Prison thriller movies

A list of the best thriller movies about jail and prisoners, showing life and jailbreak: Nefarious, Cape Fear, Body Heat, The Next Three Days, Double Jeopardy, The Departed, Derailed, ...And Justice for All, Hannibal, Instinct.

In the top there are new films of 2023, a plot description and trailers for films that have already been released.

Markimdb: 6.3
Genrehorror, thriller
CountryUSA

On the day of his scheduled execution, a convicted serial killer gets a psychiatric evaluation during which he claims he is a demon, and further claims that before their time is over, the psychiatrist will commit three murders of his own.

Markimdb: 7.3
Genrethriller, crime
CountryUSA
Duration02:08

Sam Bowden is a small-town corporate attorney. Max Cady is a tattooed, cigar-smoking, bible-quoting, psychotic rapist. What do they have in common? Fourteen years ago, Sam was a public defender assigned to Max Cady's rape trial, and he made a serious error: he hid a document from his illiterate client that could have gotten him acquitted. Now, the cagey, bibliophile Cady has been released, and he intends to teach Sam Bowden and his family a thing or two about loss.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genrethriller, melodrama, drama, crime
CountryUSA
Duration01:53

In the midst of a searing Florida heat wave, a woman convinces her lover, a small-town lawyer, to murder her rich husband.

Markimdb: 7.3
Genreaction, thriller, melodrama, drama, crime
CountryUSA, France
Duration02:13

    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: 6.5
    Genrethriller, drama, crime, detective
    CountryUSA, Germany, Canada
    Duration01:45

    A woman framed for her husband's murder suspects he is still alive; as she has already been tried for the crime, she can't be re-prosecuted if she finds and kills him.

    Markimdb: 8.5
    Genrethriller, drama, crime
    CountryUSA, Hong Kong
    Duration02:31

    To take down South Boston's Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the underworld, not realizing the syndicate has done likewise. While an undercover cop curries favor with the mob kingpin, a career criminal rises through the police ranks. But both sides soon discover there's a mole among them.

    Markimdb: 6.6
    Genrethriller, drama, crime
    CountryUSA, United Kingdom
    Duration01:47

    When two married business executives having an affair are blackmailed by a violent criminal, they are forced to turn the tables on him to save their families.

    Markimdb: 7.4
    Genrethriller, drama, crime
    CountryUSA
    Duration01:54

    An ethical Baltimore defense lawyer disgusted with rampant legal corruption is asked to defend a judge he despises in a rape trial. But if he doesn't do it, the judge will have him disbarred.

    Markimdb: 6.8
    Genrethriller, drama, crime, detective
    CountryUSA, United Kingdom, Italy
    Duration02:11

    After having successfully eluded the authorities for years, Hannibal peacefully lives in Italy in disguise as an art scholar. Trouble strikes again when he's discovered leaving a deserving few dead in the process. He returns to America to make contact with now disgraced Agent Clarice Starling, who is suffering the wrath of a malicious FBI rival as well as the media.

    Markimdb: 6.5
    Genrethriller, drama
    CountryUSA
    Duration02:06

    In a prison for the criminally insane, deranged anthropologist Ethan Powell is set to be examined by a bright young psychiatrist, Theo Caulder. Driven by ambition and a hunger for the truth, Caulder will eventually risk everything—even put his very life on the line—in a harrowing attempt to understand the bizarre actions of this madman.

    Markimdb: 7.9
    Genreaction, thriller, drama, crime
    CountryUSA
    Duration02:24

    A Puerto-Rican ex-con, just released from prison, pledges to stay away from drugs and violence despite the pressure around him and lead on to a better life outside of NYC.

    Markimdb: 7.3
    Genrethriller, drama, crime
    CountryUSA, France
    Duration02:02

    Inspired by a true story. A petty criminal sent to Alcatraz in the 1930s is caught attempting to make an escape. As punishment he is put in solitary confinement. The maximum stay is supposed to be 19 days, but Henri spends years alone, cold and in complete darkness, only to emerge a madman and soon to be a murderer. The story follows a rookie lawyer attempting to prove that Alcatraz was to blame.

