A star-studded war movie is airing on TV tonight

The film comes from the director of The Exorcist and The French Connection.

Directed by legendary filmmaker William Friedkin (The Exorcist, The French Connection, To Live and Die in LA), the film stars Oscar-nominee Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction) as Col. Terry Childers, a 30-year US Marine veteran and decorated officer with combat experience in Vietnam, Beirut and Desert Storm.

Despite this experience, he finds himself on trial by the country he served for so long after a rescue mission at the US embassy in Yemen goes horribly wrong.

"For his attorney, he has chosen Marine Col. Hays Hodges (Oscar-winner Tommy Lee Jones, The Fugitive), a comrade-in-arms who owes his life to Childers," the plot synopsis reads.

Rules of Engagement's screenplay was penned by Oscar-winner Stephen Gaghan (Traffic).

The movie's cast also includes Anne Archer (Fatal Atraction), Ben Kingsley (Sexy Beast), Blair Underwood (Longlegs), Bruce Greenwood (House of Usher), Guy Pearce (Memento) and Philip Baker Hall (Boogie Nights).

Thanks to the late and great Friedkin's typically muscular direction and the film's excellent performances, Rules of Engagement is well worth seeking out.

This is particularly for fans of the type of legal thrillers in which brilliant actors deliver big speeches and shout over each other in court.

Rules of Engagement is airing on TV tonight on the channel Legend at 9pm. The movie is also available to watch for free on the streaming service Plex.

Here are the other movies on TV tonight:

American Gangster - Film4 - 9.10pm

If you missed this 21st-century crime movie classic when we recommended it last week, you have another chance to watch the film.

First Blood - ITV4 - 10pm

Sylvester Stallone's brilliant first outing as the troubled and misunderstood Vietnam War veteran John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone).

The character must rely on his combat and survival skills when a series of brutal events leads to him being pursued by police in a small American town.

Ted 2 - Comedy Central - 10pm

Reasonable Doubt - Legend - 11.30pm

In this crime thriller, a District Attorney (Dominic Cooper) has his life turned upside down when he’s involved in a hit and run, and another man (Samuel L. Jackson, starring again) is arrested for his crime.

While the basic set-up is similar to last year's acclaimed Juror No.2, Reasonable Doubt is nowhere near as good.

Pixie - Film4 - 12.20am

Olivia Cooke leads an impressive ensemble cast (including Alec Baldwin, Colm Meaney, Daryl McCormack, Dylan Moran and Pat Shortt) in this crime comedy set in the Irish countryside.