8 Movies Like The Shawshank Redemption to Add to Your Watch List: The Irishman to A Beautiful Mind
The Shawshank Redemption is the one movie that worked as a progressive arc for the industry. Not only were the fans hooked to the screens till the end, but they were also left craving for more.
The Morgan Freeman starrer was up for the Academy Awards, but the cast and the crew of the film were left with no prize. The film is based on the central theme of Hope, and below are some movies like The Shawshank Redemption.
The Irishman
Director: Martin Scorsese
Release Year: 2019
Genre: Crime/Drama
IMDB Rating: 7.8
Where to Watch: Netflix
The Irishman is a perfect watch for fans of the crime and thriller genres. The Martin Scorsese directorial is set in the town of Pennsylvania, where a truck driver, portrayed by the legendary Robert de Niro, goes on to become the top hitman.
He also gets involved with the powerful Teamster, who has ties to the criminals. The film also stars Al Pacino and Joe Pesci. The movie resonates well with The Shawshank Redemption as it is well settled on the theme of prison survival.
12 Years a Slave
Director: Steve McQueen
Release Year: 2014
Genre: Drama/History
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
Where to Watch: Apple TV
Based on the true and tragic story of Solomon Northup, 12 Years a Slave is a heart-wrenching film. The fans of The Shawshank Redemption would love the movie, considering it features elements of slavery, prison, and the hope and human spirit winning in the end.
The film stars Chiwetel, playing the lead role. The plot of the movie revolves around a freeman being offered a job as a musician in the US. However, upon reaching, Northup is drugged and sent into the slave prison. Brad Pitt also makes an appearance in this cinematic piece that won three Oscars.
The Pursuit of Happyness
Director: Gabriele Muccino
Release Year: 2007
Genre: Family/Drama
IMDB Rating: 8/10
Where to Watch: Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon Prime
Will Smith proves his potential in The Pursuit of Happyness. The movie is based on the theme of motivation and hope, similar to that of The Shawshank Redemption.
The story of the cinematic piece revolves around Chris Gardner, who is attempting to improve his life for himself and his son, whose custody is with Chris after his wife left him. The Oscar-winning film is most likely to leave the audience weeping.
The Green Mile
Director: Frank Darabont
Release Year: 2000
Genre: Fantasy/Drama
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
The Green Mile is quite similar to The Shawshank Redemption on many levels. The 2000 film stars Tom Hanks and Michael Clark Duncan as the lead characters. They play the roles of the prison guard and the prisoner, respectively.
The movie is hailed by the same director as the former one and tells the tale of a black man who is convicted of the murder of two girls. When Paul Edgecomb, played by Hanks, meets the prisoner, his life changes, knowing that the latter possesses special skills. The movie received four Oscar nominations that year.
Scent of a Woman
The screens light up with Al Pacino's presence in Scent of a Woman. The movie is a perfect choice for fans of the thriller genre. The film revolves around a preschool student who is in desperate need of money.
To earn a living, he agrees to help a visually impaired Colonel as his caregiver. Lesser known to the student, portrayed by Chris O'Donnell, the latter has motives of his own. The movie was up for Oscars, and Al Pacino went on to win it in the category of Best Actor.
The Pelican Brief
Director: Alan J. Pakula
Release Year: 1993
Genre: Thriller/Crime
IMDB Rating: 6.6
Where to Watch: Apple TV
Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts starrer The Pelican Brief is set against the backdrop of a whodunnit. The plot of the film states that when two Supreme Court judges are killed, a college student, Sam, is given the intel on who the murderer is.
Shortly after, Sam is assassinated, and it is all on his girlfriend, Darcy, to find out the truth. Fans of The Shawshank Redemption are sure to love it, as, just like Frank Darabont directorial, The Pelican Brief also talks about hope and following one's instincts.
A Beautiful Mind
Director: Ron Howard
Release Year: 2000
Genre: Thriller/Romance
IMDB Rating: 8.3
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime, Apple TV
Ron Howard struck gold with A Beautiful Mind. When a genius mathematician, Josh Nash, believes himself to be in a lot of pain, he discovers he is suffering from a disorder. The movie stars Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly.
