39 Best Prison Movies of All Time

By Vlad Zakh · January 26, 2026

United States Drama intensethought provoking

The Shawshank Redemption is the film most people think of first, hope as an active choice rather than a feeling, and American History X shows the genre’s harder, more uncomfortable edge. Hunger is a stark, physical account of the 1981 Irish hunger strikes, Starred Up is a raw father-and-son story in a British prison, and The Last Castle stages a quiet battle of wills in a military jail. Felon is underseen and brutal. Papillon, Cool Hand Luke, A Prophet, Escape from Alcatraz, The Green Mile and Brubaker round out the list.

Hunger (2008) 01

Hunger (2008)

TMDB ★ 7.3

A stark, physical account of the 1981 Irish hunger strikes.

Directed by Steve McQueen · 1h 36m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Starred Up (2013) 02

Starred Up (2013)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A raw, unglamorous father-son story set inside a British prison.

Directed by David Mackenzie · 1h 46m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Felon (2008) 03

Felon (2008)

TMDB ★ 6.6

An underseen, brutal look at how prison politics reshape an ordinary man.

Directed by Ric Roman Waugh · 1h 43m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Philo · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Last Castle (2001) 04

The Last Castle (2001)

TMDB ★ 6.5

A military-prison drama built around a quiet battle of wills.

Directed by Rod Lurie · 2h 11m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Brubaker (1980) 05

Brubaker (1980)

TMDB ★ 6.9

A new prison warden goes undercover as an inmate to expose the institution's brutal corruption.

Directed by Stuart Rosenberg · 2h 11m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Papillon (1973) 06

Papillon (1973)

TMDB ★ 7.7

A wrongly convicted man endures brutal conditions in a penal colony while relentlessly plotting his escape.

Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner · 2h 31m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Cool Hand Luke (1967) 07

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

TMDB ★ 8.1

A rebellious prisoner's repeated escape attempts from a brutal chain gang make him a legend among his fellow inmates.

Directed by Stuart Rosenberg · 2h 07m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
A Prophet (2009) 08

A Prophet (2009)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 96% Metacritic 90

An illiterate young inmate climbs a prison's criminal hierarchy over several brutal years.

Directed by Jacques Audiard · 2h 35m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar52 wins & 57 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Escape from Alcatraz (1979) 09

Escape from Alcatraz (1979)

TMDB ★ 7.6

An inmate at the supposedly escape-proof Alcatraz prison plots a meticulous breakout.

Directed by Don Siegel · 1h 53m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Philo, Paramount+ Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Green Mile (1999) 10

The Green Mile (1999)

IMDb ★ 8.6 RT 78% Metacritic 61

A death row prison guard witnesses miraculous events around a gentle inmate convicted of a brutal crime.

Directed by Frank Darabont · 3h 09m · Rated R

Nominated for 4 Oscars15 wins & 37 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
American History X (1998) 11

American History X (1998)

IMDb ★ 8.5 RT 84% Metacritic 62

A former neo-Nazi tries to stop his younger brother going down the same path of hate that consumed him.

Directed by Tony Kaye · 1h 59m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar4 wins & 15 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 12

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

IMDb ★ 9.3 RT 89% Metacritic 82

Hope as an active choice, not a passive feeling, patiently built over two and a half hours.

Directed by Frank Darabont · 2h 22m · Rated R

Nominated for 7 Oscars21 wins & 43 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, TNT, TBS, tru TV · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Le Trou (1960) 13

Le Trou (1960)

TMDB ★ 8.1

A group of prisoners meticulously plans an escape by tunnelling beneath their cell.

Directed by Jacques Becker · 2h 12m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Criterion Channel

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954) 14

Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954)

TMDB ★ 7.4

Inmates seize control of a prison to expose the brutal conditions no one outside will acknowledge.

Directed by Don Siegel · 1h 20m

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) 15

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

IMDb ★ 8.6 RT 92% Metacritic 84

A rebellious new patient clashes with a psychiatric ward's iron-fisted head nurse.

Directed by Miloš Forman · 2h 15m · Rated R

Won 5 Oscars38 wins & 15 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Girl, Interrupted (1999) 16

Girl, Interrupted (1999)

TMDB ★ 7.3

A troubled young woman institutionalised at a psychiatric hospital befriends a manipulative fellow patient.

Directed by James Mangold · 2h 07m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Stalag 17 (1953) 17

Stalag 17 (1953)

TMDB ★ 8.1

POWs suspect one of their own is feeding information to their German captors.

Directed by Billy Wilder · 2h 00m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Philo · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Great Escape (1963) 18

The Great Escape (1963)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 94% Metacritic 86

Allied prisoners of war plan an elaborate mass breakout from a heavily guarded German camp.

Directed by John Sturges · 2h 53m · Rated NR

Nominated for 1 Oscar3 wins & 12 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Philo, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Midnight Express (1978) 19

Midnight Express (1978)

TMDB ★ 7.6

An American student is brutally imprisoned in a Turkish jail after being caught smuggling drugs.

