Time in Prison
Or, "Life in The Big House". The prison film has proved to be a popular subject for cinema and many superb titles are represented in this canon of work. Here the human spirit is often shown to thrive in what are generally hostile and oppressive settings. There are the tales of the 'wrongly accused man' protesting his innocence, the 'race against time' thrillers to save the condemned from execution, and the 'prison as hell' where your worst nightmares have come true. There are also the comedies where the familiar prison 'cliches' are parodied, and the science-fiction variants that show the possible shape of things to come...
Now, go directly to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.
Pictured: Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins in "The Shawshank Redemption".
Prison Break: Season 2 (2006)
7.2/10
Starring: Stacy Keach, Robert Knepper, Wentworth Miller, Amaury Nolasco, Dominic Purcell,...
Michael and co are now on the run, America's most wanted, and with the FBI on their tail, they are prepared to take desperate measures to stay free.... Read more
Prisoner Cell Block H - Volume 1 (1979)
Starring: Elspeth Ballantyne, Sheila Florance, Val Lehman, Fiona Spence
Attaining cult status around the world, this Australian series set in a women's prison was a gritty no-nonsense drama that tackled issues such as homo... Read more
Return of the Street Fighter (1974)
6.4/10
Director: Shigehiro Ozawa
Starring: Sonny Chiba
Martial arts sensation Sonny Chiba is back! Having well earned his reputation as a man who gets things done, he is hired by a gang to silence a squeal... Read more
Scrubbers (1982)
5.6/10
Director: Mai Zetterling
Starring: Amanda York, Chrissie Cotterill, Elizabeth Edmonds, Kathy Burke
A follow up to Alan Clarke's "Scum", an indictment of Britain's juvenile justice system, "Scrubbers" graphically depicts life behind bars in a woman's... Read more
Scum (1980)
7.6/10
Director: Alan Clarke
Starring: Ray Winstone, Mick Ford, John Judd, Phil Daniels
A controversial and vivid story of the violence and mindless cruelty inside a government borstal. The brutality of the officers creates pressure on th... Read more
Shakespeare Behind Bars (2005)
7.6/10
Director: Hank Rogerson
At the Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in LaGrange, Kentucky some well-behaved prisoners are taking part in the Shakespeare program. This year, t... Read more
Sherrybaby (2006)
6.6/10
Director: Laurie Collyer
Starring: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Brad William Henke, Danny Trejo, Bridget Barkan, Giancarlo Es...
Maggie Gyllenhaal was nominated for a Golden Globe for her extraordinary performance as Sherry, an ex-con trying to get her life back on track and est... Read more
Shot Caller (2017)
7.3/10
Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Starring: Benjamin Bratt, Lake Bell, Jeffrey Donovan, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Jon Bernthal,...
Recently released from prison, a gang member finds himself forced by his leaders to orchestrate a major crime with a rival gang. Read more
Silmido (2003)
7.2/10
Director: Kang Woo-Suk
Starring: Sung-kee Ahn, Kyung-gu Sol, Jun-ho Heo, Jae-yeong Joeng, Seong-jin Kang
In 1968, a group of North Korean commandos crossed the border in a failed attempt to assassinate South-Korean president Park Chung-hee. Outraged, Sou... Read more
Starred Up (2013)
7.4/10
Director: David Mackenzie
Starring: Ben Mendelsohn, Rupert Friend, Jack O'Connell
Vastly enjoyable prison drama starring Jack O'Connell as Eric Love, an 18-year-old inmate moved up to full blown prison after being too violent and vo... Read more