Political prisoner movies and TV shows
The list contains the best, new and most relevant political prisoner movies ordered by relevance. The recommendation service has sorted out captivating, realistic, tense, serious, suspenseful and disturbing films and TV shows about / with political prisoner, politics, prison, society, suspense, political unrest, betrayal, prisoner, violence and murder plots mostly in Drama, Thriller and Biography genres shot in USA, UK, Germany and other countries.
political prisoner
TOP 10 movies tagged as political prisoner: Ghoul (2018), Escape From Pretoria (2020), Gandhi (1982), Septembers of Shiraz (2015), A Twelve-Year Night (2018), The Perez Family (1995), Coming Home (2014), Duck, You Sucker (1971), Die Hard 2 (1990), A Good Day to Die Hard (2013).
Best films
List of political prisoner movies
14K
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
Country: India
Duration: 45 min.
TV show
Story:
A newly minted military interrogator arrives at a covert detention center to discover that some of the terrorists held there are not of this world.
Style:
political, neo noir, captivating, psychological, suspenseful ...
Plot:
demon, political prisoner, interrogation, female protagonist, demonic possession, suspense, revenge, islam, military prison, investigation, terror, prison ...
Time:
near future
Is relevant ?
Genre: 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, tense, atmospheric, dramatic, suspenseful ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
prison escape, apartheid, prison, political prisoner, suspense, escape, political activism, human spirit, maximum security prison, freedom, political activist, politics ...
Time:
70s, year 1979, 20th century
Place:
south africa, africa, cape town south africa, australia, adelaide south australia ...
Is relevant ?
235K
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, India, USA, South Africa
Duration: 191 min.
Story:
In the early years of the 20th century, Mohandas K. Gandhi, a British-trained lawyer, forsakes all worldly possessions to take up the cause of Indian independence. Faced with armed resistance from the British government, Gandhi adopts a policy of ...
Style:
epic, inspirational, political, spiritual, uplifting ...
Audience:
kids, teens
Plot:
idealism, protest, lawyer, politics, british empire, life philosophy, human spirit, religious intolerance, leadership, assassination, freedom, indian history ...
Time:
1930s, 1920s, 19th century, 1940s, 20th century ...
Place:
india, south africa, africa, los angeles, vatican ...
Is relevant ?
Genre: Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
In this adaptation of the critically acclaimed debut novel by Iranian American author Dalia Sofer, a secular Jewish family is caught up in the maelstrom of the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
Style:
tense, captivating, psychological, retro
Plot:
jewish, suspense, interrogation, political prisoner, revolution, society, party, family relations, couples, friendship, rivalry, fleeing ...
Time:
year 1979
Place:
tehran iran, iran
Is relevant ?
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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, psychological, realistic, tense, political ...
Plot:
politics, prison, military dictatorship, political prisoner, released from prison, violence, society, rivalry, writers, criminal justice, violent, male objectification ...
Time:
year 1973, 70s, 80s
Place:
uruguay, south america, latin america
Is relevant ?
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 113 min.
Story:
In the midst of the Mariel boat lift -- a hurried exodus of refugees from Cuba going to America -- an immigration clerk accidentally presumes that dissident Juan Raul Perez and Dorita Evita Perez are married. United by their last name and a mutual ...
Style:
touching, light, sweet, sentimental, humorous ...
Plot:
destiny, immigration, adaptation, mistaken identity, political prisoner, prostitute, family relations, society, human nature, politics, immigrants, prison ...
Time:
80s
Place:
cuba, miami, usa, latin america, florida
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: China, France
Duration: 109 min.
Story:
Lu and Feng are a devoted couple forced to separate when Lu is arrested and sent to a labor camp as a political prisoner during the Cultural Revolution. He finally returns home only to find that his beloved wife no longer remembers him.
Style:
serious, emotional, realistic, atmospheric, touching
Plot:
labor camp, political prisoner, love and romance, hopes, political unrest, couples, breakup, crime and punishment, family problems, state affairs, amnesia, family relations ...
Time:
20th century
Place:
china
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama, War, Western
Country: Italy
Duration: 157 min.
