swap_horiz Prison (1987) Alternatives

1

Le Trou

Jacques Becker’s *Le Trou* (The Hole) is a seminal 1960 French prison film. The movie gained recognition for its remarka...

Classic French Escape 1960S

9.5 Brilliant

2

Starred Up

Starred Up is a 2013 British prison drama by David Mackenzie, notable for Jack O'Connell's violent young offender placed...

Youth British Violence 2010S

8.2 Great

3

A Twelve-Year Night

A Twelve-Year Night is Alvaro Brechner's 2018 Uruguayan-led drama about Tupamaro prisoners, including future president J...

True Story Political Uruguayan 2010S

7.8 Good

4

In Prison Awaiting Trial

In Prison Awaiting Trial is a 1971 Italian drama by Nanni Loy, notable for Alberto Sordi's Kafkaesque ordeal in Italy's...

Italian Drama 1970S Legal

7.6 Good

5

The Prisoner (1955)

The Prisoner is a 1955 British psychological drama by Peter Glenville, starring Alec Guinness and nominated for five BAF...

Drama Political 1950S Interrogation

7.6 Good

6

Clemency

Clemency is Chinonye Chukwu's 2019 U.S. death-row drama; she was the first Black woman to win Sundance's U.S. Dramatic G...

Drama 2010S Death Row Warden

7.6 Good

7

Made in Britain

Made in Britain is a 1982 British television film by Alan Clarke, notable for Tim Roth's debut as a racist skinhead in s...

Youth British 1980S Detention

7.5 Good

8

King Rat

King Rat is a 1965 POW film written and directed by Bryan Forbes, adapted from James Clavell's Changi Prison-based novel...

Drama 1960S War Pow

7.5 Good

9

The Hurricane (1999)

The Hurricane is a 1999 biographical prison drama by Norman Jewison, notable for Denzel Washington's Oscar-nominated por...

Boxing Biopic 1990S Wrongful

7.4 Good

10

The Inner Cage

The Inner Cage is a 2021 Italian prison drama by Leonardo Di Costanzo, notable for its standoff between guards and inmat...

Modern Italian Drama 2020S

7.3 Good

11

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence is a 1983 POW drama by Nagisa Oshima, starring David Bowie and Ryuichi Sakamoto in a Japane...

Japanese 1980S War Pow

7.3 Good

12

Bad Boys (1983)

Bad Boys is a 1983 juvenile prison drama by Rick Rosenthal, notable for Sean Penn's early starring role as a Chicago you...

Drama Crime 1980S Juvenile

7.2 Good

13

Stir (1980)

Stir is Stephen Wallace's 1980 Australian prison drama, based on writer Bob Jewson's experience of the 1974 Bathurst pri...

Drama Australian 1980S Riot

7.0 Good

14

McVicar

McVicar is a 1980 British prison drama by Tom Clegg, starring Roger Daltrey as armed robber and later writer John McVica...

Escape British 1980S Biopic

6.8 Fair

15

An Innocent Man

An Innocent Man is a 1989 American prison drama by Peter Yates, notable for casting Tom Selleck as a framed engineer for...

Drama Revenge 1980S Wrongful

6.3 Fair

16

Beyond Re-Animator

Beyond Re-Animator is a 2003 Spanish-American horror sequel directed by Brian Yuzna, the third film in the Re-Animator s...

Horror 2000S Sequel Science Fiction

5.7 Mediocre

17

Reform School Girls

Reform School Girls is a 1986 American prison black comedy by Tom DeSimone, a genre spoof starring Linda Carol and Wendy...

Exploitation 1980S Women Juvenile

5.4 Mediocre

18

Chained Heat

Chained Heat is a 1983 women-in-prison exploitation film by Paul Nicholas, starring Linda Blair and Sybil Danning in a U...

Exploitation 1980S Violence Women

4.7 Poor

19

Doing Hard Time

Doing Hard Time is a 2004 American prison action drama, notable for Boris Kodjoe's revenge plot inside prison after his...

Drama Crime Revenge 2000S

4.2 Poor

20

Penitentiary III

Penitentiary III is a 1987 sequel by Jamaa Fanaka, notable for extending the prison boxing series with Leon Isaac Kenned...

Boxing 1980S Sequel Blaxploitation

4.2 Poor