Moreover, fans of The Shawshank Redemption are in for a treat, as the film tells the tale of a triumph for the human spirit and freedom. The movie also won four Oscars in 2001.
Shutter Island
Director: Martin Scorsese
Release Year: 2010
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
Shutter Island proves to be one of Leonardo DiCaprio 's best works. The movie revolves around two US marshals who have been sent out to an asylum on a remote island to investigate the case of the missing prisoner.
The movie is quite similar to The Shawshank Redemption, as it explores the theme of freedom, features an elaborate prison story, and is known for keeping the audience on the edge of their seats until the end.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
From Karan Johar's The Traitors to Samantha Ruth Prabhu's Subham: Check these OTT releases on Netflix, JioHotstar, Prime Video
As mid-June rolls in, OTT platforms are loading up their content libraries with an exciting mix of comedy, thrillers, fantasy, and reality TV. Whether you're in the mood for some nostalgic Disney magic, gritty crime drama, or a laugh-out-loud Telugu horror comedy , this week's new releases offer something for every taste. Here's a curated list of the top streaming titles dropping this week—and why they deserve a spot on your watchlist. Padakkalam JioHotstar June 11 Set in a sleepy school where comic books are the currency of cool, Padakkalam follows the lives of four nerdy students who love nothing more than diving into fictional worlds. But when a new professor steps in and strange supernatural events start unfolding, their lives flip in the most unexpected ways. Suraj Venjaramoodu, Sharafudheen, and Sandeep Pradeep headline this comedy with a twist, written and directed by Manu Swaraj. A blend of school drama and mystery, it promises a fun-filled ride. Snow White JioHotstar June 12 Marc Webb brings a modern twist to Disney's classic fairytale in Snow White, a live-action retelling of the 1937 animated masterpiece. This version explores the journey of a young princess who teams up with seven dwarfs and a band of rebels to free her kingdom from the grip of her tyrannical stepmother. With sweeping visuals, reimagined characters, and an empowering narrative, the film aims to capture the essence of the original while offering a new-age fantasy adventure for the whole family. The Traitors Prime Video June 13 Hosted by Bollywood's own master of drama, Karan Johar, The Traitors adds a spicy twist to reality TV. The show gathers 20 contestants who must form alliances, complete intense tasks, and most crucially, watch their backs. Not everyone is playing fair, and betrayal is the name of the game. With Johar's flair for theatrics and unexpected twists at every turn, this high-stakes psychological competition is designed to keep viewers hooked till the final reveal. Rana Naidu Season 2 Netflix June 13 Returning with even more grit and family tension, Rana Naidu is back for a high-octane second season. Based on Ray Donovan, the series stars Rana Daggubati as the powerful fixer whose professional messes are easier to clean up than his personal ones. This season deepens his uneasy alliance with his estranged father, played by Venkatesh Daggubati, as the duo faces off against a dangerous new enemy, portrayed by Arjun Rampal. Expect explosive confrontations and morally grey decisions in this compelling crime drama. Subham JioHotstar June 13 Subham blends supernatural thrills with slice-of-life comedy, offering a story that begins with TV obsession and spirals into the paranormal. When their wives get hooked on a television show, a group of husbands seeks distraction—only to find themselves entangled in bizarre and terrifying events. Backed by Samantha Ruth Prabhu's Tralala Moving Pictures, this Telugu horror-comedy walks the fine line between scary and silly, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments that underscore the absurdity of domestic life gone eerily off-track. Alappuzha Gymkhana SonyLIV June 13 A powerful Malayalam drama that became one of the year's biggest hits, Alappuzha Gymkhana centers on a group of young adults using boxing as a ticket to higher education. Their dream: to enter college through the sports quota. But as they rise through the ranks, the stakes become higher, the competition tougher, and their unity is tested. Filled with punchy storytelling and raw emotion, the film shines a light on youth ambition, grit, and the hurdles faced by sports aspirants in India.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Why Karnataka Pills Case Is A Sinister Throwback To Curry & Cyanide And Kerala's Jolly Joseph
