despair. Both are set in legal or criminal underworlds—but Chungking Express finds beauty and tenderness there.
Wong Kar-wai's neon-soaked romance follows two lovelorn cops drifting through Hong Kong. It's visual poetry: gorgeous cinematography, layered emotions, and a mood that shifts between melancholy and pure joy. One sitting, two hours, complete revelation.
But Not a plot-driven film; it's an experience. Very stylised, sometimes opaque. Entirely different from Rake's narrative drive, so it feels like a left turn.
Godless2017
Like Rake, it's interested in principled people trying to do right in corrupt systems, and in how talent and charisma can be deployed for good or ill. Both refuse easy answers about who deserves defending.
A western miniseries (just six episodes) about a town run by women and a gunslinger caught between two sides. Stunning cinematography, tight storytelling, and Jeff Daniels as a villain with principles. Morally complex and visually stunning.
But Western, so completely different genre and era. Smaller cast, less courtroom scheming. Ends definitively—no ongoing saga to fall into.
People
Cast
Writing
- Charles WaterstreetCreator
- Peter DuncanCreator
- Richard RoxburghCreator