Movies like Escape From Pretoria
If you like "Escape From Pretoria" you are looking for political, suspense and tense movies about / with prison, apartheid, prison escape, escape, political prisoner, political activism and political activist themes of Action, Biography and Crime genre shot in UK or Australia.
Find your next favorite and similar movies in two steps:
1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below).
2. Look for them in the presented list.
Escape From Pretoria (2020)
49K
Original name: Escape from Pretoria
Genre: Action, Biography, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, Australia, USA, South Africa, Germany
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
South Africa, 1978. Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee, two white political activists from the African National Congress imprisoned by the apartheid regime, put a plan in motion to escape from the infamous Pretoria Prison…
Style:
political, suspense, tense, atmospheric, dramatic, thought provoking, suspenseful, psychological thriller, inspirational, twisted ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
prison, apartheid, prison escape, escape, political prisoner, political activism, political activist, politics, human spirit, prison break, rebelliousness, political persecution, dictator, dictatorship, youth, friends, brutality, hopes, racism, imprisonment, courtroom, gay, heist, court, church ...
Time:
year 1979, 70s, 20th century
Place:
south africa, africa, cape town south africa, adelaide south australia, australia, south australia
Movie in categories
Most similar movies to Escape From Pretoria
The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out tense, suspense, suspenseful and serious films with plots about prison, prison escape, brutality, violence, escape, murder and jail mostly in Thriller, Drama and Crime genres. Some movies like Escape From Pretoria: The Mauritanian (2021), Tunnel of Bones (2011), Midnight Express (1978), Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013), Goodbye Bafana (2007). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Genre: Biography, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
A detainee at the U.S military's Guantanamo Bay detention center is held without charges for over a decade and seeks help from a defense attorney for his release.
Style:
thought provoking, suspense, tense, captivating, thrilling ...
Plot:
lawyer, courtroom, islamic terrorism, al qaeda, prisoner, american politics, brutality, american imperialism, prison, torture, terrorist, defense attorney ...
Time:
year 1988, year 2001, year 2003, year 2005, year 2002 ...
Place:
north africa, jordan, germany, hamburg germany, baltimore ...
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: Argentina
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
Based on a real event, this is the spectacular escape of seven prisoners in 1991 from the Villa Devoto prison in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In the process of digging a tunnel to escape, they make a bizarre and frightening discovery just as they are ...
Style:
thrilling, captivating, tense, suspenseful, suspense
Plot:
prison break, prisoner, jail, prison escape, escaped prisoner, tunnel, prison, true crime, problem, escape plan, prison life, prison guard ...
Time:
year 1991
Place:
buenos aires argentina
Similarity:
74%
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 121 min.
Story:
Billy Hayes is caught attempting to smuggle drugs out of Turkey. The Turkish courts decide to make an example of him, sentencing him to more than 30 years in prison. Hayes has two opportunities for release: the appeals made by his lawyer, his ...
Style:
disturbing, suspense, realistic, depressing, psychological ...
Plot:
prison, brutality, torture, injustice, lawyer, escape, prison life, prison escape, drug, drug smuggling, court, violent ...
Time:
70s, 20th century, year 1970, year 1978, year 1975 ...
Place:
turkey, brooklyn new york city, greece, istanbul turkey, europe ...
Similarity:
70%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, France, South Africa
Duration: 141 min.
Story:
A chronicle of Nelson Mandela's life journey from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.
Style:
emotional, inspirational, serious, realistic, political ...
Plot:
rebellion, apartheid, prison, prison life, civil rights, political repression, racism, biopic, politics, brutality, human spirit, courage ...
Time:
20th century, 90s, year 2013, 1950s, 80s ...
Place:
south africa, africa
Similarity:
69%
Movie in collections
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, UK, South Africa, Luxembourg
Duration: 118 min.
Story:
The true story of a white South African racist whose life was profoundly altered by the black prisoner he guarded for twenty years. The prisoner's name was Nelson Mandela.
Style:
uplifting, serious, realistic, touching, political ...
Plot:
apartheid, prison life, racism, racial violence, leadership, interracial relations, politics, freedom fighter, friendship, fighting the system, rebellion, self discovery ...
Time:
80s, 20th century, 90s, 70s
Place:
south africa, africa
Similarity:
69%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
The true story of the infamous prison break of Gary Tison and Randy Greenwalt from the Arizona State prison in Florence, in the summer of 1978.
Style:
serious, tense, suspense, disturbing, captivating ...
