If watching prison movies and series on Netflix is your thing, well, today, I’ll be showing you the 30+ best movies that are based on prison stories, both real-life and fictional, that you can find and start watching right now on the Netflix app.
And without further ado, let’s get started. #enjoy.
…But before then, kindly take note that by the time you’ll be reading this article & in Netflix’s usual tradition, some of the movies listed here might not be available in your location, or even worse, completely removed from the platform, so just in case you couldn’t find some of them on your Netflix’s app.
The best Netflix prison movies for 2023
| MOVIES | YEAR RELEASED | WATCH TIME |
|---|---|---|
| Below Zero | 2021 | 1h 46m |
| All Day and a Night | 2020 | 2h 1m |
| 40 Sticks | 2020 | 1h 32m |
| Spenser Confidential | 2020 | 1h 51m |
| Capone | 2020 | 1h 43m |
| Miracle In Cell No. 7 | 2019 | 2h 12m |
| The Platform | 2019 | 1h 34m |
| Escape Plan: The Extractors | 2019 | 1h 37m |
| On My Skin: The Last Seven Days of Stefano Cucchi | 2018 | 1h 40m |
| A Twelve-Year Night | 2018 | 2h 2m |
| Freedom At Midnight | 2018 | 2h 18m |
| Escape Plan 2: Hades | 2018 | 1h 36m |
| Brawl in Cell Block 99 | 2017 | 2h 12m |
| Shot Caller | 2017 | 2h 1m |
| Papillon | 2017 | 2h 13m |
| 13th | 2016 | 1h 40m |
| I Am Not Your Negro | 2016 | 1h 33m |
| The 4th Company | 2016 | 1h 49m |
| Inside The World's Toughest Prison | 2016 - 2021 | TV Series |
| 60 Days In | 2016 | TV Series |
| The Fear of 13 | 2015 | 1h 36m |
| Riot | 2015 | 1h 27m |
| Get Hard | 2015 | 1h 40m |
| Selma | 2014 | 2h 8m |
| Convict | 2014 | 1h 50m |
| Orange Is The New Black | 2013 - 2019 | TV Series |
| Wentworth | 2013 - 2021 | TV Series |
| Escape Plan | 2013 | 1h 55m |
| The Experiment | 2010 | 1h 36m |
| The Next Three Days | 2010 | 2h 13m |
| Law Abiding Citizen | 2009 | 1h 49m |
| Felon | 2008 | 1h 44m |
| Bronson | 2008 | 1h 32m |
| Big Stan | 2007 | 1h 45m |
| Half Past Dead | 2002 | 1h 38m |
| The Green Mile | 1999 | 3h 9m |
| The Shawshank Redemption | 1994 | 2h 22m |
| Prison on Fire | 1987 | 1h 38m |
| Escape From Alcatraz | 1979 | 1h 52m |
| Midnight Express | 1978 | 2h 1m |
| Papillon | 1973 | 2h 31m |
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Miracle in Cell No. 7
I will make myself clear here, if you know you can’t hold back tears when watching very emotional movies, then this movie is not for you, as this movie will bring out the crybaby in you.
The movie has received many recommendations and reviews from fans all over the world and even won 9 awards since date of its release in 2019.
It talks about a story of a mentally ill father who was wrongly accused of murdering his own daughter and later thrown into prison afterward.
So, if you’re looking for one of the best prison movies you can find on Netflix, then this is it, Miracle in Cell No. 7.
13th
13th or The 13th is no newcomer when it comes to prison movies, as it is even one of the most-watched and user rated movies in this category of movies, and it is directed by Ava DuVernay, the same director of the movie “Selma”, which is still listed in this category.
It talks about the thirteenth amendment of the US constitution that abolishes slavery, except used as a punishment for committing a crime, and so far, this movie has won over 32 awards since the date of its release in 2016.
Watch now: Shot Caller, now available on Netflix.
On My Skin
On my skin is a movie based on a true-life event, and it aims to dig into the practice of police brutality in Italy.
A man, Stefano Cucchi, got arrested for a minor crime, and he will later be found dead in his cell due to the severe beating he received from the policemen while in cell, his family will later go on a hunt to find out the truth behind his death.
So far, On My Skin has won 14 awards since its release in 2018, so, if you crave Netflix prison movies, you should look at this.
The Platform
The Platform is a mixture of Sci-fi, horror, and thriller all coming together to make up some of the best prison-inspired movies you can find on Netflix right now.
The film is set in a vertical prison system with one cell per level, and two inmates in a cell. Only one food platform, and two minutes per day to feed. The residents at the top cells get to eat as much as they want, with each level getting only the leftovers from the previous ones.
So, that will be all, you can refer to the table above to see all of the movies we have hand picked for you and listed in this article.
Kindly tell us which of them is your best movie by leaving a comment in the comment section below, and if you find this post interesting, kindly give it a thumbs up by sharing it, and always, I’ll see y’all tomorrow, #peace out.
