Do you want to watch a popular Prison movie on Netflix? Stream Netflix jail movies to get an unforgettable life experience behind prison walls by choosing the best movie from the list.
Good prison movies on Netflix have become a popular genre, with many options for viewers to choose from for online streaming. Whether you are searching for prison escape movies on Netflix or prison love movies on Netflix, you will find something you like.
In this blog, we will discuss some of the best Netflix prison movies. While discussing the plots of these prison films on Netflix, we recommend ones you can watch with your family or friends.
So whether you love prison films on Netflix or watching jail movies on Netflix for the first time, make sure to check our prison movie list.
List Of 39 Popular Prison Movies on Netflix To Watch In 2024
There are so many prison films on Netflix that it can be confusing to decide which one to watch. If you can’t decide which one to watch right now, check out our list below.
Here are the 39 best Netflix jail movies that you can watch right now in 2024:
| Prison Movie Name | Movie Release Year | Movie Watch Time | IMDb Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Green Mile | 1999 | 3 hours 9 min | 8.6 |
| The Shawshank Redemption | 1994 | 2 hours 22 min | 9.3 |
| Carandiru | 2003 | 2 hours 25 min | 7.5 |
| In The Name Of The Father | 1993 | 2 hours 13 min | 8.1 |
| 13th | 2016 | 1 hour 40 min | 8.2 |
| A Prophet | 2009 | 2 hours 35 min | 7.8 |
| The Next Three Days | 2010 | 2 hours 13 min | 7.3 |
| Cell 211 | 2009 | 1 hour 53 min | 7.6 |
| Midnight Express | 1978 | 2 hours 1 min | 7.5 |
| Dead Man Walking | 1995 | 2 hours 2 min | 7.5 |
| Hunger | 2008 | 1 hour 36 min | 7.5 |
| Felon | 2008 | 1 hour 44 min | 7.4 |
| King Of Devil’s Island | 2010 | 1 hour 56 min | 7.5 |
| Undisputed 3: Redemption | 2010 | 1 hour 36 min | 7.3 |
| Starred Up | 2013 | 1 hour 46 min | 7.3 |
| Shot Caller | 2017 | 2 hours 1 min | 7.3 |
| On My Skin: The Last Seven Days Of Stefano Cucchi | 2018 | 1 hour 40 min | 7.3 |
| In Hell | 2003 | 1 hour 38 min | 6.1 |
| Chopper | 2000 | 1 hour 34 min | 7.1 |
| Brubaker | 1980 | 2 hours 11 min | 7.1 |
| Doing Time | 2002 | 1 hour 33 min | 7.1 |
| R | 2010 | 1 hour 39 min | 7.1 |
| Gridiron Gang | 2006 | 2 hours 5 min | 7.0 |
| Dog Pound | 2010 | 1 hour 31 min | 7.0 |
| Bronson | 2008 | 1 hour 32 min | 7.0 |
| Undisputed 2: Last Man Standing | 2006 | 1 hour 38 min | 7.0 |
| The Last Castle | 2001 | 2 hours 11 min | 6.9 |
| Get The Gringo | 2012 | 1 hour 36 min | 6.9 |
| A Prayer Before Dawn | 2017 | 1 hour 56 min | 6.8 |
| Escape From Pretoria | 2020 | 1 hour 46 min | 6.8 |
| Escape Plan | 2013 | 1 hour 55 min | 6.7 |
| Blood & Bone | 2009 | 1 hour 33 min | 6.7 |
| Against The Wall | 1994 | 1 hour 51 min | 6.7 |
| In Your Hands | 2004 | 1 hour 41 min | 6.7 |
| The Escapist | 2008 | 1 hour 42 min | 6.7 |
| The Informer | 2019 | 1 hour 53 min | 6.6 |
| The Longest Yard | 2005 | 1 hour 53 min | 6.4 |
| Lock Up | 1989 | 1 hour 49 min | 6.4 |
| The Inmate | 2007 | 2 hours 20 min | 6.3 |
After lots of hours of watching and research, we have come up with this list so you can watch a good prison movie on Netflix. You choose whether you want to watch new prison movies on Netflix or old ones. You can also watch UK Netflix in US using a location changing tool like VPN & enjoy prison movie from other location.