Plot:
escape, prison break, escaped prisoner, true crime, runaway, serial killer, fleeing, jail, criminal, law enforcement, biopic, manhunt ...
Time:
70s, year 1978
Place:
arizona
Similarity:
68%
Genre: Action, Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France, Canada
Duration: 133 min.
Story:
The story of Jacques Mesrine, France's public enemy No. 1 during the 1970s. After nearly two decades of legendary criminal feats -- from multiple bank robberies and to prison breaks -- Mesrine was gunned down by the French police in Paris.
Style:
intense, suspense, realistic, rough, serious ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
gangster, robbery, mob boss, chase, prison, organized crime, mafia, biopic, escape, character study, against the rules, notoriety ...
Time:
20th century, y2k, year 2008, 70s
Place:
france, paris france, europe
Similarity:
68%
4K
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, History, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, Ireland, Sweden, Germany
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
Inspired by the true events of the infamous 1983 prison breakout of 38 IRA prisoners from HMP Maze, which was to become the biggest prison escape in Europe since World War II.
Style:
suspense, suspenseful, psychological, tense, complex
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
ira, terrorist, prison, assassination attempt, prison escape, male objectification, danger, murder, society, husband wife relationship, political prisoner, troubled marriage ...
Time:
year 1983, 80s
Place:
northern ireland, ireland, belfast
Similarity:
68%
Movie in collections
10K
Genre: Action, Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: Canada, Germany, South Africa, UK, USA
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
The life and career of Andre Stander, a South African police officer turned bank robber.
Style:
harsh, serious, exciting, factual, political ...
Audience:
boys' night, girls' night
Plot:
apartheid, bank robbery, male nudity, gun store, bank, heist, robbery, protest, law enforcement, rebelliousness, violence spree, dishonesty ...
Time:
80s, 70s, year 2003, 20th century
Place:
south africa, africa, johannesburg south africa, new jersey, ireland ...
Similarity:
68%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, Zimbabwe, USA
Duration: 157 min.
Story:
A dramatic story, based on actual events, about the friendship between two men struggling against apartheid in South Africa in the 1970s. Donald Woods is a white liberal journalist in South Africa who begins to follow the activities of Stephen Biko, ...
Style:
inspirational, political, cult classic, edutainment, political thriller ...
Plot:
racism, apartheid, politics, journalism, biopic, human rights, civil rights, social injustice, social commentary, black, african, friendship ...
Time:
70s, 20th century, year 1987, year 1975, year 1977
Place:
south africa, africa, cape town south africa, england
Similarity:
68%
269K
Genre: Action, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
Ray Breslin is the world's foremost authority on structural security. After analyzing every high security prison and learning a vast array of survival skills so he can design escape-proof prisons, his skills are put to the test. He's ...
Style:
suspenseful, suspense, clever, twist ending, entertaining ...
Audience:
boys' night, manly, chick flick
Plot:
prison, prison escape, revenge, outsmarting, escape plan, betrayal, resourceful, escape, prisoner, maximum security prison, prison break, lone hero ...
Time:
year 2013, 2010s, future, 80s, 21st century
Place:
morocco, usa, miami, new orleans, colorado ...
Similarity:
50%
Genre: Action, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min.
Story:
The Canadian policeman Louis Burke is assigned in a jail to investigate in some murders of prisoners and jailors. When in jail, Lois, using his outstandings martial arts is able to save his life and make himself respected in that violent world. At ...
Style:
exciting, rough, suspenseful, action packed, suspense ...
Audience:
boys' night, teens
Plot:
prison, martial arts, undercover, investigation, serial killer, surveillance, brutality, murder, prison guard, prison riot, computer cracker, deception ...
Time:
80s, 90s
Place:
los angeles
Similarity:
66%
684
Genre: Action, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
When William Conroy (Rob Lowe), a former college professor, is sentenced to life in prison for vehicular manslaughter it seems his life is over. But when a fellow inmate tells him that in the past two years fourteen inmates have died at the prison, ...
Style:
realistic, serious, tense, suspenseful, suspense
Plot:
prison, false accusation, law enforcement, anti hero, frame up, protagonist as suspect, confined, witnessing a crime, criminal heroes, dishonesty, jail, trial ...
Similarity:
66%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 122 min.
Story:
This film is based on the actual events that took place in 1971 when Stanford professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo created what became one of the most shocking and famous social experiments of all time.
Style:
disturbing, thought provoking, psychological, serious, realistic ...
