The 6 Best Movies Filmed in Real Prisons
The film industry has risen in recent years, with its annual revenue increasing every year except in 2020 following the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2009, the global Box office revenue was $29.4 billion; ten years later, the revenue rose to $42.3 billion. The most popular movie genres that produce huge income are thriller, horror, and romantic comedy. Prison movies are categorized as thriller/suspense movies and are mostly filled with intense suspense.
To make movies seem real, directors search for scenes that will synchronize with the script and plot of the movie. Prison movie directors choose to film in real prisons since setting up scenes that emulate prisons can be expensive and timely. Major movie studios have produced famous prison movies that entertain and educate about life in prisons.
However, many prisons do not allow the inmates to watch adult or jail-break-related films such as ‘The Prison Break’ since the movies can instigate violence and encourage prison breakouts. However, some prisons like Antwerp’s Beveren Prison allow the inmates to use the internet and watch adult films. Even with the restrictions, prison movies filmed in real prisons receive vast views and produce significant revenue.
Some of the most popular movies filmed in real prisons include:
1. Felon (2008)
Felon is among the top-ranked and best-acted prison films ever produced. The film was set and filmed at the New Mexico State Penitentiary in Santa Fe County. Felon, released on 18th July 2008, was inspired by the incidences in the 1990s at the California State Prison, Corcoran.
The prison film had a run time of one hour and 44 minutes which used an estimated budget of $2.9 million to produce. Felon’s storyline revolved around Wade Porter, a family man living with his girlfriend, Laura, and son Michael. One night when they are sleeping, an intruder enters their house, and Wade chases the burglar and hits him with a baseball hat at the head, which causes the unarmed intruder to pass away.
The jury tries and sentences Wade to three years of imprisonment for involuntary manslaughter. However, during his transportation to the correctional facility, a turn of events makes the Lieutenant send Wade to solitary confinement. Wade Porter fights his way through the prison gangs, authority, and break-up until he wins after serving 15 months in prison.
Ric Roman Waugh, famous for the Angel Has Fallen, directed the movie production. The filming was complete within a tight schedule of 24 days, beginning 9th October 2007 to 2nd November 2007. Most scenes of the film are in Santa Fe and the Penitentiary of New Mexico. The men’s maximum-security prison has a vast history, including hosting one of the most-deadliest prison riots in the history of the United States, which led to the death of 33 inmates.
2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The Shawshank Redemption film is based on the 1982 Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption novella by Stephen King and directed by Frank Darabont. The film featured star characters Morgan Freeman, Tim Robbins, and Bob Gunton. Shawshank had a budget of $25 million and a fictional Shawshank State Penitentiary scenery, which is the real Ohio State Reformatory or Mansfield Reformatory. Mansfield’s scenery filming took place between June and August 1993.
Ohio government built the facility between 1886-1910 and was operational until 1990. The historical prison is now a museum and tourist attraction offering three tours; History Meets Hollywood, Beyond the Bars, and the Inmate tour. Mansfield Reformatory is supposedly haunted, but many producers have filmed their productions in the facility. The films shot in Mansfield reformatory include Ghost Adventures, Fallen Angels, and Escape Plan: The Extractors.
The Shawshank Redemption movie is about a banker, Andy Dufrense, who the authority sentenced to life at the Shawshank State Penitentiary for the murder of his wife and her lover. In prison, he teams up with a fellow inmate, Ellis “Red” Redding, a convict serving a life sentence for contraband smuggling. Andy overhears Bryon Hadley, the captain of the guards, complaining of inheritance taxation, and he offers to help him. Hadley offers Andy protection after the ‘sisters’ sexually assaulted Andy, and the warden reassigns him to assist elderly inmate Brooks Hatlen who later hangs himself after his release.
The warden starts embezzling funds, but Andy launders the collected money then learns that another inmate had claimed possession of his crime. However, after approaching the warden with this information, the warden throws him into solitary confinement.
After the authority releases Any back to his cell, he actualizes the escape plan they have worked on with Red for 19 years. After escaping, Andy withdraws the laundered money and moves to Zihuatanejo. The following year, the authority releases Red on Parole, who violates his parole to meet Andy in Zihuatanejo beach after reading a letter Andy left in Buxton.
3. Starred Up (2013)
Jonathan Asser wrote this prison crime drama film while David Mackenzie directed the production. It is based on the experiences of Jonathan Asser while he was working at HM Prison Wandsworth as a voluntary therapist. The production team shot this award-winning prison film within 24 days working on a budget of £2 million. Starred up shoot took place in former prisons HM Prison Crumlin Road, Belfast, and HM Prison Maze, Lisburn.
HM Prison Crumlin Road, also referred to as HMP Belfast or Crumlin Road Gaol, is a former prison located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. During its operational years between 1846 to 31st March 1996, the government used it as a high-security class prison and execution facility. The facility carried out 17 inmate executions during its operational years—the facility connected with the Crumlin Road Courthouse via an underground tunnel. The authority used the tunnel to transport convicts to and from the courthouse. After its closure, it remained empty until August 2010, when the administration started its restoration and opened it in November 2012. The former prison is now a museum, tourist attraction, and hosts events and conferences.
The Ireland government designed HM Prison Maze or The Maze/ H-Blocks for paramilitary prisoners and was located at the former Royal Air Force in Long Kesh. The prison closed its gates in 2000. Its demolition began in October 2006; however, the Northern Ireland Executive on 18th April 2013 announced that the remaining builds would be developed to serve as a peace center.
