The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
99%RT Audience Score: 98%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 7 Oscars
21 wins & 43 nominations total
The Shawshank Redemption is an uplifting, deeply satisfying prison drama with sensitive direction and fine performances.
If you’re looking for a movie that’ll make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, The Shawshank Redemption is your ticket to happiness. This flick has got it all – drama, heart, and some seriously talented actors. The director really knows how to tug at your heartstrings and make you root for the underdog. And let’s not forget about those performances – they’re so good, you’ll forget you’re watching a movie and start feeling like you’re right there in the prison with them. So if you’re in the mood for a feel-good flick that’ll leave you feeling like you can conquer the world, give The Shawshank Redemption a watch. You won’t regret it!
Production Company(ies)
Castle Rock Entertainment,
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
127A Smithfield Road, Frederiksted, Virgin Islands
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language and prison violence
Year of Release
1994
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 22m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 1, 1994 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 21, 1999
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler, Clancy Brown, Gil Bellows, John Sandler, directed by Frank Darabont, written by Frank Darabont, produced by Niki Marvin, drama, uplifting, prison drama, sensitive direction, fine performances, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Kevin Maher, Zaki Hasan, Harper Barnes, Duane Byrge, Gene Siskel, Michael Clark, Matt Brunson, Allison Rose, MPAA rating R, prison violence, language, Columbia Pictures, SDDS, Dolby A, Stereo, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR, Flat (1.85:1), Stephen King, novella, human spirit, banker, wrongfully convicted, killing, wife, lover, Shawshank maximum security prison, friendship, Red, set design, costume design, Thomas Newman, emotionally evocative, powerful message
Worldwide gross: $28,884,504
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $58,436,973
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,267
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 6,372,625
US/Canada gross: $28,767,189
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $58,199,630
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,010
US/Canada opening weekend: $727,327
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $1,471,474
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,236
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $25,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $50,578,134
Production budget ranking: 788
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $27,236,325
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$19,377,487
ROI to date (est.): -25%
ROI ranking: 1,535
Morgan Freeman – Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding
Bob Gunton – Warden Samuel Norton
William Sadler – Heywood
Clancy Brown – Captain Byron Hadley
Gil Bellows – Tommy Williams
Director(s)
Frank Darabont
Writer(s)
Frank Darabont
Producer(s)
Niki Marvin
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 7 Oscars
21 wins & 43 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (82) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (75) | Rotten (7)
A beloved, incessantly revisited, stone-cold classic.
March 18, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Cinematic alchemy of a kind that’s all too rare, propelled by a supremely talented cast, a sumptuous score by Thomas Newman and a first-rate script and direction from first-timer Frank Darabont.
October 1, 2019
Zaki Hasan
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
A tough, complex story [told] with clarity, compassion and considerable dramatic force.
September 22, 2019
Harper Barnes
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
In the lead roles, both Robbins and Freeman are outstanding, layering their performances with snippets of individuality: Their small, daily sustenances and minor triumphs are wonderfully inspiring.
September 23, 2016
Duane Byrge
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
This is an engagingly simple, good-hearted film, with just enough darkness around the edges to give contrast and relief to its glowingly benign view of human nature.
September 22, 2015 | Rating: 3/4
Dave Kehr
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
Simply marvelous entertainment.
January 16, 2013 | Rating: 4/4
Gene Siskel
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Unmarketable upon box office release, Darabount’s masterpiece tanked and seemed destined to obscurity. Only after the video release, did ‘Shawshawk’ reap the praise it so richly deserved. Is it one of the greatest films ever made? Without a doubt, yes.
October 24, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Michael Clark
Epoch Times
The most overrated movie of all time still offers much to enjoy.
September 17, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
The entire cast of this movie is terrific with Robbins and Freeman leading the way.
September 14, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
Allison Rose
FlickDirect
It doesn’t matter how we think we remember the moments, how they look now, in this edition, will force a shift in memory that we’ll most likely be grateful for.
September 13, 2021
Douglas Davidson
Elements of Madness
A masterclass in pretty much every category. An incredible script, wonderful direction, gorgeous score and phenomenal performances by Freeman and Robbins. Cinema doesn’t get any better than this. [Full review in Spanish]
May 25, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Fico Cangiano
CineXpress Podcast
The film has a wonderfully structured script.
March 26, 2021
Sarah Brinks
Battleship Pretension…
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 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.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins both received critical acclaim for their performances in The Shawshank Redemption.
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