by Nikk Nelson, Staff Writer

A friend once told me I have some serious movie-watching stamina. Nothing makes me happier than sitting down and watching two, three, or even more movies in a row—following a throughline of theme, actor, director, or whatever strikes my fancy. This series is where I share some of my favorite cinematic mixtapes, for lack of a better term. I hope you enjoy!

I’m fascinated in a heartbroken way with criminal justice systems, specifically the ideas of incarceration and “corrections.” It’s an ancient concept so there’s no shortage of prison movies to get your hands on. Here’s a mixtape I put on for myself a few weeks ago.

Pour the Concrete with a Double Feature Foundation

The Shawshank Redemption
(dir. Frank Darabont. Starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. Runtime 2h 22m, 1994)
Currently Streaming on: HBO Max

Whenever I hear the term ‘perfect movie’, this is one of the first that leaps to mind. Next to Mike Flanagan, I think Frank Darabont is the most solid Stephen King adapter in the business. Of all the performances and moments to mention other than the stars, I think Bob Gunton as Warden Norton is one of my favorite performances, period. This and March of the Penguins (2005) launched Morgan Freeman’s soothing voice into the zeitgeist. From top to bottom, it’s an amazing film.

Murder in the First
(dir. Marc Rocco. Starring Kevin Bacon and Christian Slater. Runtime 2h 2m. 1995)
Currently Streaming On: HBO Max

Sorry, Wendy’s, there’s only one Baconator for me. This film is noticeably clumsier than Shawshank but that doesn’t stop Kevin Bacon from turning in arguably the best performance of his career. I think he deserved way more recognition and accolades than he received at the time. You get a little more courtroom drama in this one which I’m always a fan of and Gary Oldman is legitimately terrifying as Associate Milton Glenn. The fact that it’s based on a true story makes it even more infuriating/ heartbreaking.  

Possible Pivot Point

I like to include options when I’m sitting in the basement with friends so they can have input too on our cinematic journey. I call them “pivots”.

From Shawshank, you could instead go with Frank Darabont’s other classic King adaptation, The Green Mile (1999). I won’t go into the same detail other than to say Sam Rockwell rules!

Or, taking Morgan Freeman from Shawshank and R. Lee Ermey from Murder in the First, you can pivot to Se7en (1995). By the time I saw Se7en, I had seen more horror movies than any other kid on the block. But Se7en scared the shit out of me. It still kind of does.

Round It Out

Here’s where I went instead:

Sleepers
(dir. Barry Levinson. Starring Brad Pitt, Kevin Bacon, and Robert De Niro. Runtime 2h 27m 1996)
Currently Streaming On: HBO Max 

This brings Kevin Bacon back into the mix in an odiously fascinating performance. And if you pivoted to Se7en, Brad Pitt as well. This one’s a mix of coming-of-age, courtroom drama, and prison movie. Robert De Niro turns in a great supporting run and a young Billy Crudup shows up to hint at his superstar potential. It always makes me sad seeing Brad Renfro and remembering his fate. His talent was undeniable.

From here, there’s any number of movies that will round things out for you. Check out Brad Renfro in perhaps his most well-known performance in the John Grisham adaptation, The Client (1994). Susan Sarandon is a badass in that one too. Or, one of my favorite of Renfro’s I don’t see mentioned often, Deuces Wild (2002). Or, speaking of forgotten gems from 2002, one of my favorite prison movies is The Count of Monte Cristo (2002).

One I need to cross off my list of shame is Escape from Alcatraz (1979). I think following that up with The Rock (1996) would be a fun double-feature.

 Lastly, I always want to plug S. Craig Zahler whenever I can because I’m such a fan. Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017) is amazing.