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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
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 19
  2. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. 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. 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. 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]

See all 19 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 94 out of 100
  2. Negative: 5 out of 100
  1. 10
    One of the best movies of all time. Don't deprive yourself of the pleasure of watching such a stellar movie. Go now and watch this movie if you have never seen it. Perfect casting, amazing story, emotional performances. Just perfect. Expand
    • 12 of 12 users said yes
  2. 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
    • 7 of 7 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
    • 0 of 22 users said yes

See all 100 User Reviews

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