A “masterpiece” movie based on a Stephen King book is frequently hailed as the greatest of all time. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) tells Andy Dufresne (played by Tim Robbins), a banker who is convicted for murdering his wife and her lover and sentenced to life imprisonment at the notorious Shawshank State Penitentiary, despite maintaining his innocence.

Inside he befriends Ellis “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman), a fellow prisoner, who tries to help Andy come to terms with his new reality, in an environment riven with brutality and institutional corruption. The film wasn’t a commercial success initially, something Freeman quipped was due to its title, saying many cinemagoers left the theatre blown away by the story but couldn’t remember the name and spread the word.

But it’s since established itself as one of the most beloved films in cinema history.

The prison drama was written and directed by Frank Darabont and based the Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, published in 1982.

One fan on Reddit said the novella is “excellent” and “definitely worth reading even if you’ve seen the equally excellent film”.

Another said it “has to be” one of the prolific writer’s “best short stories/novellas”.

A third said the book “is fantastic and very similar to the movie”. “I think I remember a lot of dialogue in the movie being lifted right out of the story,” they added.

Collider put The Shawshank Redemption 4th in a ranking of the 10 “Greatest Movie Masterpieces of the Last 40 Years”, ahead of the likes of City of God (2002), Schindler’s List (1993), and Goodfellas (1990).

It called the movie: “Complex, sincere, and deeply human, it’s the kind of film whose masterpiece status is nigh-impossible to argue against.”

Fans have flocked to IMDb to lavish the film with praise, one of whom said: “What can I say that hasn’t said before? Not much, it’s the story, the acting, the premise, but most of all, this movie is about how it makes you feel.

“Sometimes you watch a film, and can’t remember it days later, this film loves with you, once you’ve seen it, you don’t forget.

They hailed it as the “ultimate story of friendship, of hope, and of life, and overcoming adversity”.

Another gave it a 10/10, hailing it as the “Greatest movie of all time!”. “Undoubtedly, one of the most brilliant movies I have ever seen,” they added.

“Story, cast, screenplay all are great. The directing by Frank Darabont was just magnificent.”

The film has a 15 certificate and contains strong violence, sexual threat, language, and suicide – so viewer discretion is advised.

The Shawshank Redemption is available to rent or buy on various platforms, including YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and Sky Store. It’s also available to stream on NOW with a NOW Cinema Membership.

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