The Shawshank Redemption
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.
September 23, 1994 · Directed by Frank Darabont
What's been said
Viewers and critics broadly embrace The Shawshank Redemption as an emotionally resonant triumph, with the film now holding the top spot on IMDb's all-time rankings and earning near-universal affection decades after release. The lead performances draw the loudest praise: critics at Variety and Metacritic singled out Robbins and Freeman as outstanding, with Freeman described as bringing 'a grace and dignity that come naturally,' and the central friendship widely cited as the film's beating heart. The most consistent complaint, noted at the time by Variety, the Hollywood Reporter, and Roger Ebert alike, is the film's deliberate, sometimes grinding pace, at 142 minutes it asks patience that not every viewer willingly gives, with some also finding the characters and plotting too sentimental or tidy. Notably, the film was a box-office disappointment on release, barely recouping its costs even after seven Oscar nominations; it was only through cable TV and home video rentals in the late 1990s that it became a cultural phenomenon, which Roger Ebert described as 'one of the most remarkable stories in home video history.'
Will you actually like it?
Answer a few quick questions and we'll predict how much you'll like this movie, not whether critics did. Each one targets something this film specifically leans into, where viewers tend to split. We think these are the questions that will best help predict how well it will align with you.
Where to watch
Trailer
