ThePrison Breakreboot is certain to include some of the elements that made the original show such a success.Prison Breakwas fast-paced, full of cliffhangers, and extremely character-driven, leading to some standout performances from the show’s main actors. The story began on a comparatively small scale, with the engineering genius Michael Scofield getting himself sent to prison so he could break his innocent brother out. That said, the story quickly expanded to incorporate a government conspiracy with sci-fi elements, and with multiple escapes happening duringthePrison Breakseries and movie.
Prison Break’s main Fox River Eightwere not all easy to root for, with some characters being more innocent than others. This mix of characters and a tension-filled plot has been popular for many years, and the extra element of an extremely intricate prison escape plan made the show one-of-a-kind.Prison Breakhad some shocking scenesand the show was not afraid to go to some extremely dark places while also incorporating some funny moments. For a similar tone but a shorter runtime,there are several movies likePrison Breakstreaming that fans of the show will love.
Bad Boys
Cast
Bad Boys, released in 1983, follows Mick O’Brien, a young Chicago street thug facing the harsh realities of juvenile prison life after a heist goes wrong. In a setting where violence dictates respect, Mick navigates the challenges of crime and his enduring affection for his girlfriend.
The 1983 movieBad Boysis a coming-of-age crime drama starring Sean Penn as Mick,a young man who is sent to a juvenile correction facility. Mick’s crimes are relatively small-scale and include snatching purses and shoplifting, but he is a fish out of water in his new and often brutal environment. The movie features some typical prison movie staples, like sadistic guards and unlikely friendships, and the story shares some ofPrison Break’s darker elements.
Bad Boysrarely leaves the prison setting, so fans of prison dramas should watch this movie while waiting for thePrison Breakreboot.
One ofPrison Break’s most tragic characters is Tweener, who is convicted of grand larceny after the baseball card he stole turned out to be a rare collector’s item. He is as uncomfortable in his new environment as Mick, and both struggle to fit in. While two ofPrison Break’s four main seasons take place away from a prison,Bad Boysrarely leaves the prison setting, so fans of prison dramas should watch this movie while waiting for thePrison Breakreboot.
The Last Castle
The Last Castle follows a court-martialed general, portrayed by Robert Redford, who unites 1200 inmates in a strategic uprising against the authoritarian system that imprisoned him. The 2001 drama explores themes of leadership and rebellion within a high-security military prison setting.
Manycharacters inPrison Breakdeserved better, with several of the Fox River Penitentiary inmates being falsely imprisoned. One of these is the soldier, C-Note, who was framed after refusing to respond to blackmail. While C-Note eventually gets a well-deserved happy ending inPrison Break, many characters inThe Last Castleare not so fortunate. The movie is a gritty and harrowing story, starring Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo and Delroy Lindo.
20 Best TV Shows About Prison
Prison makes for a unique range of issues and tensions that some shows, including Prison Break and Orange Is the New Black use to great effect
Redford plays Lieutenant General Eugene Irwin, who is court-martialed and sent to prison, where he earns the respect of many of his fellow inmates. WhilePrison Break’s Michael is a less likable character whose main weapon is his intellect, he and Irwin both rail against the sadistic regimes of the guards, inspiring other prisoners in the process.James Gandolfini plays the tyrannical Colonel Winter in one of his best movie roles, before he became best known for playing Tony Soprano.
8Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
A Story About A Serious Moral Dilemma
Law Abiding Citizenis agreat movie with a moral dilemmaat its heart.Gerard Butler plays Clyde Shelton, who goes on a revenge missionafter one of the men who killed his family in a home invasion is released early. While law enforcement are tasked with stopping him, it is easy for many of the key people to sympathize with him. The movie was not well-received by critics, who gave it a 26% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences disagreed, giving it a 75% positive review.
LikeLaw Abiding Citizen,Prison Breakalso contains several moral dilemmasand characters who find their ethics challenged. Michael commits several crimes, including fraud and theft, to break his brother out of prison, and many of the Fox River Eight have to continue committing crimes to stay ahead of the people chasing them.Prison Break’s Sara Tancredi is a great example of a character who finds herself torn between what is right and what is legal, and viewers who love this kind of debate will loveLaw Abiding Citizen.
