Best Prison Movies

1994 • Rating 8.7 • drama, crime

Imprisoned in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates -- including an older prisoner named Red -- for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope.

Genre: Drama, Crime

Style: Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Family

Plot: Prison, Friendship, Police Brutality, Corruption, Based On Novel Or Book, Freedom, Hope, Prison Cell, Delinquent, Redemption

Time: Year 1994, 1990S, 1994-09-23

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler, Clancy Brown, Gil Bellows

1990 • Rating 8.5 • drama, crime

The true story of Henry Hill, a half-Irish, half-Sicilian Brooklyn kid who is adopted by neighbourhood gangsters at an early age and climbs the ranks of a Mafia family under the guidance of Jimmy Conway.

Genre: Drama, Crime

Style: Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: Prison, Florida, New York City, Based On Novel Or Book, Gangster, Mass Murder, Drug Trafficking, 1970S, Irish American, Gore

Time: Year 1990, 1990S, 1990-09-12

Place: United States Of America, Italian, English, New York

Cast: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Paul Sorvino, Frank Sivero

2026 • Rating 7.3 • crime, drama, thriller

Taylor's hopes for a fresh start post-parole are jeopardised by cellmate Dee's arrival. As Dee takes Taylor under his wing, a vicious attack tests their bond, forcing Taylor to choose between protecting Dee and his own chances at freedom.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Style: Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: Prison, Male Friendship, Addiction, Drug Dealing, Parole, Parolee, Estranged Son, British Prison, Prison Yard, Prison Drama

Time: Year 2026, 2020S, 2026-02-20

Place: United Kingdom, English

Cast: David Jonsson, Tom Blyth, Alex Hassell, Neil Linpow, Paul Hilton, Corin Silva