    Markimdb: 6.1
    Genrethriller, comedy, drama
    CountryUSA
    Duration01:36

    When recently single Steven moves into his new apartment, cable guy Chip comes to hook him up -- and doesn't let go. Initially, Chip is just overzealous in his desire to be Steven's pal, but when Steven tries to end the "friendship," Chip shows his dark side. He begins stalking Steven, who's left to fend for himself because no one else can believe Chip's capable of such behavior.

    Markimdb: 7
    Genrethriller, drama, crime
    CountryUSA, Canada
    Duration01:56

    Earl Stone, a man in his eighties, is broke, alone, and facing foreclosure of his business when he is offered a job that simply requires him to drive. Easy enough, but, unbeknownst to Earl, he's just signed on as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. He does so well that his cargo increases exponentially, and Earl hit the radar of hard-charging DEA agent Colin Bates.

    Markimdb: 6.7
    Genrethriller, melodrama, drama
    CountryUSA
    Duration01:55

      A young woman with a mysterious past lands in Southport, North Carolina where her bond with a widower forces her to confront the dark secret that haunts her.

      Markimdb: 7.6
      Genrethriller, drama, crime
      CountrySpain, USA
      Duration02:00

      A brilliant plastic surgeon creates a synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.

      Markimdb: 7.8
      Genrethriller, drama, biography, history
      CountryUSA, United Kingdom, India

      What was supposed to be a peaceful protest turned into a violent clash with the police. What followed was one of the most notorious trials in history.

      Markimdb: 7.4
      Genrethriller, drama, crime
      CountryUSA
      Duration01:44

      A family man convicted of killing an intruder must cope with life afterward in the violent penal system.

      Markimdb: 8.1
      Genrethriller, drama
      CountryCanada, Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom, USA
      Duration02:32

      Jack is a young boy of 5 years old who has lived all his life in one room. He believes everything within it are the only real things in the world. But what will happen when his Ma suddenly tells him that there are other things outside of Room?

      Markimdb: 6.9
      Genrethriller, melodrama, drama
      CountryUSA
      Duration01:51

      Depressed single mom Adele and her son Henry offer a wounded, fearsome man a ride. As police search town for the escaped convict, the mother and son gradually learn his true story as their options become increasingly limited.

      Markimdb: 6.9
      Genrethriller, drama
      CountryUSA

      Based on the true story of the events that led to the death of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., an elderly African American veteran with bipolar disorder, who was killed during a conflict with police officers who were dispatched to check on him.

      Markimdb: 7
      Genrethriller, melodrama, drama, military
      CountryUnited Kingdom, France, Canada, Belgium, USA
      Duration01:47

      France, 1940. In the first days of occupation, beautiful Lucile Angellier is trapped in a stifled existence with her controlling mother-in-law as they both await news of her husband: a prisoner of war. Parisian refugees start to pour into their small town, soon followed by a regiment of German soldiers who take up residence in the villagers' own homes. Lucile initially tries to ignore Bruno von Falk, the handsome and refined German officer staying with them. But soon, a powerful love draws them together and leads them into the tragedy of war.

      Markimdb: 7
      Genrethriller, melodrama, drama, detective
      CountryUSA
      Duration01:43

        The Words follows young writer Rory Jansen who finally achieves long sought after literary success after publishing the next great American novel. There's only one catch - he didn't write it. As the past comes back to haunt him and his literary star continues to rise, Jansen is forced to confront the steep price that must be paid for stealing another man's work, and for placing ambition and success above life's most fundamental three words.

        Markimdb: 6.5
        Genrethriller, drama, crime
        CountryUSA
        Duration02:35

        Naomi Watts stars as Susan, a single mother of two, working as a waitress in a small town. Her son, Henry, is an 11-year-old genius who not only manages the family finances but acts as emotional support for his mother and younger brother. When Henry discovers that the girl next door has a terrible secret, he implores Susan to take matters into her own hands in this imaginative and emotional drama.

