Prison Movies

List of the best movies about jail and prisoners, showing life and jailbreak: The Experiment, The Shawshank Redemption, Prison Break: The Final Break, Escape From Pretoria, The Next Three Days, Papillon, Animal Factory, Starred Up, Riot, A Man Escaped.

In the top there are new films of 2022, a plot description and trailers for films that have already been released.

Genre
Country
Markimdb: 7.7
Genrethriller, drama
CountryGermany
Duration01:54
PlotExperiments, Quests
PlacePrison
StylePsychological problems, Action, Heavy, Makes me think

Das Experiment is a shocking psycho thriller about the potential for brutality that humans hide. Even more shocking is the fact that it’s based on an actual occurrence—a 1971 psychological experiment at Stanford University that was aborted prematurely when the experimenters lost control.

Markimdb: 9.3
Genredrama
CountryUSA
Duration02:22
CharactersScammers, Prisoner, Friends, Good people
PlotSurvival, Prison Break, The escape, Freedom, Fate
PlacePrison, Mexico, USA
StyleInteresting, Popular, To cry, Atmospheric, Fascinating

Framed in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates -- including an older prisoner named Red -- for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope.

Markimdb: 7.9
Genreaction, thriller, drama
CountryUSA
Duration01:23
PlotFreedom
PlacePrison
StyleTwisted plot

The movie covers the events which occurred in between the downfall of The Company and the finale of the series. It details the arrest and incarceration of Sara Tancredi, the final escape plan which Michael devises for Sara. It also reveals the ultimate fate of Gretchen Morgan.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genrethriller
CountryUnited Kingdom, Australia, USA, South Africa, Germany
PlotPrison Break, On real events, Political, Freedom
PlacePrison, Africa, Australia
StyleAction, By books, Atmospheric, Tense, Makes me think

South Africa, 1978. Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee, two white political activists from the African National Congress imprisoned by the apartheid regime, put a plan in motion to escape from the infamous Pretoria Prison.

Markimdb: 7.3
Genreaction, thriller, melodrama, drama, crime
CountryUSA, France
Duration02:13
CharactersLawyers
PlotLove, Prison Break, Freedom, False accusations
PlacePrison, USA
StyleAction, Disturbing

A married couple's life is turned upside down when the wife is accused of a murder. Lara Brennan is arrested for murdering her boss with whom she had an argument. It seems she was seen leaving the scene of the crime and her fingerprints were on the murder weapon. Her husband, John would spend the next few years trying to get her released, but there's no evidence that negates the evidence against her. And when the strain of being separated from her family, especially her son, gets to her, John decides to break her out. So he does a lot of research to find a way.

Markimdb: 7.2
Genredrama, adventure, crime, biography
CountryUSA, Czech Republic, Spain
Duration01:00
CharactersThieves, Criminals
PlotOn real events, Survival, Prison Break, The escape, Friendship
PlacePrison, Jungle, Islands, Ships, France

Henri “Papillon” Charrière, a safecracker from the Parisian underworld, is wrongfully convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in the penal colony of French Guiana, where he forges a strong friendship with Louis Dega, a counterfeiter who needs his protection.

Duration01:31
CharactersFriends
PlotSurvival, Prison Break, Friendship, Depression
PlacePrison
StyleAction, Atmospheric, Heavy, Gloomy, Depressive

Suburbanite Ron is spoiled, young and not overly worried about the marijuana charges leveled against him. But, after being made out to be a drug dealer, he faces a five-year jail sentence in San Quentin State Prison. Physically frail and unaccustomed to his rough surroundings, Ron is primed to fall victim to sexual predators and bullying guards – that is, until he's befriended by Earl, a veteran inmate who finds meaning in protecting the vulnerable new kid.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genredrama, crime
CountryUnited Kingdom
Duration01:46
CharactersTeens, Gay
PlacePrison, England
StylePsychological problems, Action, Fascinating, Heavy, Touching

19-year-old Eric, arrogant and ultra-violent, is prematurely transferred to the same adult prison facility as his estranged father. As his explosive temper quickly finds him enemies in both prison authorities and fellow inmates — and his already volatile relationship with his father is pushed past breaking point — Eric is approached by a volunteer psychotherapist, who runs an anger management group for prisoners. Torn between gang politics, prison corruption, and a glimmer of something better, Eric finds himself in a fight for his own life, unsure if his own father is there to protect him or join in punishing him.

