The Shawshank Redemption's reviews

A thumpingly good ode to friendship, hope, wit, wiles and wisdom, brimming with crackling characters and topped with the most twisteroo of twists since 'The Crying Game'.

This is not a "prison drama" in any conventional sense of the word (...) But mostly the film is an allegory about holding onto a sense of personal worth.

There are times when 'The Shawshank Redemption' comes dangerously close to sounding one of those "triumph of the spirit" notes. But most of it is eloquently restrained.

A classic film about prison that fleeing from the cheap spectacle to deepen in the friendship of the two main characters.