        Markimdb: 6.8
        Genreaction, thriller
        CountryUSA
        Duration01:34

        A runaway train, transporting deadly, toxic chemicals, is barreling down on Stanton, Pennsylvania, and only two men can stop it: a veteran engineer and a young conductor. Thousands of lives hang in the balance as these ordinary heroes attempt to chase down one million tons of hurtling steel and prevent an epic disaster.

        Markimdb: 7.3
        Genrehorror, fantastic, thriller, drama, detective
        CountryUSA, Japan
        Duration02:27

        Though Kevin has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher, there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey, Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him — as well as everyone around him — as the walls between his compartments shatter apart.

        Markimdb: 7.3
        Genrethriller, drama, crime
        CountryUSA
        Duration02:20

          A motorcycle stunt rider considers committing a crime in order to provide for his wife and child, an act that puts him on a collision course with a cop-turned-politician.

          Markimdb: 7.5
          Genrethriller, drama, crime, biography
          CountryUnited Kingdom, USA
          Duration02:01

          Billy Hayes is caught attempting to smuggle drugs out of Turkey. The Turkish courts decide to make an example of him, sentencing him to more than 30 years in prison. Hayes has two opportunities for release: the appeals made by his lawyer, his family, and the American government, or the "Midnight Express".

          Markimdb: 6.9
          Genrethriller, drama, crime, detective
          CountryUSA
          Duration02:07

          Rusty Sabich is a deputy prosecutor engaged in an obsessive affair with a coworker who is murdered. Soon after, he's accused of the crime. And his fight to clear his name becomes a whirlpool of lies and hidden passions.

          Markimdb: 7.4
          Genrethriller, drama, crime
          CountryUSA

          A charismatic New York City jeweler always on the lookout for the next big score makes a series of high-stakes bets that could lead to the windfall of a lifetime. Howard must perform a precarious high-wire act, balancing business, family, and encroaching adversaries on all sides in his relentless pursuit of the ultimate win.

          Markimdb: 7.5
          Genrethriller, fantasy, drama, detective
          CountryUSA, Germany
          Duration02:24

          A hotshot lawyer gets more than he bargained for when he learns his new boss is Lucifer himself.

          Markimdb: 7.1
          Genrethriller, drama, crime, detective
          CountryUSA
          Duration02:03

          Lake Tahoe, 1969. Seven strangers, each one with a secret to bury, meet at El Royale, a decadent motel with a dark past. In the course of a fateful night, everyone will have one last shot at redemption.

          Markimdb: 6.7
          Genrethriller, detective
          CountryRussia, USA, United Kingdom, Cyprus

          Looking to investigate recruitment techniques of ISIS to lure women into Syria, Amy Whitaker, a journalist, creates a Facebook profile of a Muslim convert. When an ISIS recruiter contacts her online character, she experiences the process first hand.

          Markimdb: 7.6
          Genrethriller, drama, history
          CountryUSA, Germany, India
          Duration02:39

            During the Cold War, the Soviet Union captures U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers after shooting down his U-2 spy plane. Sentenced to 10 years in prison, Powers' only hope is New York lawyer James Donovan, recruited by a CIA operative to negotiate his release. Donovan boards a plane to Berlin, hoping to win the young man's freedom through a prisoner exchange. If all goes well, the Russians would get Rudolf Abel, the convicted spy who Donovan defended in court.

            Markimdb: 7.5
            Genrethriller, drama, crime
            CountryUSA
            Duration02:18

            A kidnapped boy strikes up a friendship with his captor: an escaped convict on the run from the law, headed by an honorable U.S. Marshal.

            Markimdb: 7.7
            Genrethriller, drama, biography
            CountryUSA, United Kingdom
            Duration02:00

            As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA 'exfiltration' specialist concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador.

            Markimdb: 7.8
            Genrethriller, comedy, drama, crime
            CountryUSA
            Duration01:49

            Aspiring comic Rupert Pupkin attempts to achieve success in show business by stalking his idol, a late night talk-show host who craves his own privacy.