Taken
Taken stars Liam Neeson as ex-Green Beret and ex-CIA operative Bryan Mills, who retired from his life of fighting to be there for his family. When his teenage daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) travels to Paris and is kidnapped by human traffickers, Mills launches into action, mounting a one-man rescue mission that sees him tear through gangs of European criminals with extreme prejudice in hopes of finding and rescuing Kim before it’s too late.
InPrison Break, the only character who could have broken Lincoln out of prison was Michael, as he designed the prison itself. Michael had the technical and structural knowledge to navigate the inner workings of the prison building, as well as change his plans when people and procedures threw obstacles in his way.Takenis another example of a character using his “very specific set of skills” to save a family member.
Takenis one ofLiam Neeson’s best movies, and he plays the former Green Beret, Bryan Mills, who receives a panicked call from his daughter, who is in the process of being kidnapped by human traffickers. Mills uses his expertise to start a one-man mission to hunt down the traffickers and get his daughter back. WhilePrison Breakhas some fantastic moments, none of its lines match Mills' iconic scene inTaken, in which he tells the traffickers that he is coming for them.
The Fugitive
After being falsely accused of killing his wife, Dr. Richard Kimble goes on the run to find the real killer while a seasoned US Marshal hunts him down. The Fugitive stars Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble and Tommy Lee Jones as Samuel Gerard and was directed by Andrew Davis.
Prison Breakretconned Michael’s deathin the movie, which also wrapped up some other parts of the story. LikePrison Break,The Fugitivebegan as a TV show and then became a movie, but while thePrison Breakmovie was not as well-received as the original series,The Fugitivehasa 96% positive critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers praising the movie’s twists and turns.
LikePrison Break,The Fugitiveis also about a man who is falsely convicted of murder as part of a larger conspiracy. InThe Fugitive,Harrison Ford plays a doctor who is falsely accused of murdering his wife, and when his prison bus crashes, he goes on a hunt to uncover the truth behind her murder. For people who loved this aspect ofPrison Breakmore than its technical and sci-fi elements, this is the movie to watch while waiting for the reboot.
Con Air
Con-Air is a 1990s action crime-thriller starring Nicholas Cage as former U.S. Ranger turned to convict Cameron Poe. Poe, in an act of self-defense and passion, is court-martialed for accidentally killing the man he protected his wife from. Having served his time and achieving Parole, Poe is on his way home with one problem - the transport plane he’s on has been hijacked by several dangerous convicts, led by one of the worst in the United States.
Prison Breakhad some funny scenes, especially when the fan-favorite Sucre was involved, but the series itself was not a comedy.Con Airmay not be a comedy either, but it leaned into the sillier aspects of a prison break while still being an action thriller.Con AirstarsNicolas Cage as a man who is imprisoned for accidentally killing another manin self-defense. After serving his time, he finds himself on a plane that gets hijacked by dangerous criminals.
The 15 Best Prison Escape Movies
Prison escape movies can be tense dramas or family friendly fare but the best ones are these classic films.
Con Airmight have its gritty moments, but it is often overshadowed by its funnier scenes, so viewers who enjoyed the sillier aspects ofPrison Breakshould watchCon Airfor more of this. The movie has become a cult hit, with iconic lines like “put the bunny in the box,” which people who have not seen the movie often know, and whichNicolas Cage described as “absurdity at its finest.”
Conviction
Conviction is a legal drama that tells the true story of Betty Anne Waters (Hilary Swank), a woman who puts herself through law school to exonerate her wrongly convicted brother, Kenny Waters (Sam Rockwell). Directed by Tony Goldwyn, the film explores themes of justice, family, and perseverance, depicting Betty Anne’s tireless fight against a flawed legal system.
Prison Breakwas not based on a true story, but the show did include some real-life inspiration for the story, likethe real mystery behind the fan-favorite character Westmoreland. On the other hand,Convictionis based on the real story of Betty Anne Waters (played by Hilary Swank,) who earned a law degree so that she could represent her wrongfully convicted brother in court. Some of the bestPrison Breakcharacters were lawyers and legal professionals, andConvictionhas a similar tone to many of their scenes.
