Highest-Rated Movies about 'Prison Life', Sort by Popularity

The Circle (2000), Lion's Den (2008), Middle of Nowhere (2012), Noem My Skollie (2015), Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), The Execution of Wanda Jean (2002), Prisoner of Paradise (2002), Woodpeckers (2017) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Prison Life movies.

#16. Law Abiding Citizen (2009)

Storyline: Clyde Shelton's family is brutally murdered. The ones responsible are caught. However, because of improper procedure, the D.A., Nick Rice only has circumstantial evidence. So he decides to get one of them to testify against the other. When Shelton learns of this, he is not happy. Ten years later, the one who was convicted is being executed but something goes wrong; his execution goes awry and he suffers. They learn that someone tampered with the machine. And the other one is found dead, killed in a gruesome manner. Rice suspects Shelton, so he has him picked up. At first, Shelton agrees to a plea agreement with Rice but changes his mind. It appears that Shelton is not done, it appears he blames the whole system and is declaring war on it going after everyone involved with his family's case. So Rice has to stop him but Shelton is way ahead of him.

Plot Keywords: vigilante, terrorist, prosecutor, prisoner, prison life, government official, tense ...

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#17. Felon (2008)

Storyline: A family man, Wade Porter, is living the American Dream with his girlfriend Laura and their son Michael: they have a nice house, he has just raised a loan to make his company grow and they are going to get married. However their dream becomes a nightmare when Wade unintentionally kills a burglar that had broken into their house in the middle of the night on his lawn. He is sent to trial and accepts a deal proposed by the prosecutor, being sentenced to three years in prison. During the transportation, there is an incident in the bus and Wade is framed and sent to the maximum security wing under the command of the corrupt Lieutenant Jackson. His cell-mate John Smith that was sentenced to life after avenging the death of his family befriends Wade and gives helpful advice and instills hope in Wade that he will return to his family.

Plot Keywords: husband, prisoner, spirited, dark, jail, prison life, accidental killing ...

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#18. Papillon (2017)

Storyline: Based on the international best-selling autobiographic books "Papillon" and "Banco", PAPILLON follows the epic story of Henri "Papillon" Charrière (Charlie Hunnam), a safecracker from the Parisian underworld who is framed for murder and condemned to life in the notorious penal colony on Devil's Island. Determined to regain his freedom, Papillon forms an unlikely alliance with quirky convicted counterfeiter Louis Dega (Rami Malek), who in exchange for protection, agrees to finance Papillon's escape.

Plot Keywords: convict, innocent man, prison guard, prisoner, escape artist, friend, tense ...

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#19. Bronson (2008)

Storyline: In 1974, a hot-headed 19 year old named Michael Peterson decided he wanted to make a name for himself and so, with a homemade sawn-off shotgun and a head full of dreams he attempted to rob a post office. Swiftly apprehended and originally sentenced to seven years in jail, Peterson has subsequently been behind bars for 34 years, 30 of which have been spent in solitary confinement. During that time, Michael Petersen, the boy, faded away and 'Charles Bronson,' his superstar alter ego, took center stage. Inside the mind of Bronson - a scathing indictment of celebrity culture.

Plot Keywords: prisoner, fighter, prison guard, promoter, wife, teacher, brutal ...

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#20. The Big House (1930)

Storyline: After a manslaughter conviction from drunk driving, nice but foolish Kent is sent to a prison over-crowded and unable to properly deal with its inmates. There he meets veteran criminals like Morgan and his hardened pal Butch. And the system punishes them all, turning them against each other and bringing out the worst.—Ken Yousten <kyousten@bev.net>

Plot Keywords: prisoner, prison official, guard, warden, criminal, gritty, thrilling ...

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#21. The United States of Leland (2003)

Storyline: As a detached kid spends time in juvenile hall for the unspeakable murder of a special needs kid, a writer and the people around him try to comprehend and cope with his reasoning for commiting this murder from the writings in a classroom book from his juvenile class, where he tries to let people know "the why".

Plot Keywords: young man, young woman, teacher, sister, mother, father, brooding ...

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#22. Two Way Stretch (1960)

Storyline: Dodger Lane (Peter Sellers) has planned the perfect robbery while in prison. He intends to break out of prison, steal a fortune in diamonds, and break back into prison before anyone notices. With only a few days' sentence left, and the perfect alibi, what could possibly go wrong?—Colin Tinto <cst@imdb.com>

Plot Keywords: inmate, accomplice, cellmate, prison official, con artist, witty, endearing ...