Audience:
kids
Plot:
psychology, prison, social experiment, human experiment, human nature, university, prison life, experiment, teachers and students, prison escape, character study, student ...
Time:
20th century, 70s, 2010s
Place:
usa, california
Similarity:
65%
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 138 min.
Story:
Jacob, a manager at a big financial firm, finds himself behind bars when he tries to save the woman he loves from being involved in a criminal case. The only way for him to survive and to escape was to break out of prison. How he plans and executes ...
Style:
tense, crime thriller, suspense, fast paced, twisted
Audience:
adult
Plot:
prison escape, escape plan, prison break, wrongful imprisonment, moral ambiguity, cat and mouse, urban, male protagonist, revenge, family drama, robbery, police officer ...
Similarity:
65%
Genre: Action, Biography, Crime, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: Germany, France, Czech Republic
Duration: 150 min.
Story:
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex depicts the political turmoil in the period from 1967 to the bloody "Deutschen Herbst" in 1977. The movie approaches the events based on Stefan Aust's standard work on Die Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF). The ...
Style:
political, bleak, realistic, harsh, intellectual ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
terrorism, politics, revolutionary, protest, prison, political unrest, assassination, capitalism, terrorist attack, revolution, idealism, trial ...
Time:
70s, year 2008, 60s, 20th century, year 1970 ...
Place:
germany, rome italy, west berlin west germany, somalia, berlin germany ...
Similarity:
65%
Genre: Adventure, Biography, Crime, Drama, History
Country: Uruguay, Spain, Argentina, France, Germany
Duration: 122 min.
Story:
Uruguay, 1973. Having been crushed by the military dictatorship, surviving members of the Tupamaro guerillas are imprisoned and tortured. They must find a way to endure the coming 12 years.
Style:
captivating, realistic, psychological, tense, inspirational ...
Plot:
military dictatorship, politics, prison, released from prison, dictatorship, dictator, political prisoner, violence, biopic, society, rivalry, based on real people ...
Time:
70s, 80s, year 1983, year 1972, 20th century ...
Place:
south america, uruguay, latin america
Similarity:
65%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK, Ireland
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
Frank Perry is an institutionalized convict twelve years into a life sentence without parole. When his estranged daughter falls ill, he is determined to make peace with her before it's too late. He develops an ingenious escape plan, and ...
Style:
tense, harsh, rough, suspenseful, psychological thriller ...
Plot:
prison, prison escape, brutality, escape, tragedy, flashback, existentialism, loneliness, prison life, going straight, twists and turns, terminal illness ...
Time:
y2k, 2000s
Place:
london, europe, england
Similarity:
64%
Movie in collections
Genre: Action, Crime, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, China, UK
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
Ray Breslin manages an elite team of security specialists trained in the art of breaking people out of the world's most impenetrable prisons. When his most trusted operative, Shu Ren, is kidnapped and disappears inside the most elaborate prison ...
Style:
suspenseful, suspense, exciting, bleak, tense ...
Audience:
boys' night, family friendly, chick flick
Plot:
prison escape, prison, conspiracy, hi-tech, survival, danger, teamwork, betrayal, security system, hand to hand combat, hostage, secret place ...
Time:
2010s
Place:
chechnya, shanghai, bangkok thailand, atlanta georgia
Similarity:
64%
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
The stranger-than-fiction account of a prison break in upstate New York in the summer of 2015, which spawned a massive manhunt for two convicted murderers who were aided in their escape by a married female prison employee with whom they both became ...
Style:
melancholic, captivating, atmospheric, non fiction, historical drama ...
Plot:
prison escape, prison, prison life, true crime, love triangle, prisoner, deception, twists and turns, love affair, sex scene, jail, prison break ...
Time:
2010s
Similarity:
64%
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
A group of prisoners, led by an armed robber and a gangster, attempt to escape from the infamous Alcatraz Island.
Style:
suspenseful, bleak, disturbing, suspense
Plot:
captive, prison, attempted escape, risk, hostage, brutality, freedom, imprisonment, court, prison warden, convict, prison fight ...
Time:
year 1946, 1940s
Similarity:
64%
Genre: Action, Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, UK, Malta
Duration: 134 min.
Story:
The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.
Style:
tense, suspense, realistic, captivating, factual ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
hostage, ship, survival, terrorism, rescue, kidnapping, escapades, ship captain, ocean, hostage situation, piracy, pirate ...
Time:
year 2013, 2010s, 2000s, year 2009, 21st century
Place:
somalia, africa, middle east, america, usa ...