Story:
At the beginning of the 1913 Mexican Revolution, greedy bandit Juan Miranda and idealist John H. Mallory, an Irish Republican Army explosives expert on the lam from the British, fall in with a band of revolutionaries plotting to strike a national ...
Style:
epic, tense, atmospheric, intense, exciting ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
friendship, mexican revolution, revolution, rape, culture clash, redemption, mercenary, chase, haunted by the past, cynicism, friendship between men, flashback ...
Time:
1910s, 20th century
Place:
mexico, ireland, northern ireland, latin america, mexico city
Is relevant ?
368K
Genre: Action, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
John McClane is an off-duty cop gripped with a feeling of déjà vu when on a snowy Christmas Eve in the nation's capital, terrorists seize a major international airport, holding thousands of holiday travelers hostage. Renegade military ...
Style:
suspenseful, exciting, tense, clever, intense ...
Audience:
boys' night, chick flick
Plot:
gunfight, airplane, christmas, fight scenes, chase, airport, police, terrorism, lone hero, fight, suspense, one man army ...
Time:
year 1990, 20th century, 80s, 90s
Place:
washington d.c., los angeles, california, virginia, usa
Is relevant ?
Genre: Action, Thriller
Country: USA, UK, Hungary
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
Iconoclastic, take-no-prisoners cop John McClane, finds himself for the first time on foreign soil after traveling to Moscow to help his wayward son Jack - unaware that Jack is really a highly-trained CIA operative out to stop a nuclear weapons ...
Style:
exciting, melancholic, tense, realistic, suspenseful ...
Audience:
boys' night, teens
Plot:
father son relationship, two man army, tough cop, bomb, car chase, cia agent, terrorism, spy, violence, agent, american abroad, taxi driver ...
Time:
2010s, 21st century
Place:
russia, new york, langley virginia, moscow russia, chernobyl
Is relevant ?
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: China, Italy, UK, France
Duration: 163 min.
Story:
A dramatic history of Pu Yi, the last of the Emperors of China, from his lofty birth and brief reign in the Forbidden City, the object of worship by half a billion people; through his abdication, his decline and dissolute lifestyle; his exploitation ...
Style:
epic, political, breathtaking, visually appealing, emotional ...
Plot:
childhood, world war two, chinese history, royalty, revolution, prison, drug addiction, emperor, interrogation, empress, politics, eunuch ...
Time:
1930s, 1920s, 1940s, 1910s, 50s ...
Place:
china, beijing china, asia, japan
Is relevant ?
Genre: Action, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
An ex-Navy SEAL, Michael Adams, (Matthew Reese) was captured during a raid to free Japanese prisoners from a North Korean prison camp. He endures the North Koreans torture for three years -- seen only as flashbacks -- then released back into ...
Style:
exciting, disturbing, tense, thought provoking, surprise ending
Plot:
secret service agent, female agent, vendetta, violence, chase, husband wife relationship, tragic hero, political prisoner, conspiracy, suspense, husband wife estrangement, male female relationship ...
Time:
2000s
Place:
korea, north korea
Is relevant ?
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Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance, War
Country: Germany, Netherlands, Mexico
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
The affaire of a married Palestinian man and a married Israeli woman in Jerusalem takes a dangerous political dimension when they are spotted in the wrong place at the wrong time leaving them to deal with more than their broken marriages.
Style:
tense, disturbing, enigmatic, suspenseful, captivating ...
Plot:
moral dilemma, pregnant wife, political prisoner, arrest, pregnancy, violence, sex scene, encounter, couples, friendship, mediterranean, hot and sexy ...
Time:
21st century
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 99 min.
Story:
A man ascends a barren summit. It is Judas, come to collect Jesus and carry him down the mountain on his back, joking and panting as he does so. After bathing in the river and taking part in a henna ceremony, Jesus leaves for Jerusalem. Judas is ...
Style:
captivating, atmospheric, serious, biblical, realistic
Plot:
jesus, clergy, betrayal, bible, religions or cults, intrigue, dishonesty, rivalry, society, ancient history, desert, friendship ...
Time:
1st century
Place:
holy land
Is relevant ?
