Rating: 9.3/10 (1,642,589 votes) Director: Frank Darabont Writer: Stephen King (short story "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption"), Frank Darabont (screenplay) Stars: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler Runtime: 142 min Rated: R Genre: Crime, Drama Released: 14 Oct 1994
Plot: Chronicles the experiences of a formerly successful banker as a prisoner in the gloomy jailhouse of Shawshank after being found guilty of a crime he claims he did not commit. The film portrays the man's unique way of dealing with his new, torturous life; along the way he befriends a number of fellow prisoners, most notably a wise long-term inmate named Red.
Rating: 5.1/10 (861 votes) Director: Anders Morgenthaler Writer: Anders Morgenthaler Stars: Kim Basinger, Jordan Prentice, Sebastian Schipper, Peter Stormare Runtime: 97 min Rated: N/A Genre: Drama, Thriller Released: 12 Jun 2015
Plot: Maria is a successful businesswoman living in Germany in a happy marriage. However, she has one big problem. She wants to be a mother more than anything, but every time she gets pregnant, she miscarries. When her doctor tells her after her latest miscarriage that she won't be able to get pregnant again, she opts for adoption, but her husband, upset over her condition, refuses the idea and temporary separates from her in order to rethink whether or not he wants to stay in the relationship with her now. She begins to lose her grip on reality when she starts hearing the voice of her unborn child, so she decides to get herself a baby even if she has to buy one. She hears a rumor that prostitutes sometimes sell their unwanted babies on the black market near the German-Czech border, so she meets Petit, a drug-addict who frequents the local prostitutes, and hires him to find her one who's willing to sell her baby for 10 grand. He sees this as a chance to save a child from the hell the prostitutes live in, but the Russian mafia, who runs the local prostitution ring, doesn't see it that way. Soon, Maria and everyone she's contacted there are in mortal danger.
Rating: 5.9/10 (1,770 votes) Director: Chris Messina Writer: Jessica Goldberg, Katie Nehra, Justin Shilton Stars: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Don Johnson, Chris Messina Runtime: 86 min Rated: R Genre: Drama Released: 17 Apr 2015
Plot: Workaholic attorney, Alex [Winstead] is forced to reinvent her life after her husband suddenly leaves. Now faced with the humdrum and sometimes catastrophic events that permeate the fabric of our lives, Alex discovers both a vulnerability and inner strength she had not yet tapped all while trying to hold together her broken family.
Rating: 8.5/10 (845,241 votes) Director: Martin Scorsese Writer: William Monahan (screenplay), Alan Mak, Felix Chong Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg Runtime: 151 min Rated: R Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller Released: 06 Oct 2006
Plot: In South Boston, the state police force is waging war on Irish-American organized crime. Young undercover cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is assigned to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland chief Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). While Billy quickly gains Costello's confidence, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), a hardened young criminal who has infiltrated the state police as an informer for the syndicate is rising to a position of power in the Special Investigation Unit. Each man becomes deeply consumed by their double lives, gathering information about the plans and counter-plans of the operations they have penetrated. But when it becomes clear to both the mob and the police that there is a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin are suddenly in danger of being caught and exposed to the enemy - and each must race to uncover the identity of the other man in time to save themselves. But is either willing to turn on their friends and comrades they've made during their long stints undercover?
Rating: 7.6/10 (325,189 votes) Director: Kathryn Bigelow Writer: Mark Boal Stars: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce Runtime: 131 min Rated: R Genre: Drama, History, Thriller Released: 31 Jul 2009
Plot: During the Iraq War, a Sergeant recently assigned to an army bomb squad is put at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work.
Rating: 7.7/10 (52,834 votes) Director: Alan Parker Writer: Billy Hayes (book), William Hoffer (book), Oliver Stone (screenplay) Stars: Brad Davis, Irene Miracle, Bo Hopkins, Paolo Bonacelli Runtime: 121 min Rated: R Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama Released: 06 Oct 1978
Plot: On October 6, 1970 while boarding an international flight out of Istanbul Airport, American Billy Hayes is caught attempting to smuggle 2 kilos of hashish out of the country, the drugs strapped to his body. He is told that he will be released if he cooperates with the authorities in identifying the person who actually sold him the hash. Billy's troubles really begin when after that assistance, he makes a run for it and is recaptured. He is initially sentenced to just over four years for possession, with no time for the more harsh crime of smuggling. The prison environment is inhospitable in every sense, with a sadistic prison guard named Hamidou ruling the prison, he who relishes the mental and physical torture he inflicts on the prisoners for whatever reason. Told to trust no one, Billy does befriend a few of the other inmates, namely fellow American Jimmy Booth (in for stealing two candlesticks from a mosque), a Swede named Erich, and one of the senior prisoners having already served seven years, an Englishman named Max, the latter two also in for hash related charges. One prisoner not befriended is Rifki, who wields power in the prison as the unofficial eyes and ears for the guards. As Billy, his family and his girlfriend Susan attempt through legal and diplomatic channels for Billy's release, Max tells him that the only way out is to "catch the midnight express" aka escape, which is what Jimmy is continually trying to do. When Billy's situation changes, he becomes more desperate in every sense of the word. It seems as if Billy has only two options: to let the prison ultimately figuratively then literally kill him, or to somehow regain control of his life through whatever means available.
