The Shawshank Redemption

Wrongly convicted of murder, 1940s banker Tim Robbins is sent to Maine's Shawshank penitentiary where he bonds with fellow inmate Morgan Freeman

Wrongly convicted of murder, 1940s banker Tim Robbins is sent to Maine's Shawshank penitentiary. He keeps a stoical distance from the other inmates. However, gradually his quiet personality begins to influence both the staff and his fellow inmates. Morgan Freeman plays his closest friend and it's his wry voiceover that sets the eloquent tone of this captivating prison drama. Based on a Stephen King story, the film's plot twists are beautifully timed and there is a brilliant pay-off when it finally reveals just what kind of 'redemption' it's been hiding for more than two riveting hours. Bob Gunton, as the warden, and Clancy Brown, as the chief guard, are two of the nastiest pieces of work in convict movie history and, as an inmate who's been locked up for 50 years, veteran character actor James Whitmore also makes a crucial contribution.