New Delhi: There's something deeply unsettling about food being weaponised. A ritual of love and nourishment, it becomes monstrous when stirred with malice. Netflix's Curry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case taps into this primal fear: that the person serving your meal might also be plotting your murder. It's a fear made more chilling by the fact that the show isn't fiction. It's based on the baffling and brutal true-crime story of Jolly Joseph, a woman whose seemingly ordinary life in Kerala's Koodathayi village unravelled into a web of deceit, ambition and cyanide-laced killings. And if that weren't enough, life decided to imitate art again. Two years after Curry & Cyanide aired, Karnataka's Hassan district reported a case so eerily similar that it reads like an uncommissioned sequel, this time featuring sleeping pills, stewed in a family's daily meals, all for love gone rotten. The Netflix Documentary That Stirred Up Old Ghosts Directed by Christo Tomy and written by Shalini Ushadevi, Curry & Cyanide is Netflix's chilling foray into one of Kerala's most shocking true-crime stories. Running at 107 minutes, the documentary dives into the life and lies of Jolly Joseph, a woman who is accused of killing six people over 14 years - all connected by family ties and, allegedly, by poison. Though the title suggests a culinary-criminal connection, the show makes it clear: neither curry nor cyanide was consistently used in the crimes. What was, however, consistent was Joseph's ability to convince everyone she was someone else - an educated woman, a government employee, a loving wife. She was none of those. The documentary unfolds like a psychological thriller, but unlike a good mystery novel, it has no final reveal. The sessions court is still hearing the case, and despite Joseph's reported confession, a definitive legal closure remains elusive. Six Deaths. One Woman. Too Many Lies. The Koodathayi deaths began in 2002 and ended, or rather, came to light, in 2019. Over 14 years, six members of a single family died under suspicious circumstances. All were connected to Jolly Joseph. It started with her mother-in-law, Annamma Thomas, who collapsed after a walk and a glass of water. Doctors attributed it to a heart attack. In 2008, Jolly's father-in-law, Tom Thomas, also died suddenly. Then, in 2011, her husband Roy Thomas died after consuming a curry made by Jolly; his death was ruled a suicide after traces of poison were found in his stomach. The suspicion could've ended there. But in 2014, Roy's uncle Mathew Manjayadil, who had pushed for a second post-mortem, died after consuming whisky allegedly given by Jolly. That same year, her soon-to-be second husband Shaju's two-year-old daughter died after allegedly choking on food. Two years later, Shaju's wife, Sily, too, died reportedly after ingesting capsules Jolly had offered to treat her depression. It was only in 2018, when Roy's brother Rojo Thomas dug out his sibling's autopsy report via an RTI application, that the narrative began to unravel. The inconsistencies in food timings, symptoms and testimonies couldn't be ignored. Jolly's perfect housewife image fell apart. In 2019, she was arrested, along with two men, a former lover and a goldsmith who had allegedly helped her procure the cyanide. The motive? Possibly property. Possibly power. Definitely control. A Case Too 'Cinematic' To Be True And Yet It Is The Koodathayi case had all the makings of a film, which is perhaps why it has been adapted so many times. In 2020, Death, Lies & Cyanide, a Spotify original podcast narrated by journalist Sashi Kumar, chronicled the chilling details. Malayalam serials like Krithyam and Koodathayi recreated the story under fictional names, with actors like Muktha, Mallika Sukumaran and Dayyana Hamid reimagining Jolly's duplicity. Sony TV's Crime Patrol devoted three full episodes to the case. Films are on the anvil too: Antony Perumbavoor's upcoming movie starring Mohanlal is reportedly based on the incident, as is actress Dini Daniel's film in which she plays Jolly. Disney+ Hotstar is developing Anali, a web series helmed by Midhun Manuel Thomas, with Nikhila Vimal and Leona Lishoy in the lead roles, inspired by the murders. Clearly, the public cannot look away. When History Repeats Itself Just when we thought the Koodathayi case was an aberration, a dark