Similarity:
64%
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Czech Republic
Duration: 118 min.
Story:
Crime thriller inspired by the story of Jiri Kajinek, which is considered the first bounty hunter in the Czech Republic. Thanks to his escape from the prison fortress Mirov it became a legend and the most wanted man in Europe. Five weeks while ...
Style:
suspense, captivating
Plot:
prison, criminal, lawyer, prison escape, legal, crime boss, court, law and order, jailed, prison life, prison fight, true crime ...
Time:
2000s
Similarity:
64%
Movie in collections
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: Ireland, UK, USA
Duration: 133 min.
Story:
A small time thief from Belfast, Gerry Conlon, is falsely implicated in the IRA bombing of a pub that kills several people while he is in London. He and his four friends are coerced by British police into confessing their guilt. Gerry's father ...
Style:
inspirational, political, thought provoking, sentimental, dramatic ...
Plot:
prison, father son relationship, terrorist, lawyer, courtroom, terrorism, politics, trial, biopic, male nudity, justice, courtroom drama ...
Time:
20th century, 90s, year 1993, 80s, 70s
Place:
ireland, northern ireland, england, nepal, britain ...
Similarity:
64%
Genre: Action, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min.
Story:
In custody in New York, Detective James Knight finds himself in the middle of a jailbreak led by The Christmas Bomber, a brutal fanatic whose Santa Claus disciples are terrorizing the city. With the promised return of his badge in exchange for ...
Style:
suspenseful, captivating, exciting, tense, f word
Plot:
terrorist, santa claus, terror, police officer, prison, swashbuckler, police detective, jailed, terrorism, police, prison escape, deal ...
Similarity:
64%
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min.
Story:
The movie covers the events which occurred in between the downfall of The Company and the finale of the series. It details the arrest and incarceration of Sara Tancredi, the final escape plan which Michael devises for Sara. It also reveals the ...
Style:
suspenseful, suspense, intense, exciting, realistic ...
Audience:
boys' night, teens, girls' night
Plot:
prison, happy ending, fugitives, escape, woman in danger, self sacrifice, twists and turns, prison escape, relationships, freedom, resilience, murder mystery ...
Time:
2000s, 21st century
Place:
florida, canada, israel, new jersey
Similarity:
64%
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: Philippines
Duration: 114 min.
Story:
Set during the terrifying reign of Filipino despot, Marcos, two upper caste but very different strangers team up to try and survive the physical and mental torture they undergo after they are suddenly jailed. Geny is the conservative businessman ...
Style:
historical drama, suspenseful, period piece, political drama
Plot:
martial law, escape plan, prison escape, torture, corruption, prison life, social injustice, wrongful imprisonment, resistance, oppression, human rights, brutality ...
Time:
80s, 70s, year 1977
Place:
the philippines
Similarity:
64%
74K
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Spain, France
Duration: 113 min.
Story:
The story of two men on different sides of a prison riot -- the inmate leading the rebellion and the young guard trapped in the revolt, who poses as a prisoner in a desperate attempt to survive the ordeal.
Style:
tense, psychological, clever, intense, tricky ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
prison, survival, prison life, hostage, convict, prison guard, confined, prison escape, manipulation, danger, criminal heroes, rebelliousness ...
Time:
year 2009, 21st century
Place:
spain, iberian peninsula, basque country, south america, europe
Similarity:
63%
Genre: Action, Crime
Country: UK
Duration: 79 min.
Story:
Inspired by true events, the shocking story of London's most feared and notorious brothers Reggie and Ronnie Kray as they break Frank 'The Mad Axeman' Mitchell from Dartmoor Prison in December 1966.
Style:
tense, harsh, suspenseful, serious
Plot:
crime family, escape, gangster, brother, brothers, gang, two brothers, brutality, crime boss, criminal, prison, sex scene ...
Time:
year 1966, 60s
Place:
london, united kingdom
Similarity:
63%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Australia
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
As Indonesia prepares to invade the tiny nation of East Timor, five Australian based journalists go missing. Four weeks later, veteran foreign correspondent Roger East is lured to East Timor by the young and charismatic José Ramos-Horta to tell the ...
Style:
thought provoking, serious, realistic, bleak, rough ...
Plot:
journalism, politics, investigation, media, life is a bitch, uncover truth, political unrest, society, danger, state affairs, dishonesty, hopes ...
Time:
70s, 20th century, year 2009
Place:
indonesia, new zealand
Similarity:
63%
Related movie lists