The film title shows how Eric, a violent minor, is starred up from juvenile prison to a maximum-security adult prison due to his age and notorious behavior. Eric is taken to the same jail Neville; his father is serving a life sentence. Eric’s violent behavior continues, and the relationship with his father deteriorates as his father wants Eric to be on the best behavior so that he can be released. Oliver, a volunteer prison therapist, convinces Eric to be part of their therapy group composed of men of color with a violent history.
Neville’s gang boss, Dennis, starts mentoring Eric. Instead of being a good mentee, Eric attacks Denniss making him furious, and orders the prison director to murder Eric; Neville is against the action. While Neville is arguing with the boss, correctional officers are trying to hang Eric. Dennis rushes to stab Neville, but Neville overpowers and stabs him, then runs to rescue his son. The prison authority transfers Neville out but allows him to have a moment with his son.
4. Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017)
S. Craig Zahler directed and wrote The Brawl in Cell Block 99 prison thriller movie. The movie stars Vince Vaughn, Don Johnson, Jennifer Carpenter, and Udo Kier. The Arthur Kill Correctional Facility in Staten Island was used as the film scenery in the film. The filming took place between 15th August 2016 to 17th October the same year.
Arthur Kill Correctional Facility in Staten Island, New York City, operated as a medium-security prison from 1976 to 2011. After the closure, Broadway Stages purchased the facility to turn it into scenery for film production.
The Brawl in Cell Block 99 is about a family man, Bradley. Bradley loses his job as a mechanic, and to make ends meet; he joins a drug distribution business. He finds himself involved in a police shootout, and the authority arrests and imprisons him, leaving his pregnant wife, Lauren.
The mysterious Placid Man visits Bradley and threatens to harm his wife and unborn child if he does not transfer to another prison in a mission to kill a man Christopher Bridge. Bradley fights his way until the authorities grant him the transfer, only to realize that the Placid Man tricked him. He learns that there is no Christopher Bridge, and the prison houses Eleazer, an inmate who believes that he double-crossed him.
His situation worsens as Eleazer torments him and Bradley embarks on a mission to kill Eleazer and his counterparts while consequently arranging the rescue of his wife. The movie ends with Bradley bidding goodbye to his wife before the warden shoots him for the murder of a correctional officer.
5. Prison Break (2005)
Prison break is among the most famous prison series in the world. The movie has five seasons; season 1 is primarily set on the fictional Fox River State Penitentiary, while the rest of the seasons have outside-prison scenes. The budget per episode was $2 million, thus costing them around $24 million for the 22 episodes in season 1. The real Joliet Prison in Illinois acts as the fictional Fox River State Penitentiary.
The Joliet Correctional Center (former Illinois State Penitentiary) started its operations in 1858 until 2002. The authorities closed the prison due to financial constraints and the poor state of the buildings. Since the administration closed it, movie producers have used the facility for shooting movies like Derailed and Go to Prison. Additionally, the correctional facility acts as a tourist attraction.
Paul Scheuring created Prison Break and starred Dominic Pursell as Lincoln Burrows and Wentworth Miller as Michael Scofield. Prison Break revolves around Dominic and Michael, two brothers who plan and execute a prison break plan. A dark organization, The Company, frames Lincoln for murder, and the authority sentences him to an electric chair in the Fox River State Penitentiary. To save his brother, Michael stages a bank robbery, which leads to the police arresting him, and after pleading with the court, the judge sends him to the same prison his brother is serving.
Among other actors like Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell, Fernando Sucre, and Benjamin Miles, the two plan to break out of Fox River. Throughout the season, there are lots of drama, twists, and suspense. However, Michael manages to escape the prison alongside his brother and counterparts.
6. Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
Escape from Alcatraz is a prison action film adapted from the 1963 Escape from Alcatraz non-fictional book by J. Campbell Bruce. The filming of Escape from Alcatraz took place in the historical and escape-proof Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay, California.
The Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, also known as United States Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island was a maximum-security prison between 11th August 1934 to 21st March 1963. The prison is famous for housing the most notorious criminals like Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, and Birdman of Alcatraz. The 11th June 1962 escape plan is among the most notable incidents in the history of Alcatraz. It cost $10 every day to host one inmate in Alcatraz, while an inmate used $3 per day in an ordinary prison. The high expenses led to the decision to close down the facility. Currently, Alcatraz Island attracts more than one million annual tourists.
The film features Clint Eastwood as Frank Morris, an intelligent criminal famous for absconding correctional facilities. The law-enforcement authority apprehends and transfers him to the maximum-security prison on Alcatraz Island. On arrival, the warden tells Frank that no prisoner has ever escaped from the prison. Frank teams up with several inmates, including his old friends sentenced for bank robbery. The team plans an escape from Alcatraz, and within a few months, they dig through the cell walls using spoons and make a raft using raincoats.
One night, Morris and his friends decide to escape from Alcatraz. They successfully evade the searchlights, climb over the fence, run to the island shores, and flee using the raft they made. The disciplinary authorities discover the escape the following morning. They send out a search team to find the convicts, but the mission is unsuccessful. At the end of the movie, an epilogue informs that the authorities did not find the convicts, and they closed Alcatraz prison shortly after the escape.