Is Shawshank a ripoff of Alcatraz?

Are they the same movie?

That is The Big Question.

No.

Shawshank outright lifted A LOT of stuff from Alcatraz. It's really obvious.

However, the two stories are different, and it's the actual titles of the films that really set them apart.

Alcatraz is all about the escape. That word is directly in the title. True, it doesn't start out that way, but ends up being that at the end.

Shawshank is about redemption, and that word is directly in its title. It's redemption on two levels. Getting something out of your time there, and salvation from sin.

Alcatraz is story driven, Shawshank is character driven; that's why Shawshank isn't just a retelling of Alcatraz.

Agree? Disagree? Are you sure? Watch Escape from Alcatraz first, then watch The Shawshank Redemption second back-to-back and decide for yourself.

Published 2024 Apr 21