Gripping, Moving, and occasionally Mindbending!

Rating: 9/10 (12 August 2017)

The Shawshank Redemption is a film that is continuously moving forward; a stream of characters and narrative arcs are put into the foreground for around 20 minutes each, in each of these, a different aspect of prison life is conveyed, and occasionally, the tone is entirely different from the previous one; despite this, the film avoids feeling anthology-like with a consistent setting.
Shawshank Prison feels living and breathing from the moment it first appears on the screen; via the forever-moving background characters, and the varied environments inside and outside of the prison! Shawshank itself is one of the most interesting things about this film, and quite possibly why it appeals to so many people; prison is an inherently interesting location to set a film; much like a school or workplace setting; there is a sense of order: people's routines are controlled by people above them - Shawshank combines the relatability of this with the crime and drama of a courtroom or heist film.
Please have a nice day, and enjoy the film!