            Markimdb: 7.2
            Genrethriller, drama, crime, detective
            CountrySouth Korea
            Duration01:35

            A former serial killer Byung-su gets diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and when a series of murders occur near his town, he worries whether the killings are his doings. Then, he comes across Tae-ju and realizes that he’s the killer. He reports this to the police, only to learn that Tae-ju is one. Byung-su tries to find evidence against Tae-ju, only to raise the young killer’s interest on him and his dear daughter.

            Markimdb: 7.6
            Genrethriller, detective
            CountryFrance, USA
            Duration02:14

            A tormented jazz musician finds himself lost in an enigmatic story involving murder, surveillance, gangsters, doppelgangers, and an impossible transformation inside a prison cell.

            Markimdb: 8.2
            Genrethriller, drama, detective
            CountryUSA
            Duration02:18

            World War II soldier-turned-U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels investigates the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane, but his efforts are compromised by his troubling visions and also by a mysterious doctor.

            Markimdb: 8.1
            Genrethriller, drama, crime, detective
            CountryUSA
            Duration02:33

              When Keller Dover's daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads and the pressure mounts. But just how far will this desperate father go to protect his family?

              Markimdb: 7.1
              Genrethriller, drama
              CountryUSA
              Duration01:41

                Dirty tricks stand to soil an ambitious young press spokesman's idealism in a cutthroat presidential campaign where 'victory' is relative.

                Markimdb: 6.3
                Genrethriller, melodrama, drama, detective, military
                CountryUSA
                Duration01:48

                  Sergeant John Tyree is home on a 2 week leave from Germany. He meets Savannah after he dives into the ocean to retrieve Savannah's purse that had fallen off the pier. John falls in love with Savannah who is a student on spring break helping build a house for Habitat for Humanity. A romance occurs and Savannah falls deeply in love with John. She promises to write John overseas until he returns.

                  Genrethriller, drama, crime
                  CountryUSA, Mexico, Canada

                  An ambitious young carny with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychiatrist who is even more dangerous than he is.

                  Markimdb: 6.5
                  Genrethriller, drama, crime, detective
                  CountryUnited Kingdom, USA
                  Duration01:28

                  On his sprawling country estate, an aging writer matches wits with the struggling actor who has stolen his wife's heart.

                  Markimdb: 6.7
                  Genrethriller, drama
                  CountryUSA, Japan
                  Duration01:50

                  A suburban family chooses seemingly sweet Peyton Flanders as their newborn's nanny. Only much later does the infant's mother, Claire Bartel, realize Peyton's true intentions -- to destroy Claire and replace her in the family. The nail-biting suspense builds quickly in this chilling psychological thriller about deception and bitter revenge.

                  Markimdb: 7.7
                  Genrethriller, drama, adventure, detective
                  CountryUSA
                  Duration02:09

                  In honor of his birthday, San Francisco banker Nicholas Van Orton, a financial genius and a coldhearted loner, receives an unusual present from his younger brother, Conrad -- a gift certificate to play a unique kind of game. In nearly a nanosecond, Nicholas finds himself consumed by a dangerous set of ever-changing rules, unable to distinguish where the charade ends and reality begins.

                  Markimdb: 7.8
                  Genrethriller, drama, crime
                  CountryUSA
                  Duration01:58

                    When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.

                    Markimdb: 6.3
                    Genrethriller, drama, detective
                    CountryUSA, Australia, Luxembourg, Canada
                    Duration01:53

                    When the daughter of a psychiatrist is kidnapped, he's horrified to discover that the abductors' demand is that he break through to a post traumatic stress disorder suffering young woman who knows a secret..

                    Markimdb: 7.5
                    Genrethriller, drama, crime
                    CountryUnited Kingdom, Germany, Spain, USA
                    Duration02:10

                    A man against capital punishment is accused of murdering a fellow activist and is sent to death row.




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