The new Netflix thriller Spiderhead tells a unique story set in a prison unlike any seen in other movies. The prison setting is one that can be very effective for drawing audiences in as it is an isolated, dangerous, and intense environment usually filled with colorful characters.
There have been a number of notable prison movies over the years, from ones that deliver big thrills to ones that make audiences cry to ones that are even funny. Ranker has highlighted the most popular prison movies of all time and it shows just how unique of a location it can be.
Con Air (1997)
Even those who don't like the movie have to it that Con Air's decision to take the prison movie genre airborne was a fresh approach. Nicolas Cage stars as a heroic prisoner finally about to be released. But while on a prison transport plane, the other inmates take over, forcing him to save the day.
Cage is a lot of fun in his full action mode and having a plane of wild criminals makes for a great Die Hard rip-off premise. There is also a fun ing cast including John Malkovich and Steve Buscemi who add some wackiness to the story.
The Longest Yard (1974)
Mixing a prison movie with a sports story is another unexpected way to take the genre, but it works wonderfully in the comedy The Longest Yard. Burt Reynolds stars as an ex-football star sent to prison where the warden tasks him with assembling a football team of convicts to play against his guards.
It marks one of Reynolds' best roles and the movie is a great mix of fun and sports action. While the Adam Sandler remake has its fans, the original is the one most worth seeking out.
Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
The thriller Law Abiding Citizen presents an interesting premise of a man who is able to hold the justice system in fear while in a prison cell. Gerard Butler plays a man whose family is murdered and blames the flawed justice system for letting them go. He then orchestrates an elaborate plot to bring it all down.
Jamie Foxx plays a lawyer attempting to figure out how this man is carrying out devastating attacks while behind bars. It makes for an intense mystery with many shocking moments.
Papillon (1973)
The idea of prison can be such an alien and fascinating thing that a true story set in such a place can be really interesting. Such is the case with the adventure movie Papillon, based on the true story of French convict Henri Charriere.
After being sentenced to a work camp in French Guiana, Henri (Steve McQueen) forms a relationship with a meek prisoner (Dustin Hoffman) as they plot their ambitious escape. There is something about prison escapes that is thrilling, and Papillion is even more so because it really happened.
The Great Escape (1963)
Steve McQueen seems to have a fondness for prison stories as he also starred in the epic adventure movie The Great Escape. Mixing the genre with a war story, this is the true tale of a group of allied soldiers in a German POW camp during World War II.
Working together, these men devise a plan to carry out the biggest and most daring prison escapes of all time. It is a fun ride mixed with real danger and features an all-star ensemble that also includes James Garner and Charles Bronson.
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
It is interesting how so many prison movies can get the audience to care about the criminals serving time. Perhaps no convict was as likable as Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke. Newman plays a petty criminal who is sentenced to a couple of years on a prison farm where he inspires the other convicts and challenges those in charge.
Newman is one of the most charismatic movie stars of all time and this is one of his very best roles. The movie is filled with fun, laughs, thrills, and moments of tension in this story of an unlikely hero.
Escape From Alcatraz (1979)
There are few prisons in the world more notorious than Alcatraz and its reputation is that of a prison no one has ever escaped from. Therefore, the simple title of Escape from Alcatraz is enticing for audiences.
Clint Eastwood stars in the movie as a con with a talent for prison breaks. But he has his work cut out for him when he is sentenced to this brutal island facility. It is an edge-of-the-seat thriller with another great anti-hero for the audience to get behind.
American History X (1998)
Sometimes a movie doesn't need to focus on the actual prison time while still making it a meaningful part of the story. Such is the case with the harrowing drama American History X. Edward Norton plays a neo-Nazi skinhead who is released from prison and must face the harmful path he carved out for himself and his loved ones.
Flashbacks reveal the terrifying way Norton's character was so entrenched in his racist beliefs but also shows how his time in prison opened his eyes to how wrong he was. The result is a brutal, shocking, and unforgettable movie.
The Green Mile (1999)
Based The Green Mile is set in the 1930s and stars Tom Hanks as a prison guard overseeing a group of death row inmates. But his life is changed when a new prisoner named John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) arrives.
The movie feels like a companion piece to The Shawshank Redemption and deals with similar themes of finding hope in this unexpected place. It is a heartbreaking yet entertaining movie filled with terrific performances, especially from Duncan.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Given that The Shawshank Redemption is often considered one of the greatest movies of all time, it is not too surprising that it ranks as the most popular prison movie. Tim Robbins stars as a man sentenced to the titular prison for a crime he says he didn't commit. There, he meets a fellow inmate (Morgan Freeman) and strikes up a beautiful friendship.
The movie is a touching story of friendship and humanity inside such a hopeless place. It is a gripping story that has humor, brutality, and moments of triumph.
