10 Most Ominous Cinematic Prisons

Not a prison in the traditional sense of the word, this arena might even be a worse fate.

In a futuristic and totalitarian United States, prisoners are sent to fight armed, psychotic Stalkers in order to earn their freedom in televised bloodbaths. The newest Runner, Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger), was framed for a massacre for the sake of ratings and has to expose the corrupt television network to save himself.

A story that predicted reality television, this Paul Michael Glaser film was based on a novel that Stephen King had written under a pseudonym in 1982. From rocket sleds firing the Runners into the game zone to the truly threatening killers lurking about, this is a merciless place where captives kill or get killed.

The cruel treatment of prisoners is only second to the television networks serving as government propaganda machines.

Television has total control over citizens, who do not question its truthfulness until Richards and his allies starts changing the system. If Fireball does not get you with his flamethrower and Buzzsaw does not slice you up, the network might manipulate your death for their own gain.

Exploring themes such as violence, freedom of thought and autocracy in the context of a relatively new medium, this story reminds us that thinking for oneself is the best kind of liberation.