Markimdb: 5.2
Genreaction
CountryUSA
CharactersKillers, Heroes
PlotMartial Arts, Bank robbery, Revenge, Obsession, Rivalry
PlacePrison
StyleExciting, Action, Fascinating, Serious, For men

Copper Jack Stone purposefully orchestrates a bank robbery in order to be thrown into prison with the notorious Russian kingpin Balam. Balam is more than just a mob criminal; he's a very cunning and dangerous lord who controls the police force from behind bars. Balam lives in prison as a cover for his real power, which is King of the city. His cell is a lavish private room built specifically for him, inaccessible to most in the depths of the prison structure. Even the warden fears venturing into his area of the prison. However, even surrounded by his loyal henchmen and guards in his sectioned off fortress, Balam doesn't know Jack is coming for him to avenge his family, who Balam murdered in cold blood. Balam is tough... but Jack is tougher.

Markimdb: 8.3
Genrethriller, drama, military
CountryFrance
PlotPrison Break

A captured French Resistance fighter during World War II engineers a daunting escape from prison.

Markimdb: 6.4
Genrethriller, drama
CountryUSA
Duration01:44
CharactersTeens, Criminals
PlotSurvival, Death
PlacePrison, USA
StyleAction, Heavy, Depressive, Serious, Disturbing

A teenage boy is sent to a juvenile reform facility in the wilderness. As we learn about the tragic events that sent him there, his struggle becomes one for survival with the inmates, counselors, and the retired war colonel in charge.

Markimdb: 5.5
Genreaction, crime
CountrySoviet Union
Duration01:28
PlotMartial Arts, Martial Arts

Saveliy Govorkov, an Afghanistan war veteran tries to fight mafia in his own town.

Markimdb: 6.2
Genreaction, comedy
CountryUSA
Duration01:44
PlotDancing, Martial Arts, Revolution, Justice
PlacePrison
StyleExciting, By comics

Rob Schneider writes and stars in this comedy about a nerdy con man whose swindling ways land him a stiff prison sentence. Terrified at the prospect of being raped in prison he enlists the aid of a mysterious kung-fu expert to teach him how to fight.

Duration03:09
CharactersBodyguards, Good people, Guards
PlotSuperpowers, Supernatural, False accusations
PlacePrison
StylePopular, To cry, Inspirational, By books, Touching

A supernatural tale set on death row in a Southern prison, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the cellblock's head guard, Paul Edgecomb, recognizes Coffey's miraculous gift, he tries desperately to help stave off the condemned man's execution.

Markimdb: 7.3
Genreaction, thriller, drama, crime
CountryUSA
CharactersCriminals, Tough guys
PlotCars, Death
PlacePrison, USA
StyleAction, Smart, Tense

A newly-released prison gangster is forced by the leaders of his gang to orchestrate a major crime with a brutal rival gang on the streets of Southern California.

Markimdb: 7.1
Genredrama, crime, biography
CountryUnited Kingdom, Cayman Islands, Denmark, USA
Duration01:32
PlacePrison, England

A young man who was sentenced to 7 years in prison for robbing a post office ends up spending 30 years in solitary confinement. During this time, his own personality is supplanted by his alter ego, Charles Bronson.

Markimdb: 7.5
Genreaction, thriller, drama, crime
CountryNorway, France, Sweden, Poland
Duration01:56
PlotOn real events, Prison Break, Uprising
PlacePrison, Islands, Boarding school
StyleAction, Atmospheric, Heavy, Makes me think, Depressive

Based on a true story: Norwegian winter, 1915. On the island Bastøy, outside Oslo, a group of young boys aged 11 to 18, are held in an institution for delinquent youth, notorious for its sadistic regime. One day a new boy, Erling, arrives, determined to escape from the island. After a tragic incident, he ends up leading the boys in a violent uprising. When the boys manage to take over the island, 150 soldiers are sent in to restore order.

Markimdb: 7.2
Genreaction, thriller, drama, crime
CountryUSA
Duration01:46
CharactersFamily, Pregnant, Tough guys
PlotLove, Boxing, Abduction, Fight, Blackmail
PlacePrison
StyleExciting, Psychological problems, Action, Heavy, Tense

After working as a drug courier and getting into a brutal shootout with police, a former boxer finds himself at the mercy of his enemies as they force him to instigate violent acts that turn the prison he resides in into a battleground.

Markimdb: 7.9
Genredrama, crime
CountryFrance, Italy
Duration02:29
CharactersMafia, Gangsters, Gangsters, Lawyers
PlotMoney
PlacePrison, France
StyleAction, Heavy, Depressive, For men

Sentenced to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim) is alone in the world and can neither read nor write. On his arrival at the prison, he seems younger and more brittle than the others detained there. At once he falls under the sway of a group of Corsicans who enforce their rule in the prison. As the 'missions' go by, he toughens himself and wins the confidence of the Corsican group.