Plot: On a cruise to celebrate their parents' 30th wedding anniversary, a brother and sister deal with the impact of family considerations on their romantic lives.
Rating: 7.4/10 (64,004 votes) Director: Richard Eyre Writer: Patrick Marber (screenplay), Zoe Heller (novel) Stars: Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Tom Georgeson, Michael Maloney Runtime: 92 min Rated: R Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance Released: 26 Jan 2007
Plot: A veteran high school teacher befriends a younger art teacher, who is having an affair with one of her 15-year-old students. However, her intentions with this new "friend" also go well beyond platonic friendship.
Rating: 7.6/10 (100,148 votes) Director: Stephen Daldry Writer: Michael Cunningham (novel), David Hare (screenplay) Stars: Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, Stephen Dillane Runtime: 114 min Rated: PG-13 Genre: Drama Released: 14 Feb 2003
Plot: In 1951, Laura Brown, a pregnant housewife, is planning a party for her husband, but she can't stop reading the novel 'Mrs. Dalloway'. Clarissa Vaughn, a modern woman living in present times is throwing a party for her friend Richard, a famous author dying of AIDS. These two stories are simultaneously linked to the work and life of Virginia Woolf, who's writing the novel mentioned before.
Rating: 8.1/10 (10 votes) Director: Patrick Chapman Writer: Patrick Chapman, Andrew Hanson, Alissa Kokkins Stars: Briana Evigan, Bre Blair, Nadine Crocker, Matt O'Leary Runtime: 93 min Rated: N/A Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller Released: N/A
Plot: 'ToY' is a film about two lost souls finding each other among the desperation and glamour in Los Angeles. Two women from disparate backgrounds - one a young artist, the other an aging prostitute - forge an unlikely relationship that spirals into chaos.
Rating: 6.3/10 (1,504 votes) Director: Rod Daniel Writer: Gregory K. Pincus Stars: Kyle Schmid, Robert Ri'chard, Kaley Cuoco, Mimi Paley Runtime: 103 min Rated: TV-G Genre: Drama, Family, Sport Released: 18 Mar 2000
Plot: A group of hip retro teenage outsiders become involved in an interschool bowling rivalry.
Rating: 7.6/10 (33,972 votes) Director: Niki Caro Writer: Niki Caro, Witi Ihimaera (book) Stars: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton, Cliff Curtis Runtime: 101 min Rated: PG-13 Genre: Drama, Family Released: 29 Aug 2003
Plot: On the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their presence there dates back a thousand years or more to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale. From then on, Whangara chiefs, always the first-born, always male, have been considered Paikea's direct descendants. Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.
Rating: 7.2/10 (194,987 votes) Director: Woody Allen Writer: Woody Allen Stars: Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Evan Welch, Chris Messina Runtime: 96 min Rated: PG-13 Genre: Drama, Romance Released: 15 Aug 2008
Plot: Sexually adventurous Cristina and her friend Vicky, who is bright but cautious, holiday in Barcelona where they meet the celebrated and wholly seductive painter, Juan Antonio. Vicky is not about to dive into a sexual adventure being committed to her forthcoming marriage. But Cristina is immediately captivated by Juan Antonio's free spirit and his romantic allure is enhanced when she hears the delicious details of his divorce from fellow artist, the tempestuous Maria Elena.
Rating: 5.9/10 (2,173 votes) Director: Yong-gyun Kim Writer: Hans Christian Andersen (fairy tale), Yong-gyun Kim (screenplay), Ma Sang-Ryeol (screenplay) Stars: Hye-su Kim, Seong-su Kim, Yeon-ah Park, Su-hee Go Runtime: 103 min Rated: NOT RATED Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery Released: 30 Jun 2005
Plot: After finding that her husband is unfaithful and cheats her with a lover, Sun-jae moves to a decadent cheap apartment at Goksung Station with her daughter Han Tae-soo. While traveling home in the subway, Sun-jae finds a pair of red shoes and brings them home. Tae-soo becomes fascinated by the shoes, which brings greed and jealousy to whoever sees them, while Sun-jae has visions and nightmares with ghosts and blood. When her friend Kim-mi Hee steals the shoes, she has an accident and dies. Meanwhile, the architect decorator Cho-in Choi that is dating Sun-jae, researches and discloses that the mystery is related to a picture of 1944. His further investigation unravels the tragic fate of the original owner of the shoes.
Rating: 6.2/10 (14,835 votes) Director: Ringo Lam Writer: Eric James Virgets, Jorge Alvarez Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lawrence Taylor, Lloyd Battista, Carlos Gómez Runtime: 98 min Rated: R Genre: Action, Thriller, Drama Released: 08 Aug 2003
Plot: Kyle LeBlanc is an American working overseas in Russia. When he hears his wife being attacked over the phone, Kyle rushes home to find that he's too late. The man who killed his wife is found not guilty on lack of evidence. So Kyle takes the law into his own hands, and kills the man to avenge his wife's death. He is sentenced to life in prison without parole. The Russian prison he is sent to is tough, and the warden amuses himself by putting on fights where he fills his pockets with money by betting on the fights. Kyle begins to break and go crazy, so he is forced into these fights because the warden knows he is a sure thing. Kyle's cellmate 451 begins to make him think what he fights for. With that, Kyle knows now he must fight another battle: the fight for inner peace. It is the only way he can become the man he once was.
