Prison: 13

The comedy film, Paddington 2 (2017), directed and written by Paul King and Simon Farnaby respectively, is a live-action animated sequel to the 2014 movie Paddington. Produced by Heyday Films and StudioCanal UK, it is based on the beloved stories of Paddington Bear by Michael Bond. The lovable bear, now living with the Browns in Windsor Gardens, offers his support to his neighbors in various ways. In order to purchase a special pop-up book of London for his aunt Lucy’s milestone birthday from Samuel Gruber’s antique shop, Paddington takes on odd jobs ...

Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017) is an American neo-noir prison action thriller film directed and written by S. Craig Zahle. The story centers around Bradley Thomas, a former boxer who turns to drug smuggling to support himself after losing his job. However, a series of unfortunate events lands him in prison, where he must make the difficult decision of whether or not to kill a man in order to save his pregnant wife from a powerful drug lord seeking revenge. Along the way, Bradley is faced with the consequences of his previous actions and must navigate through various moral dilemmas. In this dark and unpredictable world, ...

Escape Plan (2013) is an American prison action thriller film featuring the talents of both Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ray Breslin, a former prosecutor, is the co-owner and founder of Breslin-Clark, a specialized security firm that puts supermax prisons to the test. He infiltrates facilities under the guise of an inmate in order to identify weaknesses and plan successful escapes. Motivated by the tragic deaths of his wife and child at the hands of an escaped convict he had previously prosecuted, Breslin has gained a reputation as an escape artist. When ...

An American action film, Get the Gringo (2012), was both directed and co-written by Adrian Grunberg, as well as produced by and starring Mel Gibson. The movie begins with a getaway driver and his injured accomplice posing as clowns, attempting to escape from American Border Patrol towards the Mexican border. Despite crashing through the fence, the driver is caught by deceitful Mexican officers Vasquez and Romero. After discovering a large sum of money in the car, they falsely accuse him and imprison him in El Pueblito prison. The officers keep the cash for themselves and ...

Directed by Phil Joanou, Gridiron Gang (2006) is an American biographical sports drama film that tells the story of Sean Porter, an employee at Kilpatrick Detention Center in Los Angeles. Frustrated by his inability to aid the troubled kids upon their release from the center – whether it be from street gangs or drug dealings – Porter devises a plan. He decides to form a football team, believing that it will instill in them the values of responsibility, maturity, and discipline. Carefully selecting individuals who he believes will benefit from this program, Porter gathers his team – the Kilpatrick ...

The film O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) is a clever mix of satire and drama, written, produced, co-edited, and directed by the talented duo Joel and Ethan Coen. Three prisoners – Pete, Delmar, and their leader Ulysses Everett McGill – flee from a chain gang in order to find a hidden fortune before the area is flooded. Along the way, they receive help from a blind man on a railway handcar who warns them that their reward may not be what they expect. Seeking refuge at Wash’s home – Pete’s cousin – the trio incurs the wrath of Sheriff ...

Directed by Stuart Baird, U.S. Marshals (1998) is a gripping American action crime thriller featuring a screenplay by John Pogue. In the bustling city of New York, two Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agents meet their untimely demise during a routine briefcase exchange at a United Nations parking garage. The killer manages to escape with confidential documents, captured on security footage but yet to be identified. Fast forward several months and we find Senior Deputy US Marshal Samuel Gerard and his team successfully apprehending two fugitives in Chicago. Meanwhile, ...

The Shawshank Redemption (1994), a prison drama film, was written and directed by Frank Darabont. The film is based on the 1982 novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King. Set in the late 1940s, it follows the story of Andy Dufresne, a former banker from Portland, Maine who is sentenced to two consecutive life terms for the murders of his wife and her lover. At Shawshank State Prison, Andy befriends Ellis ‘Red’ Redding, a fellow inmate serving a life sentence for smuggling contraband. With Red’s help, Andy acquires a rock ...

The American action thriller film, The Fugitive (1993), was directed by Andrew Davis and written by Jeb Stuart and David Twohy. After returning home in January 1992, Chicago surgeon Dr. Richard Kimble discovers his wife, Helen, has been murdered by a one-armed assailant who escapes capture. Despite Kimble’s explanation of events, there is no evidence of forced entry and his account is disregarded. Due to a misinterpreted 911 call and Helen’s large life insurance policy, Kimble is falsely accused and wrongfully ...

Lock Up (1989) is an American prison action film, directed by John Flynn. The story follows Frank Leone, a mechanic in Hoboken, New Jersey who is coming to the end of his sentence at Norwood – a low-security prison. Although he spends time outside the prison on furlough to fix cars, play football and see his girlfriend Melissa, Leone is suddenly taken from his cell by guards while he sleeps. This forceful transfer is orchestrated by Warden Drumgoole, as payback for an incident where Leone escaped from Drumgoole’s previous post – Treadmore Prison. In addition to this, Leone had also exposed ...

Directed by Gillian Armstrong, Mrs. Soffel (1984) is an American drama film featuring Diane Keaton and Mel Gibson. The movie is based on the true story of the Biddle brothers, who were sentenced to prison and later escaped with the help of Kate Soffel, the wife of a Pittsburgh warden in 1901. Despite being a devoted mother to their four children, Kate had been bedridden for months without explanation until she suddenly regained her strength. Desiring to spread comfort and hope to inmates, she begins reading Bible scripture ...

Victory (1981), a film directed by John Huston, follows a group of Allied POWs as they agree to participate in a football match against a German team. Led by English Captain John Colby, who played professionally for West Ham United before the war, the prisoners soon realize they are being used for German propaganda. As their captain and de facto manager, Colby handpicks his team members. However, Robert Hatch, an American serving with the Canadian Army, is initially left out but eventually convinces Colby to bring him on as the team’s trainer in order to facilitate his escape plans.

Don Siegel directed and co-produced the epic prison action thriller film, Escape from Alcatraz (1979). The story follows Frank Morris, a seasoned criminal who is transferred to the infamous maximum security prison on Alcatraz Island in the early 1960s. Known for its strict security measures, no inmate has ever successfully escaped from this facility. On the day of his arrival, Morris swipes a nail clipper from the Warden’s desk. As time passes, he befriends other prisoners such as Litmus, who has a sweet tooth; English, a black man serving two life sentences for killing in self-defense; and Doc, an elderly inmate ...