209
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: Italy, Spain, Argentina
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
In a country (alluded to be Chile) under dictatorship, a police night raid comes up with a few usual anti-regime suspects. They are sent to a camp in the middle of nowhere. Their friends on the outside start to plan their escape.
Style:
realistic, semi serious, humorous, captivating
Plot:
society, politics, escape, dictator, political prisoner, isolation, abduction, rebelliousness, kidnapping, army, dictatorship, prisoner of war camp ...
Time:
80s, 20th century
Place:
latin america, italy, chile
Is relevant ?
201K
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
Russian terrorists conspire to hijack the aircraft with the president and his family on board. The commander in chief finds himself facing an impossible predicament: give in to the terrorists and sacrifice his family, or risk everything to uphold ...
Style:
exciting, suspenseful, entertaining, intense, serious ...
Audience:
girls' night, boys' night
Plot:
airplane, hostage, secret service, terrorism, white house, hijacking, terrorist, conspiracy, head of state, president, usa president, suspense ...
Time:
90s, 20th century
Place:
russia, washington d.c., afghanistan, germany, moscow russia ...
Is relevant ?
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
A man trapped in an automated prison must outsmart a computer in order to escape and try and find his way back to the outside world that may already be wiped out.
Style:
captivating, disturbing, tense, touching, surreal ...
Plot:
time paradox, suspense, escape, artificial intelligence, jail, subconscious, escape attempt, man versus machine, father son relationship, prisoner, reality, prison escape ...
Time:
near future
Is relevant ?
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Latvia, Czech Republic, Finland
Duration: 120 min.
Story:
The 14th of June 1941, Soviet-occupied Latvia: Without warning, the authorities break into the house of Melanie and her husband Aleksandr and force them to leave everything behind. Together with more than 15 000 Latvians, Melanie and her son get ...
Style:
rough, disturbing, bleak
Plot:
deportation, world war two, gulag, survival, labor camp, cruelty, grief, politics, political prisoner, life is a bitch, suspense, mother son relationship ...
Time:
1940s, year 1957, 50s, year 1941
Place:
latvia, russia, siberia, ussr
Is relevant ?
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Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: France
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
An Iranian family survives the shah and the ayatollah and moves to France. This story follows the family through it all. Despite the politics, revolution, prison, beatings, assassinations and suicides this is a comedy.
Style:
humorous, captivating, realistic, touching
Plot:
migrant, marriage, large family, political oppression, wedding, nurse, social worker, political prisoner, family relations, couples, society, friendship ...
Time:
80s, 70s, 50s
Place:
iran, france
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama
Country: Australia, Iran
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
Marzieh is a young female actress living in Tehran. The authorities ban her theatre work and, like all young people in Iran, she is forced to lead a secret life in order to express herself artistically. At an underground rave, she meets Iranian born ...
Style:
captivating, serious, disturbing, realistic
Plot:
heavy metal culture, rebellion, government agency, state affairs, family relations, life is a bitch, against the rules, gender, mother daughter relationship, political prisoner, love, suicide ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
iran, tehran iran, australia
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
Set against the backdrop of one of the most explosive times in U.K. history, Guerrilla tells the story of a politically active couple whose relationship and values are tested when they liberate a political prisoner and form a radical underground ...
Style:
disturbing, captivating, tense, interesting
Plot:
political prisoner, activist, political activist, suspense, resistance, civil rights, resistance fighter, political intrigue, political unrest, society, espionage, organized crime ...
Time:
70s
Place:
london
Is relevant ?
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: Germany, Poland, Belgium
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
During Stalin's reign of terror, Evgenia Ginzburg, a literature professor, was sent to 10 years hard labor in a gulag in Siberia. Having lost everything, and no longer wishing to live, she meets the camp doctor and begins to come back to life.
Style:
captivating, disturbing, psychological, feminist film
Plot:
jailed, male female relationship, gulag, political repression, political persecution, political prisoner, suspense, couple relations, love story, love affair, political unrest, wartime ...
Time:
year 1934
Place:
siberia, ussr
Is relevant ?