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The Green Mile(1999)
Cast: Tom Hanks, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse
Category: Crime, Drama, Fantasy
Director: Frank Darabont
Movie Plot: The Green Mile is a prison movie on Netflix that follows prison guard Paul Edgecomb as he oversees the death row inmates at Cold Mountain Penitentiary. When a hulking, soft-spoken inmate named John Coffey arrives, Paul befriends him soon.
This hulking black man, accused of murdering two girls, exudes innocence. As Coffey works healing miracles, Edgecomb questions his guilt. Delving into Coffey’s past, Edgecomb unravels a powerful story of loss and redemption.
The Green Mile is one of the jail movies on Netflix where you will see how a guard who once saw only duty, now finds hope. If you love Tom Hanks, don’t miss this prison movie on Netflix to enjoy a thrilling jail drama.
The Shawshank Redemption(1994)
Cast: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler
Category: Drama
Director: Frank Darabont
Movie Plot: In this one of the famous prison films on Netflix, we will see how Andy Dufresne was sentenced to Shawshank State Penitentiary for a murder he didn’t commit. Though the thick jail walls closed in around him, Andy never gave up the hope inside.
With time and his friend Red’s support, Andy carved out a new existence doing taxes and expanding the prison library. This prison movie on Netflix shows how Andy held onto his integrity and built relationships even amidst the darkness.
Andy clung to the hope of freedom, never accepting his wrongful imprisonment. After years behind bars, that unrelenting hope finally empowered his daring escape into the light. The Shawshank Redemption is one of the best prison escape movies on Netflix that you must watch.
Carandiru(2003)
Cast: Enrique Diaz, Wagner Moura, Caio Blat, Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos
Category: Crime, Drama
Director: Hector Babenco
Movie Plot: Set in Sao Paulo’s Carandiru prison in 1992, this prison movie on Netflix follows the lives of the inmates as they struggle to survive the harsh conditions. When a riot breaks out, the military police raid the prison, resulting in the notorious Carandiru massacre where over 100 prisoners are killed.
As the prisoners’ stories unfold, these jail movies on Netflix highlight the inhumane Brazilian prison system and the tragic human rights violations that occurred. Netflix jail movies like Carandiru provide a sobering look inside one of Brazil’s most infamous prisons.
In The Name Of The Father(1993)
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Pete Postlethwaite, Alison Crosbie, Philip King
Category: Biography, Crime, Drama
Director: Jim Sheridan
Movie Plot: When a deadly IRA bombing in 1970s Belfast wrongly implicates Gerry Conlon, he’s sentenced to prison where he endures torture. It is another prison movie on Netflix that shows how Gerry works tirelessly to prove his innocence for a crime he didn’t commit.
In The Name Of The Father is a prison films Netflix that portrays the injustice felt by many during The Troubles in Northern Ireland. It is one of the Netflix prison movies that highlights the corruption that led to false convictions of the innocent.
Fueled by the exceptional performances of Daniel Day-Lewis and Pete Postlethwaite, In the Name of the Father is a gripping tale of adversity and redemption.
13th(2016)
Cast: Melina Abdullah, Michelle Alexander, Cory Booker
Category: Documentary, Crime, History
Director: Ava DuVernay
Movie Plot: 13th is another popular black prison movie on Netflix which is a documentary based on the thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution. It is one of the jail movies on Netflix that showed a clear picture of racial inequality in America’s justice system.
Many experts were interviewed in prison films on Netflix and shared their views on the mass incarceration of black Americans. The 13th movie has won many movie awards and has also been nominated for Best Documentary Academy Award.
A Prophet(2009)
Cast: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif, Reda Kateb
Category: Crime, Drama
Director: Jacques Audiard
Movie Plot: A Prophet is one of the famous prison movies on Netflix that violence & corruption changes people inside prison. It follows the story of a young Algerian man named Malik El Djebena who was sentenced to six years imprisonment for attacking police officers.
