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The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption Image
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Metascore
80 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critics What's this?

User Score
9.2 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 289 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Morgan Freeman, Tim Robbins
  • Summary: Wrongly convicted, Andy Dufresne (Robbins) is sentenced to two consecutive life terms in in Maine's Shawshank prison for the murders of his wife and her lover. Set in the 1940's, the film shows how Andy learns to get by in the brutal confines of prison, even earning the respect of his fellow inmates, most notably the longtime convict "Red" Redding (Freeman).… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. Empire
    Reviewed by: Ian Nathan
    100
    A thumpingly good ode to friendship, hope, wit, wiles and wisdom, brimming with crackling characters and topped with the most twisteroo of twists since "The Crying Game."
  2. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    90
    It's the no-bull performances that hold back the flood of banalities. Robbins and Freeman connect with the bruised souls of Andy and Red to create something undeniably powerful and moving.
  3. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    50
    Paradoxically, it is Shawshank's zealousness in trying to cast a rosy glow over the prison experience that makes us feel we're doing harder time than the folks inside. [23 Sept 1994]
    All this critic's reviews

See all 19 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 97 out of 103
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 103
  3. Negative: 5 out of 103
  1. ryancarroll88
    10
    This movie makes being cliche look badass, and is so well constructed on top of that, you pretty much have to give it credit as one of the movie masterpieces of our time. But seriously, it's not the greatest movie ever made *cough*imdb*cough*… Expand
    • 2 of 2 users said yes
  2. D-Slice
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So, so, so good. The adaptation of the Stephen King novel is so entertaining, filled with interesting dialogue and plot twists. A pretty much perfect prison film. Great performances by Robbins and Freeman. One moment really got to me: the moment when Andy crawls out of the sewer tunnel and stares up at the sky in the rain. Such a glorious moment of triumph, I wanted to stand up and scream "Yes!". This movie truly depicted that prison life in the fifties was just as hard for new prisoners as it is implied today. The movie didn't sugar coat Andy's prison life. A great movie full of great writing and performances that the first time you watch it, it will instantly be fortified as a great movie classic.… Expand
    • 9 of 10 users said yes
  3. BennyM
    3
    Extremely overrated. Morgan Freeman gave a nice performance however Tim Robbins possessed no emotion whatsoever and I cared little if even at all for any of the characters. Not particularly well written with a warm message that is delivered over an overly long period of time.… Expand
    • 2 of 30 users said yes

See all 103 User Reviews

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