20 Prison Movies You Must See Before You Die

12. The Hill (1965)

The Hill, an underrated by absolutely essential prison camp drama directed by the great Sidney Lumet in 1965, stars Sean Connery in one of his best ever roles. Set in a British "glasshouse" in the Libyan desert, the plot concerns five prisoners who are continually made to climb a man-made hill located in the middle of the camp in the searing heat. The unique conceit of this picture lies in the fact that the prisoners are being held by their own allies, locked up for insubordination. All this doesn't bode well with the prisoners, of course, as tensions - exacerbated by the extreme conditions - begin to develop. Chances are that The Hill has slipped under your radar over the years, given that it's proven to be a toughie to find on DVD; if you ever get the chance to see it, though, don't pass up the opportunity: it's certainly one of the great prison movies that nobody's seen.