If you ask somebody what their favourite movie is, there's a 50% chance they'll say "The Shawshank Redemption." Frank Darabont's perfect prison picture, adapted from a novella by - would you believe it? - Stephen King, was ignored upon its first release. It wasn't until it became a hit on video a year later that word began to get around. The story, simple but dense with character and plot, concerns an innocent man who is placed behind bars for a crime he did not commit. And so begins what is undoubtably one of the greatest movies ever made, regardless of its prison setting. Audiences love The Shawshank Redemption because, despite its grim and harrowing moments (and there are many), it is ultimately a story of hope. The central friendship shared between Tom Robbins' Andy and Morgan Freeman's Red makes for one of cinema's great pairings, whilst Frank Darabont's wonderful script and crisp direction renders it a modern classic. All it takes is one word to make you tear up: "Zihuatanejo." Like this article? Have we missed any prison movies you thought should have made the cut? Let us know all your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