echo arrived from Karnataka's Hassan district in June 2024. Chaitra, a 33-year-old woman and mother of two, was arrested for attempting to murder her husband, children and in-laws by poisoning their meals - in this case, with sleeping pills and toxic medicines. Her motive? To continue her affair with a local man named Shivu. According to the police, Chaitra had been rotating medications in food for over two months. The symptoms, dizziness, fatigue and long naps, were mistaken for common ailments. It was only when her husband, Gajendra, accidentally opened her bag and found a stash of pills that suspicions grew. Medical tests confirmed what the family feared: they had been systematically poisoned. The children, heartbreakingly, admitted they had seen their mother mixing powders into coffee and food. Chaitra was arrested. Shivu remains on the run. It's a case that mirrors Jolly's in chilling ways: a woman trusted by her family, a seemingly peaceful domestic setting and a slow poisoning method that thrived under the illusion of normalcy. Trust, Twisted What connects the Kerala and Karnataka cases isn't just the methodology. It's the profound betrayal of trust. Both Jolly and Chaitra weaponised familial love and domesticity. They used the kitchen as a crime scene. They fed their victims death, disguised as dinner. There's something inherently horrific about being harmed by the person you live with, the one who kisses your children goodnight or sits across from you at lunch. These stories rattle the very foundation of human relationships, that love should protect, not kill. What Curry & Cyanide Gets Right (And Wrong) While Curry & Cyanide doesn't deliver a conclusive verdict (because legally, it can't), it offers something more unsettling - ambiguity. It portrays a family trying to make sense of repeated tragedies, a village that looked the other way and a police force that woke up too late. Critically, the show also highlights something many true-crime shows forget: justice is not instant. The sessions court is still hearing the case. Jolly's confession could be retracted. Evidence can be contested. And yet, in the court of public opinion, she's already condemned. A Cautionary Tale, Served Cold The real-life cases of Jolly Joseph and Chaitra are not only about murder; they're about manipulation, about how trust can be the perfect camouflage for cruelty. Netflix's Curry & Cyanide is a gripping, if imperfect, retelling of a case that continues to haunt India's collective conscience. The next time we see a family gathered around a dining table onscreen or in our own homes, a quiet thought may sneak in: how well do we really know the person passing us the plate? Because sometimes, the most dangerous place isn't the dark alley. It's the dinner table.
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Comedian Vir Das discusses Dev Anand with Hollywood icon Francis Ford Coppola in London; check pics
Comedian and actor Vir Das shared a memorable moment with legendary Hollywood filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola during his recent visit to London. Das posted a photo on social media on Tuesday, capturing himself seated next to the 86-year-old director. The two were seen enjoying a quiet moment on a sofa. Das opted for a relaxed look, wearing a black oversized double-breasted jacket over a white T-shirt, paired with brown loose-fit trousers. Coppola, on the other hand, exuded classic elegance in a grey suit with a patterned tie. The meeting took place at an event hosted by Priya Agarwal Hebbar and her family. Expressing his excitement, Das wrote on X, 'A lovely afternoon in London with the legend Francis Ford Coppola. So good to meet you and talk about the world and your amazing journey. Thank you to Priya Agarwal Hebbar and her wonderful family for bringing us all together and hosting us so well.' The post quickly drew reactions from fans. 'How blessed are you to have met and hung out with the legend,' one user commented. Another added, 'Priceless moment.' The 45-year-old comedian recently made history as the first Indian to host the International Emmy Awards in 2024. He previously won the Best Comedian award at the International Emmys in 2023 for his Netflix special Landing, and was also nominated in 2021 for Vir Das: For India. On the professional front, Das recently appeared as a news anchor in Prime Video's Call Me Bae, starring Ananya Panday. Meanwhile, Coppola has returned to the director's chair with his latest sci-fi drama Megalopolis.
