Some of the most exciting sequences in all cinema are ones that depict a prison break. Whether an entire film is building up to it or it comes unexpectedly, audiences know that a prison break will often offer some of the most thrilling parts of a film. Prison breaks typically showcase the best traits of a character. Whether it is their cunning or their strength, escaping from prison requires them to put their best foot forward. There are numerous scenes of characters successfully escaping captivity, and here are just a few of the best.
8 Escape From Alcatraz
Alcatraz was designed to be inescapable. Officially, no prisoner successfully escaped in the 29 years it was open. Unofficially, three men escaped — Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin, in 1962. The reason it isn't considered a successful escape is due to the fact no one has seen the men since the escape. According to official records, the three men died at sea. There is speculation they did in fact survive, however, and there was even a film made about them.
Escape from Alcatraz stars Clint Eastwood and shows how they did it. The film builds up to the escape, and it is well worth the wait. The incredible feat of creating believable dummies and tunneling through the walls is made even more incredible when one remembers it actually happened. This entire film is fantastic, and one of the best non-western Clint Eastwood films.
7 Watchmen
Zack Snyder's adaptation of Watchmen is widely regarded as one of the best comic book movies. The action specifically stands out, and one of the best examples of this happens to be a prison break. Rorschach is imprisoned right as heroes are beginning to resurface. A riot breaks out, and he wastes no time getting to work.
In a brutal and brilliant action sequence, he makes short work of some of those who made his time in prison difficult and makes sure to get his costume back from evidence. Silk Specter and Nite Owl drop by to help him get out, and some of the best fight scenes in the film take place here. This sequence is explosive, and it is no surprise why the film is as well regarded as it is.
6 Con Air
This film doesn't include a prison break per se, but the plot revolves around a group of prisoners ensuring they never return to prison. Nicolas Cage, who is starring in the highly anticipated The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, leads the film (with a great cast including John Cusack, Steve Buscemi, and John Malkovich) as a prisoner on his way home after he has been released. Con Air is a plane designed to transfer high-security prisoners from one jail to another, and on this flight, the prisoners have taken over.
Even though his time in prison is over, Cage springs into action to ensure the prisoners don't escape (some of them are truly vicious). This film is a fun thrill ride filled with entertaining action sequences. A good chunk of the movie takes place on the hijacked plane, and every second has something fun to watch, even if it is just Cage's laughable accent.
5 Ernest Goes To Jail
When imagining great prison movies, Ernest Goes to Jail likely isn't on the list. However, fans of Ernest P. Worrell often rank this film among their favorites. Ernest is wrongly imprisoned when an inmate who looks just like him switches places. Ernest, believed to be a criminal, is put in the electric chair (in a rather dark moment for kids movie). Things don't go as planned, and Ernest becomes magnetized.
He uses his temporary powers to escape in a comedic and fantastic sequence. Those who have seen an Ernest movie know the zaniness to expect (and should look forward to a coming documentary about him), and it is in this scene full force. Perhaps the funniest part is, it is never explained how the electricity magnetizes Ernest, or why it only lasts a short time.
4 Silence Of The Lambs
Silence of the Lambs is one of the best horror movies from the '90s, and Anthony Hopkins steals the show. It makes perfect sense that Hopkins is in one of the best scenes in the movie. After Bill is found, Hannibal Lecter feels his time is over. He steals a pen and when he knows the time is right, he picks the locks on his handcuffs. The camera cuts after he attacks two guards, and they are shown later. Only one has survived, but is terribly maimed.
A thrilling sequence follows as the police officers search for Hannibal. In an ambulance, the surviving guard is revealed to be Lector. He cut the face off of the guard and wore it as a mask. The sequence is so great because it showcases just how cunning Lecter is. Funnily enough, one of the guards Lecter attacks is played by Charles Napier, who was the Warden in Ernest's escape in Ernest Goes to Jail.
3 The Fugitive
The escape scene in The Fugitive is not only a great prison escape sequence but a great showcase of practical effects. Harrison Ford plays Richard Kimble, a man wrongfully convicted for the murder of his wife. While on a bus heading for prison, some inmates attempt to hijack it. Things go terribly south, and a train ends up crashing into it in a spectacular practical wreck. The filmmakers spared no expense; they literally did crash the train on camera and did it in one take. The scene was filmed in Sylva, North Carolina, where the crashed train was left, and its remains can still be seen to this day.
2 Life
Life follows two men played by Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence. They are wrongfully accused of murder and are sentenced to life in a prison camp. The film follows the two over several decades, as they try and fail to escape many times. Near the end, the two men, now senior citizens, are killed in a fire at their nursing home. The film is told from the perspective of a man who served time with them while they are being buried. He reveals the truth of what happened — the two stole bodies from the morgue and faked their deaths. After 65 years of wrongful imprisonment, the pair finally escape to enjoy the rest of their lives.
1 The Shawshank Redemption
There is little that can be said about The Shawshank Redemption that hasn't been said before. The film is a masterpiece, plain and simple. There seems to be a pattern with this list with wrongfully accused prisoners (possibly because it allows the audience to root for what is commonly seen as an unethical and dangerous act, a prison escape), and Shawshank Redemption is no exception.
Andy Dufresne is wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife. During his time there, he spends his nights digging a hole in his wall and hiding it with various posters, all while being used by the Warden to launder money. After 27 years, he makes his escape, and Andy claims all the money he laundered through a fake bank account. He used his new wealth to escape to Mexico. The scene of Andy in the rain is one of the most iconic of all time, and shows that cinematographer Roger Deakins is nothing short of genius, giving the audience the visceral thrill of a prison escape like nothing else.