One of the best characters inPrison Breakwas the lawyer, Veronica Donovan. Before she was killed off in a shocking scene inPrison Breakseason 2, she tirelessly fought to uncover new evidence that could exonerate Lincoln. While Veronica came too close to the conspiracy and did not live to see Lincoln freed,Convictionhas a happier ending, and features a character who is spiritually similar to Veronica.
21 Bridges
Chadwick Boseman stars as NYPD Detective Andre Davis in 21 Bridges, an action thriller that sees the protagonist searching for two potential cop killers. Following in his father’s footsteps after he was killed in the line of duty, Andre finds himself on a teamwide manhunt for two men that may have slain two officers in the line of duty. However, he discovers he may be the prey as much as he is the predator. In one tense night, the NYPD shuts down all of the twenty-one bridges in Manhattan.
21 Bridgesstars the late Chadwick Boseman in one of his best roles as Andre Davis, a tough NYPD detective who is assigned to catch two cop killers. The title refers to the monumental task ahead of him, which involves shutting down all 21 bridges leading in and out of Manhattan, which should prevent his targets from escaping. The tense cat-and-mouse tone of21 Bridgesis similar to the second season ofPrison Break, in which the Fox River Eight have been separated with the manhunt closing in.
The tense cat-and-mouse tone of21 Bridgesis similar to the second season ofPrison Break, in which the Fox River Eight have been separated with the manhunt closing in.
Prison Breakis full of twists and turns, which are sometimes the result of the main characters discovering that they could not trust the people they expected to.21 Bridgescontains some similar shocks, as Andre discovers a web of corruption that extends much further into the police department than he could have imagined.The ending of21 Bridgesis ambiguous, so viewers who didn’t likePrison Break’s neat ending may prefer this movie.
The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption follows Andy Dufresne, a banker sentenced to life in Shawshank prison for the murder of his wife and her lover. While incarcerated, he befriends fellow inmate Red and uses his financial skills to assist the corrupt warden, all while maintaining his hope and integrity.
The Shawshank Redemptionis often regarded by many as one ofthe greatest movies of all time, and it is still referenced in popular movies and TV shows today. The story is about the way the mild-mannered Andy Dufresne, who is wrongfully convicted of murder, manipulates the prison system and sadistic guards while secretly planning his escape.The Shawshank Redemptionstars Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, and isadapted from a book by Stephen King.
Prison Breakmay not be as beautiful and harrowing asThe Shawshank Redemption, butboth have some heart-stopping escape scenes, and guards that will make you despise them, and both are stories of justice. BothPrison BreakandThe Shawshank Redemptioninvolve moments that show how a character’s quick thinking can change everything.The Shawshank Redemption’s rooftop scene shows Andy saving himself with his knowledge of accounting, while it is Sucre’s plastering knowledge that protects the group from the guards.
The Rock
The Rock is a 1996 action film from director Michael Bay. The story revolves around a chemist named Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) and John Mason (Sean Connery), an ex-con who escaped from Alcatraz, who are tasked to lead a counterstrike to protect San Francisco from a lethal nerve gas attack.
Most movies about prison breaks involve characters breaking out of a prison, rather than in. This is one major reason whyPrison Breakwas so unusual and memorable. That said, the 1996 movieThe Rockfeatures a similar plot point, with two characters breaking into Alcatraz.The Rockstars Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, and Ed Harris, and while it scored mixed critical reviews, Rotten Tomatoes audiences gave the movie an 85% positive rating.
20 Thrillers That Had Perfect Endings
Thrillers provide the perfect template to include a twist or some mind-blowing reveal in their endings, and these movies manage to do exactly that.
The Rockfollows the chemical weapons specialist Stanley Goodspeed and Alcatraz escapee John Mason as they break into Alcatraz to stop a group of rogue US marines from launching a nerve gas rocket.Prison Breakhad a few explosions and shots during its four original seasons, butThe Rockis much more action-packed. There are rocket launches, heavy gunfire, and helicopter action scenes, whichPrison Break, while still intense, didn’t have. For a different take on the “breaking into prison” plot,The Rockis the movie to watch next.
Prison Break
Prison Break tells the story of two brothers who must unravel a political conspiracy while escaping from one of the most secure places on Earth. When petty criminal Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) is falsely convicted of murdering the Vice President’s brother, his own brother, Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), has himself incarcerated in order to stage a daring prison break using the blueprints of the facility he has tattooed on his body.
