swap_horiz The Work 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

The Grand Illusion

Jean Renoir’s *The Grand Illusion* explores themes of loyalty and identity within a French prisoner-of-war camp during W...

French Escape 1930S Pow

9.4 Excellent

3

Papillon (1973)

Papillon is a 1973 prison escape drama by Franklin J. Schaffner, notable for Steve McQueen's Devil's Island convict role...

True Story Escape 1970S Devils Island

8.4 Great

4

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

5

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

6

Escape from Sobibor

Escape from Sobibor is a 1987 British TV film by Jack Gold about the 1943 revolt, a major Jewish prisoner uprising again...

True Story Escape 1980S Holocaust

7.7 Good

7

Brawl in Cell Block 99

Brawl in Cell Block 99 is a 2017 American prison thriller by S. Craig Zahler, notable for Vince Vaughn's brutal descent...

Revenge Violence 2010S Grindhouse

7.6 Good

8

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

9

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

10

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

11

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

12

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

13

A Prayer Before Dawn

A Prayer Before Dawn is a 2017 biographical prison drama by Jean-Stephane Sauvaire, based on boxer Billy Moore's Thai pr...

Boxing True Story Thailand 2010S

7.5 Good

14

Night of the Kings

Night of the Kings is Philippe Lacote's 2020 Ivorian prison fable set in Abidjan's MACA prison; it reached the 93rd Acad...

Storytelling Drama 2020S Ivorian

7.4 Good

15

The Mustang

The Mustang is Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre's 2019 prison drama, starring Matthias Schoenaerts as an inmate in a wild-hors...

Drama Rehabilitation 2010S Horse Training

7.2 Good

16

Dog Pound

Dog Pound is Kim Chapiron's 2010 Canadian juvenile-detention drama, an English-language remake of the 1979 British borst...

Drama Violence 2010S Juvenile

7.0 Good

17

O.G.

O.G. is Madeleine Sackler's 2018 U.S. prison drama starring Jeffrey Wright, filmed entirely inside Indiana's Pendleton C...

Modern Drama 2010S Reentry

6.9 Fair

18

Crown Heights

Crown Heights is a 2017 biographical legal drama, notable for recounting Colin Warner's wrongful murder conviction and h...

Drama True Story 2010S Wrongful

6.7 Fair

19

Papillon (2017)

Papillon is a 2017 remake directed by Michael Noer, notable for retelling Henri Charriere's penal-colony escape story wi...

Escape Remake 2010S Devils Island

6.5 Fair

20

Riot (2015)

Riot is a 2015 American prison action film directed by John Lyde, starring Matthew Reese, Dolph Lundgren, and Chuck Lidd...

Action Fighting Undercover 2010S

4.9 Poor