I know most will say "Shawshank Redemption" but I'm going with "Cool Hand Luke." The reason being Paul Newman. It's not fair, really, but Newman, gorgeous as he was, delivered performance after performance that outshined even those striking looks of his.
shareI've got to admit I loved Papillon, both the book and movie. I'm looking forward to the remake with Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek. I think they nailed the casting on this one.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5093026/
For a more off beat prison movie, what about "Bronson"? That was one crazy flick. If I had to name one more classic, it would be "In the Name of the Father". For a lesser known prison movie, check out "Dog Pound". It's an intense movie about a Juvenile Prison in Montana.
Blood In, Blood Out. Not a 100% prison movie but enjoyable because it’s from a Latino gang member perspective in Los Angeles.
shareAlthough not entirely about prison, In Cold Blood has some really harsh scenes near the end.
Conversely, Sleepers earlier in the film.
The Shawshank Redemption is amazing of course but I can name a few "surprise" choices for you:
Escape from Sobibor (1987)
Lock Up (1989)
Alien 3 (The Assembly Cut version, 1992)
Undisputed series
Escape Plan (2013)
Got to be The Shawshank Redemption, but The Great Escape gets an honourable mention.
shareArmy of Shadows (1969) for me. A perfect movie in my book. I agree with Roger Ebert when he wrote, "Rarely has a film shown so truly that place in the heart where hope lives with fatalism."
Cool Hand Luke (1967) is another one of my favorites, and Paul Newman's performance is unforgettable. "What we've got here is a failure to communicate!"
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Bad Boys (1983)
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