Topic: Prison Drama

Direction Frank Darabont

Cast Tim Robbins · Morgan Freeman · Bob Gunton · James Whitmore

Synopsis The Shawshank Redemption (1994) follows Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), who is convicted and sentenced to two back-to-back life terms in prison for the murders of his wife and her lover in the late 1940s, despite his innocence. Andy, a reserved...

Direction Jacques Becker

Cast Philippe Leroy · Marc Michel · Michel Constantin · Jean Kéraudy

Synopsis The Hole (The Night Watch) (1960) is set in 1947 France, where a young man named Gaspard Claude is wrongfully convicted of attempting to murder his wife. Sentenced to the infamous Santé Prison in Paris, Gaspard finds himself sharing a...

Direction Tony Kaye

Cast Edward Norton · Edward Furlong · Fairuza Balk · Stacy Keach

Synopsis American History X (1998) follows the journey of Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton), a former skinhead from Southern California who finds himself behind bars after a racially motivated killing. During his incarceration, Derek undergoes a profound transformation, shedding his extremist beliefs...

Direction Robert Bresson

Cast François Leterrier · Roland Monod · Charles Le Clainche · Maurice Beerblock

Synopsis A Man Escaped (1956) unfolds in April 1943, amidst the turmoil of World War II. The story revolves around Fontaine, a 27-year-old member of the French Resistance who finds himself in the clutches of the Gestapo. Captured for interrogation, Fontaine...

Direction John Sturges

Cast Steve McQueen · James Garner · Charles Bronson · Richard Attenborough

Synopsis The Great Escape (1963) follows a group of Allied prisoners of war, meticulously selected by the German high command for their exceptional escape attempts, who are confined in a seemingly inescapable POW camp. Under the leadership of Roger "Big X"...

Direction Jim Sheridan

Cast Daniel Day-Lewis · Emma Thompson · Pete Postlethwaite · John Lynch

Synopsis In the Name of the Father (1993) is a gripping drama based on the true story of Gerry Conlon, as detailed in his autobiography, 'Proved Innocent'. Directed by Jim Sheridan, the film delves into the life of Conlon, portrayed by...

Direction Raoul Walsh

Cast James Cagney · Virginia Mayo · Edmond O'Brien · Margaret Wycherly

Synopsis White Heat (1949) follows the story of Cody Jarrett, a brutal and unpredictable mastermind behind a notorious criminal organization. Plagued by severe headaches and deeply attached to his mother, Cody's erratic behavior makes him both feared and respected within his...

Direction Mervyn LeRoy

Cast Paul Muni · Glenda Farrell · Helen Vinson · Preston Foster

Synopsis I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang (1932) follows the harrowing journey of James Allen, portrayed by Paul Muni, who returns from World War I only to be wrongfully convicted of a crime. Sentenced to a decade of harsh...

Direction Jean Renoir

Cast Jean Gabin · Erich von Stroheim · Pierre Fresnay · Marcel Dalio

Synopsis Grande Illusion (1937) unfolds during the tumultuous year of 1916, amidst the chaos of World War I. Lieutenant Maréchal and Capitaine de Boeldieu, two French aviators, find themselves shot down by German forces and subsequently imprisoned in a POW camp....

Direction Stuart Rosenberg

Cast Paul Newman · George Kennedy · Dennis Hopper · Harry Dean Stanton

Synopsis Cool Hand Luke (1967) follows the story of Lucas Jackson, a charismatic and rebellious individual who possesses an abundance of courage but sometimes lacks foresight. He is a nonconformist who challenges the established norms. After being incarcerated in a penal...

Direction Steven Zaillian · Richard Price · James Marsh

Cast Riz Ahmed · John Turturro · Michael Kenneth Williams · Bill Camp

Synopsis The Night Of (TV Miniseries) (2016) is an eight-episode crime drama that follows the gripping story of a young man who finds himself in a nightmare scenario. After an evening of revelry with an unknown woman, he awakens to discover...

Direction Ava DuVernay

Cast Jharrel Jerome · Aunjanue Ellis · Asante Blackk · Caleel Harris

Synopsis When They See Us (TV Miniseries) (2019) is a gripping 4-episode series that delves into the harrowing true story of five young men of color who were wrongfully accused and convicted of a brutal rape in New York City's Central...

Direction Frank Darabont

Cast Tom Hanks · Michael Clarke Duncan · David Morse · Doug Hutchison

Synopsis The Green Mile (1999) begins in a contemporary US retirement home, where elderly Paul Edgecomb shares his past experiences with his friend Elaine. The narrative then shifts to 1935, when Edgecomb serves as a death-row corrections officer in a Southern...

Direction Tom Fontana · Nick Gomez · Adam Bernstein · Alex Zakrzewski

Cast Ernie Hudson · Harold Perrineau · Lee Tergesen · J.K. Simmons

Synopsis Oz (TV Series) (1997) is a gripping television drama that aired from 1997 to 2003, spanning 6 seasons and 56 episodes. The narrative unfolds within the confines of the Oswald State Penitentiary, affectionately known on the streets as "Oz." The...

Direction John Frankenheimer

Cast Burt Lancaster · Karl Malden · Neville Brand · Thelma Ritter

Synopsis Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) follows the compelling journey of Robert Stroud, portrayed by Burt Lancaster, a convicted murderer confined to the notorious Alcatraz prison. Stroud's life takes an unexpected turn when he nurses a sick bird that finds its way...

Direction David Lean

Cast William Holden · Alec Guinness · Jack Hawkins · James Donald

Synopsis The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) follows the story of British prisoners of war in Burma who are tasked by their Japanese captors to construct a vital railway bridge. Colonel Nicholson, who led his unit to surrender, insists on...

Direction Alan Parker

Cast Brad Davis · John Hurt · Bo Hopkins · Irene Miracle

Synopsis Midnight Express (1978) is a gripping tale inspired by the true story of Billy Hayes, an American college student who finds himself in a nightmare when he is apprehended and given a 30-year prison sentence by Turkish officials for attempting...

Direction Jim Jarmusch

Cast Tom Waits · Roberto Benigni · John Lurie · Nicoletta Braschi

Synopsis Down by Law (1986) follows the misadventures of DJ Zack and pimp Jack, who find themselves behind bars due to their nonchalant attitude, which leads to them being falsely accused of crimes they did not perpetrate. Their new life in...

Direction Daniel Monzón

Cast Luis Tosar · Alberto Ammann · Antonio Resines · Carlos Bardem

Synopsis Cell 211 (2009) is a highly regarded Spanish film that centers around a newly appointed prison guard (Alberto Ammann) who unexpectedly becomes entangled in a prison uprising due to a sudden twist of fate. Unbeknownst to the inmates, he must...

Direction Franklin J. Schaffner

Cast Steve McQueen · Dustin Hoffman · Victor Jory · Don Gordon

Synopsis Papillon (1973) chronicles the genuine account of Henri Charriere, affectionately known as Papillon, a moniker derived from the French word for 'butterfly,' which is prominently featured as a large tattoo on his character. As a small-time criminal, Papillon is unjustly...