Highest-Rated Movies about 'Prison Life'

Lion's Den (2008), The Concrete Jungle (1960), American History X (1998), A Prophet (2009), The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962), Carandiru (2003), Blow (2001), Escape from Alcatraz (1979) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Prison Life movies.

#3. American History X (1998)

Storyline: Derek Vineyard is paroled after serving 3 years in prison for brutally killing two black men who tried to break into/steal his truck. Through his brother's, Danny Vineyard, narration, we learn that before going to prison, Derek was a skinhead and the leader of a violent white supremacist gang that committed acts of racial crime throughout L.A. and his actions greatly influenced Danny. Reformed and fresh out of prison, Derek severs contact with the gang and becomes determined to keep Danny from going down the same violent path as he did.

Plot Keywords: racism, hate crime, redemption, prison life, violence, family dynamics, brotherhood ...

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#4. A Prophet (2009)

Storyline: Nineteen year-old Franco-Arab Malik El Djebena is just starting his six year prison sentence in Brécourt. Although he has spent the better part of his life in juvenile detention, this stint is his first in an adult prison. Beyond the division of Corsicans and Muslims in the prison (the Corsicans who with their guard connections rule what happens in the prison), he has no known friends or enemies inside. He is just hoping to serve his time in peace and without incident, despite having no prospects once he's out of jail since he's illiterate and has no support outside of the prison. Due to logistics, the head of Corsican inmates, a sadistic mafioso named César Luciani, co-opts Malik as part of the Corsicans' activities, not only regarding what happens inside the prison, but also continued criminal activities outside. The innocent Malik has no idea what to do but cooperate. This move does not sit well with the other Corsicans, who only see Malik as a dirty Arab, and the Muslims who now ...

Plot Keywords: crime, drama, prison, gangster, coming of age, french film, violence ...

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#5. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)

Storyline: A rebellious youth, sentenced to a boy's reformatory for robbing a bakery, rises through the ranks of the institution through his prowess as a long distance runner. During his solitary runs, reveries of his life and times before his incarceration lead him to re-evaluate his privileged status as the Governor's prize runner.

Plot Keywords: british film, social realism, class conflict, working class, 1960s, black and white film, social critique ...

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#6. Carandiru (2003)

Storyline: Brazilian MD Drauzio Varella starts AIDS prevention in Brazil's largest prison, Carandiru, in São Paulo, where the population is nearly double its 4,000 maximum. Doc learns from experience and mainly stories the tragic stories of hideous crimes which landed scum there and passionate dramas adding otherwise decent people. Just when he believes to leave the prisoners happy with a soccer tournament, a silly clothing line argument kick-starts a politically opportune revolt repression.

Plot Keywords: prison, violence, crime, true story, social issues, human nature, survival ...

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#7. Blow (2001)

Storyline: A boy named George Jung grows up in a struggling family in the 1950's. His mother nags at her husband as he is trying to make a living for the family. It is finally revealed that George's father cannot make a living and the family goes bankrupt. George does not want the same thing to happen to him, and his friend Tuna, in the 1960's, suggests that he deal marijuana. He is a big hit in California in the 1960's, yet he goes to jail, where he finds out about the wonders of cocaine. As a result, when released, he gets rich by bringing cocaine to America. However, he soon pays the price.

Plot Keywords: drug trafficking, crime, biography, true story, usa, 1970s, 1980s ...

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#8. Escape from Alcatraz (1979)

Storyline: The true story of three inmates who attempt a daring escape from the infamous prison, Alcatraz Island. Although no one had managed to escape before, bank robber Frank Morris (Clint Eastwood) masterminded this elaborately detailed, and, as far as anyone knows, ultimately successful, escape. In twenty-nine years, this seemingly impenetrable federal penitentiary, which housed Al Capone and "Birdman" Robert Stroud, was only broken once by three inmates who were never heard of again.

Plot Keywords: prison break, prison, true story, clint eastwood, thriller, crime, drama ...

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#9. Midnight Express (1978)

Storyline: On October 6, 1970 while boarding an international flight out of Istanbul Airport, American Billy Hayes (Brad Davis) is caught attempting to smuggle two kilos of hashish out of the country, the drugs strapped to his body. He is told that he will be released if he cooperates with the authorities in identifying the person who sold him the hashish. Billy's troubles really begin when after that assistance, he makes a run for it and is recaptured. He is initially sentenced to just over four years for possession, with no time for the more harsh crime of smuggling. The prison environment is inhospitable in every sense, with a sadistic prison guard named Hamidou (Paul L. Smith) ruling the prison, he who relishes the mental and physical torture he inflicts on the prisoners for whatever reason. Told to trust no one, Billy does befriend a few of the other inmates, namely fellow American Jimmy Booth (Randy Quaid) (in for stealing two candlesticks from a mosque), a Swede named Erich (Norbert ...

Plot Keywords: prison, drugs, true story, escape, law, injustice, violence ...

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#10. Starred Up (2013)

Storyline: Eric Love is a 19 year old teenager who is so violent he has been 'Starred Up' (Moved to Adult prison) where he finds his father Neville who Eric hasn't seen since he was 5 (since he was put into care). Neville tries to get Eric to settle down, so Eric gets a chance to go through therapy with Oliver.

Plot Keywords: crime, drama, prison, violence, father-son relationship, british film, psychological ...

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#11. Wild Rose (2018)

Storyline: Fresh out of jail after one year imprisoned for narcotics possession, Rose-Lynn Harlan is a 23 years-old working-class girl from Glasgow, Scotland, who tries to rectify her chaotic life: foul-mouthed, streetwise, rebellious and free-spirited, Rose-Lynn reunites with her children, older Wynonna and younger Lyle, cared for during her imprisonment by their grandmother Marion, who openly despises her daughter's lifestyle. A worker in the bakery of a shopping center for twenty years, Marion struggles to understand her daughter, who becomes determined to travel Nashville, Tennesse (country music's cradle) to become a famous country singer. Due to a lack of resources and her poor academic studies, Rose-Lynn tries to return to her former job as a singer in the country bar Grand Ole Opry, having been fired by owners Jackie and Alan after they learn about her conviction. Thanks to Marion's good name, Rose-Lynn gets a job as a cleaning lady in the house of Susannah, an upper-class woman married to James, and mother of little children Rory and Nell. Blessed with talent, charisma, cheek, and a powerful voice, one day Rose-Lynn is discovered singing in her daily work by Susannah, who befriends Rose-Lynn and decides to help her to travel to Nashville by throwing a fund-raising party especially for her. Therefore, troubles are around the corner: Wynonna and Lyle are time and time again neglected by a mother unable to reconcile with them who hides their existence to Susannah, James mistrusts Rose-Lynn by the way that Susannah is interested in her, and Marion sends an ultimatum forcing her to make a choice between her dream to be singer, or her reality to be mother. Troubled, auto-destructive and badly influenced by her friend and occasional lover Elliot (a fan of alcohol, night and wild partying), Rose-Lynn finds herself trapped in a crossroads struggling against her worst enemy: herself.—Chockys

Plot Keywords: musical, drama, british film, female lead, country music, dreams, coming of age ...

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#13. Brubaker (1980)

Storyline: When the new warden comes in disguised as an inmate, he sees firsthand all the corruption and scams the guards and prison officials are running. When he reveals himself and starts to implement reforms to stop the corruption, the local business community, who had been benefiting from the scams, fights back, and the corrupt prison system starts making political trouble for the new warden.

Plot Keywords: prison, corruption, reform, justice, abuse, system, exposé ...

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#15. 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: prison, crime, drama, gangster, prison break, corruption, violence ...

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