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#23. The Crowd Roars (1932)

Storyline: A wily D.A.(Brady) gets a 10 year conviction of a young 20 year old (Robert Graham)who he knows killed a man in self defense. Years later Brady becomes warden of the prison holding Graham. When Brady realizes that 6 years of working in the prison jute mill has pushed Graham to the breaking point, he gives him a chance- a new job as his valet. Graham responds well and earns the respect of both the warden and his beautiful daughter. Graham's mettle is put to the test when he stumbles onto a prison murder committed by his cell-mate. He must choose between the criminal code of silence and the warden's strong persuasion to reveal the killer.—Gary Jackson <garyjack5@cogeco.ca>

Plot Keywords: race car driver, brother, mistress, best friend, competitor, confident, gutsy ...

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#24. Pardon Us (1931)

Storyline: It's Prohibition, and the boys wind up behind bars after Stan sells some of their home-brew beer to a policeman. In prison, Stan's loose tooth "buzzes" when he talks and keeps getting him in trouble, because it sounds like he's giving everybody a rasp- berry. But it earns him the respect of The Tiger, a rough prisoner, and the boys manage to slip away during The Tiger's escape attempt. They disguise themselves in blackface and hide on a cotton plantation, but are recaptured when the warden happens by and here's Stan's buzzing tooth which causes to realize who the pair are. Back in the big house, they find themselves in a hail of bullets, caught between the state militia and gun-toting prisoners, when The Tiger tries another escape. Eventually the boys are pardoned by the senior warden, who erroneously believes that they intentionally warned the prison guards of the impending firestorm by firing the first shots.—Paul Penna <tterrace@wco.com>

Plot Keywords: bootlegger, partner, warden, daughter, cellmate, prisoner, playful ...

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#25. The Last Castle (2001)

Storyline: Robert Redford stars in this action drama as General Irwin, a respected three-star tactician whose career ends in disgrace when he's court-martialed and sent to The Castle, a maximum security military prison. Irwin quickly butts heads with the facility's autocratic warden, Colonel Winter (James Gandolfini), who runs his command with an iron fist, even killing prisoners when he deems it necessary. Irwin rallies his fellow convicts into a rag-tag army and leads them in a revolt against Winter, an action that the warden is ready to repel by violent means.

Plot Keywords: prisoner, warden, corporal, general, captain, fiery, tense ...

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#26. Midnight Return: The Story of Billy Hayes and Turkey (2016)

Storyline: The documentary, "Midnight Return" explores the enduring and emotional power of film as seen through the lens of the blockbuster success Midnight Express (1978). When Billy Hayes, one of the most infamous names of his generation and on whom the picture is based, returns to Turkey thirty years after his daring escape from prison, he faces a country still haunted by the film. Turkey suffered tremendous economic and psychological damage as a result of "Midnight Express" and more than thirty years later they are still trying to escape the stigma. So when a group of young Turkish Policemen reach out to their mortal enemy, Billy Hayes and invite him back to Istanbul for a conference, no one is more shocked and thrilled than Billy himself.—Anonymous

Plot Keywords: ex-convict, writer, director, turkish man, turkish woman, composer, engaging ...

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#29. The Quare Fellow (1962)

Storyline: Thomas Crimmins is a new warder, or guard, in an Irish prison. He is young, naive, and idealistic, determined to serve his country by his part in meting out justice to criminals. His superior, Regan, however, realizes that even prisoners are human beings, and Regan is sick of the eye-for-an-eye attitude that leads the state to execute condemned men, or "quare fellows." Crimmins begins to see that not all is black and white in his new world, and when he becomes involved with Kathleen, the wife of one of the condemned men, his attitude begins to change. When new evidence arises to suggest that Kathleen's husband may not deserve his fate, Crimmins is torn between his duty and his humanity.—Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>

Plot Keywords: guard, prisoner, warden, doctor, mistress, colleague, brooding ...

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#30. Castle on the Hudson (1940)

Storyline: Mobster Tommy Gordon isn't worried about being sentenced to Sing Sing prison because his political pals have promised him a quick parole. A troublesome prisoner, he finally concedes that his friends have deserted him, and he makes an effort to reform. When his girlfriend Kay is injured in an accident, Warden Long gives Tommy a pass to go see her. But trouble erupts when Tommy encounters the man responsible for his imprisonment.—Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>

Plot Keywords: gangster, prisoner, warden, girlfriend, rival, attorney, brooding ...

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