Markimdb: 7.2
Genredrama, crime
CountryUSA
Duration02:12
CharactersCats
PlotOn real events, Political, Justice
PlacePrison
StyleFascinating, Heavy, Tense, Makes me think, Serious

The new warden of a small prison farm in Arkansas tries to clean it up of corruption after initially posing as an inmate.

Markimdb: 6.9
Genreaction, thriller, crime
CountryUSA
Duration01:55
PlacePrison, Aircraft, Deserts, Helicopters
StyleExciting, Tense, Serious, Disturbing

When the government puts all its rotten criminal eggs in one airborne basket, it's asking for trouble. Before you can say, "Pass the barf bag," the crooks control the plane, led by creepy Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom. Watching his every move is the just-released Cameron Poe, who'd rather reunite with his family.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genreaction, thriller, drama, crime
CountryUSA
Duration01:48
CharactersJudge
PlotRevenge, Death, Justice
PlacePrison, Court
StyleUnexpected ending, Exciting, Psychological problems, Action, Serious

A frustrated man decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets one of his family's killers free. He targets not only the killer but also the district attorney and others involved in the deal.

Markimdb: 7
Genrefantastic, thriller, drama
CountrySpain
CharactersCannibals
PlotSurvival, Revolution, Recurring day, Cold, Hunger
PlacePrison, Kitchen
TimeFuture
StylePhilosophical, Deep Meaning, Tense, Gloomy, Makes me think

A mysterious place, an indescribable prison, a deep hole. An unknown number of levels. Two inmates living on each level. A descending platform containing food for all of them. An inhuman fight for survival, but also an opportunity for solidarity.

Markimdb: 6.6
Genreaction, thriller, crime
CountryUnited Kingdom, USA, Canada
Duration02:34
CharactersSpy, Killers, Police, Family, Fathers
PlotLove, Relationship, Investigation, Pursuit
PlacePrison
StyleTense

An ex-convict working undercover intentionally gets himself incarcerated again in order to infiltrate the mob at a maximum security prison.

Markimdb: 7.6
Genreaction, thriller, drama, adventure, crime
CountrySpain, France
Duration01:48
PlotHostage
PlacePrison
StylePsychological problems

The story of two men on different sides of a prison riot -- the inmate leading the rebellion and the young guard trapped in the revolt, who poses as a prisoner in a desperate attempt to survive the ordeal.

Markimdb: 6.2
Genreaction, thriller, drama
CountryUSA
Duration01:38
CharactersHeroes, Gladiators
PlotSurvival, Martial Arts, Skirmishes, Revenge, Karate
PlacePrison, Russia
StyleExciting, Heavy, Serious, Disturbing

A man must survive a prison where hardened criminals battle to the death for the warden's entertainment.

Markimdb: 7
Genredrama, crime
CountryFrance, Canada, United Kingdom
Duration01:31
PlacePrison
StyleAction, Soulful, Heavy, Serious

Three juvenile delinquents arrive at a correctional center and are put under the care of an experienced guard.

Markimdb: 7.6
Genreaction, thriller, drama, crime, biography
CountryUSA
Duration01:52
CharactersFriends, Mice, Partners, Prisoner
PlotOn real events, Prison Break, The escape, Freedom, Uprising
PlacePrison, Islands
StyleExciting, Atmospheric, Heavy, Tense, Depressive

Escape from Alcatraz tells the story of the only three men ever to escape from the infamous maximum security prison at Alcatraz. In 29 years, the seemingly impenetrable federal penitentiary, which housed Al Capone and "Birdman" Robert Stroud, was only broken once - by three men never heard of again.

Markimdb: 6.9
Genreaction, drama, crime, biography, sport
CountryUnited Kingdom, France, China, Cambodia, USA, Germany
Duration02:05
CharactersDogs, Hired assassins, Photographers
PlotLove, On real events, Survival, Martial Arts, Gambling
PlacePrison
StyleExciting, Action, Fascinating, Tense, Disturbing

The true story of Billy Moore, an English boxer incarcerated in Thailand's most notorious prison. Thrown into a world of drugs and violence, he finds his best chance to escape is to fight his way out in Muay Thai tournaments.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genreaction, thriller, adventure
CountryUSA
Duration02:16
CharactersTerrorists, FBI, Partners
PlotSkirmishes, Hostage, Weapon, Chase, Marine Corps
PlacePrison, Islands, Helicopters
StyleExciting, Action, Twisted plot, Tense, Serious

FBI chemical warfare expert Stanley Goodspeed is sent on an urgent mission with a former British spy, John Patrick Mason, to stop Gen. Francis X. Hummel from launching chemical weapons on Alcatraz Island into San Francisco. Gen. Hummel demands $100 million in war reparations to be paid to the families of slain servicemen who died on covert operations. After their SEAL team is wiped out, Stanley and John deal with the soldiers on their own.





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