30 Best Movies About Breaking Out of Prison, Ranked

An enjoyable cinematic depiction of a prison escape never gets old. The prison-break movie has gone out of fashion a little in recent years, and most of the best entries come from decades past. The sub-genre often follows a familiar rhythm — a team plans an escape, executes it, and either succeeds or fails — but that formula remains fun.

These selections are not the objective best of all prison films, and some notable titles like The Green Mile focus on other concerns than escaping. The list spans broad action and comedy to tense, realistic thrillers. Tango & Cash blends comedy and action as rival detectives played by Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell are forced to break out; The Next Three Days follows Russell Crowe as a husband who resorts to a dangerous plan to free Elizabeth Banks' character; Stir Crazy pairs Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor as wrongfully convicted friends plotting an escape; O Brother, Where Art Thou?

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