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Mexico
TV show
Story:
The story of a humble farmer who becomes President of Mexico. When he is falsely accused of fraud and incarcerated, he must fight back against the corrupt system behind the scheme and clear his name for the sake of his country and family.
Style:
tense, captivating, disturbing
Plot:
president, politician, jailed, political prisoner, jail, criminal, politics, prisoner, political repression, confined, political unrest, political intrigue ...
Place:
mexico
Is relevant ?
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Genre: Adventure, Biography, Drama
Country: Ukraine
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
The Hero of the Soviet Union becomes a GULAG prisoner and then an Indian Chief.
Style:
serious, realistic, suspenseful, touching
Plot:
manhunt, pow, native americans, war criminal, treason, escapades, soldier, society, war, captivity, prisoner of war camp, historical figure ...
Time:
20th century
Place:
ukraine
Is relevant ?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: Italy, Austria, France, UK, Germany, Spain, Sweden
Duration: 402 min.
TV show
Story:
Corrado Cattani is a police inspector whose life is devoted to fighting the Italian mafia (known here as "La Piovra" or "The Octopus").
Style:
serious, tense, suspenseful, bleak, realistic ...
Plot:
mafia, cosa nostra, gangsters, murder, law enforcement, fighting crime, society, family relations, police investigation, family life, organized crime, smuggling ...
Time:
20th century, 80s
Place:
sicily, italy, palermo italy, europe, southern italy
Is relevant ?
153
Genre: Animation
Country: Japan
Duration: 1 min.
TV show
Story:
Putin and Kirenenko are two odd inmates stuck in a bizarre Russian prison. Being confined to their small cell does not prevent them from causing a lot of trouble.
Style:
anime, allegory, entertaining, semi serious, realistic ...
Audience:
kids
Plot:
prison, rabbit, police, anthropomorphism, absurdism, political satire, animals, jail cell, jailed, satire, anthropomorphic animal, political prisoner ...
Place:
russia
Is relevant ?
Genre: Animation, Drama, Horror
Country: Chile, Germany
Duration: 75 min.
Story:
María, a girl from Colonia Dignidad, in Chile —a kind of sectarian community, tyrannically mastered by the ruthless Paul Schäfer, a German madman, religious fanatic and child predator, who would end up turning the place into a torture center at ...
Style:
disturbing, surreal, psychological, suspenseful, captivating ...
Plot:
stop motion, military dictatorship, wolf, suspense, colony, runaway, political prisoner, fleeing, political unrest, political persecution, running for your life, nightmare ...
Place:
chile, germany
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA, UK, India
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
What was intended to be a peaceful protest at the 1968 Democratic National Convention turned into a violent clash with police and the National Guard. The organizers of the protest — including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale ...
Style:
political, factual, thought provoking, serious, funny ...
Plot:
riot, activist, courtroom drama, court, injustice, suspense, hippie, political protest, political persecution, political activism, legal, protest ...
Time:
60s, year 1969, year 1968, year 1994
Place:
chicago illinois, ohio, oakland california, connecticut, mississippi ...
Is relevant ?
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: India, UK, South Africa, USA
Duration: 136 min.
Story:
With Gandhi My Father, producer Anil Kapoor and director Feroz Abbas Khan have shed light onto Gandhi the person, rather than Gandhi the icon. Using Gandhi’s political career as a canvas, the film paints a picture of his intricate, complex, and ...
Style:
uplifting, sincere, touching, emotional, captivating ...
Plot:
father son relationship, racism, tragedy, rebellion, human spirit, rebelliousness, fighting the system, rise to the top, family relations, estrangement, family problems, injustice ...
Time:
1940s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s
Place:
india, africa, south africa, asia
Is relevant ?
306
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
An emotional and thrilling tale of life and death behind the walls of a maximum security prison. From the acclaimed director of 'Bonnie and Clyde', and featuring a powerful international cast.
Style:
realistic, serious, tense, captivating, talky ...
Plot:
prison, political prisoner, apartheid, prisoner, racism, disintegration, politics, political intrigue, prison life, political unrest, discrimination, false accusation ...
Time:
80s
Place:
south africa, africa, johannesburg south africa
Is relevant ?
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