Directed by Alan Parker · 2h 01m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Bronson (2008) 20

Bronson (2008)

TMDB ★ 7.1

A fictionalised account of Britain's most notorious and violent long-term prisoner.

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn · 1h 32m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Dox Amazon Channel, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel, Warriors and Gangsters Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Escape Plan (2013) 21

Escape Plan (2013)

TMDB ★ 6.7

A security expert who tests prisons for weaknesses finds himself trapped in the very facility he cannot crack.

Directed by Mikael Håfström · 1h 55m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+, YouTube TV, AMC, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Longest Yard (1974) 22

The Longest Yard (1974)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A disgraced ex-pro quarterback organises a prison football team to play the guards.

Directed by Robert Aldrich · 2h 01m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: MGM Plus · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Con Air (1997) 23

Con Air (1997)

TMDB ★ 6.7

A paroled army veteran is trapped aboard a prisoner transport plane hijacked by dangerous convicts.

Directed by Simon West · 1h 56m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV, TNT, TBS, tru TV · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Animal Factory (2000) 24

Animal Factory (2000)

TMDB ★ 6.7

A first-time inmate is taken under the wing of a prison veteran who runs his own quiet operation inside.

Directed by Steve Buscemi · 1h 34m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Blood In Blood Out (1993) 25

Blood In Blood Out (1993)

TMDB ★ 8.1

Three Chicano cousins' lives diverge across gang life, prison and the LAPD over fifteen years.

Directed by Taylor Hackford · 3h 10m · Rated R

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
In the Name of the Father (1993) 26

In the Name of the Father (1993)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 94% Metacritic 84

An Irishman wrongly imprisoned for an IRA bombing fights for years to clear his name.

Directed by Jim Sheridan · 2h 13m · Rated R

Nominated for 7 Oscars7 wins & 41 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Hurricane (1999) 27

The Hurricane (1999)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A wrongly convicted boxer's decades-long fight for exoneration is helped by a devoted group of supporters.

Directed by Norman Jewison · 2h 26m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Starz Apple TV channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) 28

Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A flamboyant window dresser and a hardened revolutionary form an unlikely bond while sharing a prison cell.

Directed by Héctor Babenco · 2h 00m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Lock Up (1989) 29

Lock Up (1989)

TMDB ★ 5.9

A model prisoner nearing release is transferred to a prison run by a warden with a brutal, personal vendetta.

Directed by John Flynn · 1h 49m · Rated R

Where to watch

Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Experiment (2010) 30

The Experiment (2010)

TMDB ★ 6.1

Volunteers in a paid prison-simulation study slide into real abuse within days.

Directed by Paul T. Scheuring · 1h 36m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Lockout (2012) 31

Lockout (2012)

TMDB ★ 6.1

A wrongly convicted ex-government agent is sent into a maximum-security space prison to rescue the president's daughter.

Directed by Stephen St. Leger & James Mather · 1h 35m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Get the Gringo (2012) 32

Get the Gringo (2012)

TMDB ★ 6.5

An American career criminal thrown into a corrupt Mexican prison must scheme his way to freedom.

Directed by Adrian Grünberg · 1h 36m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, YouTube TV, ViX Premium Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Sleepers (1996) 33

Sleepers (1996)

TMDB ★ 7.6

Childhood friends brutalised in a juvenile detention centre reunite years later to enact a plan of revenge.

Directed by Barry Levinson · 2h 27m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Stir Crazy (1980) 34

Stir Crazy (1980)

TMDB ★ 6.7

Two wrongly convicted friends try to survive prison life while scheming their way into the annual rodeo.

Directed by Sidney Poitier · 1h 51m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) 35

Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)

TMDB ★ 7.7

A convicted murderer serving a life sentence becomes a world-renowned expert on birds from inside his cell.

Directed by John Frankenheimer · 2h 27m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
A Man Escaped (1956) 36

A Man Escaped (1956)

TMDB ★ 8.1

A French resistance fighter carefully plans his escape from a Nazi prison before his execution date.

Directed by Robert Bresson · 1h 41m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Criterion Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Brute Force (1947) 37

Brute Force (1947)

TMDB ★ 7.5

A hardened inmate plots an elaborate breakout against a sadistic, power-obsessed prison captain.

Directed by Jules Dassin · 1h 38m

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, FlixFling, HBO Max, Artiflix · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, FlixFling

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) 38

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

TMDB ★ 7.7

A war veteran wrongly imprisoned on a brutal chain gang makes a desperate escape.

Directed by Mervyn LeRoy · 1h 32m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Big House (1930) 39

The Big House (1930)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A wealthy young man sentenced to a brutal prison has to navigate its rigid hierarchy of hardened criminals.

Directed by George W. Hill · 1h 27m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

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Vlad Zakh

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.