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".
Alien 3 (Blu-Ray) (1992)
7.7/10
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Charles Dance, Charles S Dutton, Lance Henriksen
INCLUDES BOTH THEATRICAL CUT AND ASSEMBLY CUT. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is the only survivor when she crash lands on Fiorina 161, a bleak wa... Read more
Escape Plan (2013)
6.7/10
Director: Mikael Hafstrom
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Caviezel, Sylvester Stallone, Vincent D'Onofrio, Vinn...
One of the world's foremost authorities on structural security agrees to take on one last job: breaking out of an ultra-secret, high-tech facility cal... 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
A Prophet (Blu ray) (2009)
7.8/10
Director: Jacques Audiard
Starring: Niels Arestrup, Tahar Rahim
Acclaimed as one of the best films of 2009, 'A Prophet' ('Un prophete') details the gritty prison career of nineteen-year-old French-Arab Malik (Tahar... Read more
Out Of Sight (1998)
7/10
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames
Adapted from the Elmore Leonard bestseller and starring George Clooney as a convicted back robber who escapes from prison with the help of partner Vin... Read more
The Hurricane (1999)
7.6/10
Director: Norman Jewison
Starring: Denzel Washington, John Hannah, Liev Schreiber, Deborah Kara Unger
He was the man who inspired songwriters, actors and everyday people to march on the streets of the US for justice and freedom. His name is Rubin "Hurr... Read more
The Boxer (Blu-ray) (1997)
7/10
Director: Jim Sheridan
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Emily Watson, Brian Cox
'In the Name of the Father's' Daniel Day-Lewis and director Jim Sheridan reteam on the story of an Irish Boxer imprisoned 14 years for his ties to the... Read more
Papillon (1973)
8/10
Director: Franklin J Schaffner
Starring: Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman, Victor Jory, Don Gordon, Anthony Zerbe
Based on a true story, petty criminal Henri Charriere, a.k.a. Papillon (Steve McQueen), is framed for murder and transported for life to the penal col... Read more
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
Hunger (2008)
7.6/10
Director: Steve McQueen
Starring: Liam Cunningham, Stuart Graham, Michael Fassbender
Follows life in the Maze Prison of Northern Ireland, with an interpretation of the highly emotive events surrounding the 1981 IRA Hunger Strike led by... Read more