Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.
Imprisoned in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates -- including an older prisoner named Red -- for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope.
DramaCrimeprisonfriendshippolice brutalitycorruptionbased on novel or bookfreedomhopeprison celldelinquentredemptionparole boardprison escape
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Three questions people argue about. Answer first, then see how your circle and the community split.
Would The Shawshank Redemption hit harder if it came out today rather than in 1994?
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Answered from the reviews and content notes on file, never made up. If nothing on file settles it, it says so.
Character
Earnest, classical in form, resolved and meticulous.
- earnestironic
- classical in formformally daring
- resolvedopen-ended
- rawmeticulous
- gravecomic
Who loves it, who doesn't
334 profiled raters. Loved most by The Sinceres; disliked most by The Provocateurs.
Reviews
We read them all: the case against is ruthless_ruth's, funniest is quinn.ironist's. Marked below.
- quinn.ironistFunniestThe Ironist★½
A greeting card with a prison in it. Every emotion is pre-approved. I know I am alone here and I am comfortable.
- ruthless_ruthThe case againstThe Provocateur★½
It is fine. It is a warm bath of a film and everyone I know treats it like scripture. Freeman's narration is doing a lot of the work people credit to the story.
Cast
- Tim RobbinsAndy Dufresne
- Morgan FreemanEllis Boyd 'Red' Redding
- Bob GuntonWarden Norton
- William SadlerHeywood
- Clancy BrownCaptain Byron T. Hadley
- Gil BellowsTommy
- James WhitmoreBrooks Hatlen
- Mark RolstonBogs Diamond
- Jeffrey DeMunn1946 D.A.
- Larry BrandenburgSkeet
Crew
- Frank DarabontDirector
- Frank DarabontScreenplay
- Stephen KingNovel
- Roger DeakinsDirector of Photography
- Thomas NewmanOriginal Music Composer
- Richard Francis-BruceEditor
- Niki MarvinProducer
Where to watch
| Stream | |
|---|---|
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| Buy |
US availability, powered by JustWatch via TMDB. Other regions
Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Curator Co. Other media included when they land close.
Bambi 194283% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, contemplative.
The King's Speech 201080% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, resolved.
Casablanca 194379% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, meticulous.
Dead Poets Society 198979% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form.
Billy Elliot 200078% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form.
The Theory of Everything 201477% alikeBoth earnest, grave.
Rain Man 198877% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form.
The Secret Garden 199376% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, grave.
My Memory of Us 201870% alikeGame · Both earnest, grave, resolved.
House of Guinness 202568% alikeSeries · Both earnest, classical in form, grave.
Often watched with
Recommendations from TMDB. Opening one adds it to Curator Co.
