Prison film

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A prison film is a film genre concerned with prison life and often prison escape. These films range from acclaimed dramas examining the nature of prisons, like Cool Hand Luke, Brubaker, The Shawshank Redemption, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Murder One to actioners like Lock Up, Undisputed, and Forced to Fight, and even comedies satirizing the genre like Stir Crazy, Life, and Let's Go To Prison.

Themes repeatedly visited in the action films include escape attempts, gang activities inside the prison, and an entire subgenre of films where the toughest prisoners are permitted (or forced) to engage in boxing matches or martial arts bouts, replete with high-stakes wagering on the outcomes. These elements may be meshed together, where for example a prisoner forced to fight uses the occasion to plan an escape.

POW films

Prison films set during war have become a popular subgenre known as prisoner of war film.

Women in prison films

Notable films

References

See also

• Prison escape

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