This prison movie on Netflix shows how an innocent Algerian man learns to deal with the harsh & violent life inside jail. Meanwhile, he meets a powerful Corsican gangster named César Luciani & when Malik starts to work for him, he becomes quite popular in prison.
The Next Three Days(2010)
Cast: Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson
Category: Action, Crime, Drama
Director: Paul Haggis
Movie Plot: The Next Three Days shows the story of a college professor named John Brennan who does everything possible to save his family. In this prison movie on Netflix, John’s wife Lara is found guilty of murder because of this she has to go to jail.
This prison escape movie on Netflix takes us on a thrilling action when John plans an escape with the help of an ex-con. The Next Three Days movie depicts the strong love & determination of a husband to save his wife from a false conviction of murder.
Cell 211(2009)
Cast: Luis Tosar, Alberto Ammann, Antonio Resines, Manuel Morón
Category: Action, Crime, Drama
Director: Daniel Monzón
Movie Plot: Cell 211 is a popular prison movie on Netflix in which focuses on the story of two men. One of them is Juan who was a guard who got trapped in a prison riot when his colleagues fled while he was unconscious due to a projectile strike.
The other man is Malamadre, who is the riot leader and he takes Juan under his wings. Cell 211 is one of the suspenseful jail movies on Netflix that explores the story of survival, loyalty & redemption. This movie has also won 8 Goya awards.
Midnight Express(1978)
Cast: Brad Davis, Irene Miracle, Bo Hopkins, Paolo Bonacelli
Category: Biography, Crime, Drama
Director: Alan Parker
Movie Plot: Midnight Express, a prison movie on Netflix was released in 1978. It is a biographical drama film that is based on an American student named Hayes who got caught smuggling drugs out of Turkey.
It is one of the heart-clenching prison films on Netflix in which you will see how Hayes goes through physical & psychological torture in a Turkish prison. Midnight Express movie is about hope and survival that makes Hayes keep struggling for his escape from jail.
How Can I Watch The Best Prison Movie On Netflix In Restricted Countries?
You can use a VPN to watch new jail movies on Netflix if you are streaming from a banned country. We would recommend using NordVPN to stream prison movies on Netflix in countries like China, Russia, or Syria. You can even buy it at a hefty discount with the NordVPN Promo Code which is exclusively shared below.
If you want to watch female prison movies on Netflix or black prison movies on Netflix, you can use 5700+ NordVPN servers to change your location. Once your location is changed, you will be able to stream Netflix prison movies that are not available in your region.
How To Download Popular Prison Movie On Netflix For Watching Later?
Various ways to download prison films Netflix on your device are mentioned below:
- Use Netflix App: You can search for the Netflix jail movies you want to download and hit the download button. The prison movies will be saved to your device & you can watch them later.
- Use Third-Party Downloader App: If you want to download prison movies on Netflix that are not available in your region then use a third-party downloader.
What Are Famous Female Prison Movies On Netflix In 2024?
Here is the list of the best female prison movies on Netflix that you can watch:
- Caged Heat
- Promising Young Woman
- Women Of The Movement
- The Unforgivable
- Thelma & Louise
Is There Any Prison Show On Netflix To Watch Instead Of Movie?
Yes, there are some prison shows that you can watch besides jail movies on Netflix. Below are some jail shows that you can stream when not watching a prison movie on Netflix:
- Orange Is the New Black
- Wentworth
- 60 Days In
- Lock Up
- Inside The World’s Toughest Prisons
- When They See Us
- The Innocent
- The Valhalla Murders
New Prison Movie On Netflix That You Can Watch In 2024
The list of newly released prison movies that you can watch on Netflix is given below:
- Spiderhead
- The Unforgivable
- 7 Prisoners
- The Hand Of God
- The Getaway Kid
- Below Zero
- Red Notice
You can stream these new jail movies on Netflix from anywhere you like & whenever you want. Even if you are using a free Netflix trial, you will still have access to all of these prison movies.
