Truly one of the best movies ever made

Rating: 10/10 (6 April 2020)

This is the movie considered the best by critics, maintaining the spot as #1 on IMDb's Top 250 list, and it is not without reason.
It is a tragic movie, showcasing an innocent man being framed for a crime he did not commit and being put in a high security prison. But instead of seeking vengeance; Andy Dufresne is instead portrayed as a more sympatheic individual, at first being the obvious punching bag for the hardcased inmates, but as time goes by (I obliviously made a reference to another great movie, but that's for another review), he gains the respect and friendship of the other characters, most notably Morgan Freeman's character Red - leading to one of the most heartwarming relationships ever seen on film.
The supporting characters are all very memorable, whether its the warden and his prison guard, or the fellow inmates - every actor gives their absolute best and there are some nice sub-stories for some characters, such as James Whitmore's Brooks; giving us some of the most tragic moments seen in cinema.
Overall, this movie is absolute perfection - it manages to tell a very dark and yet human and sometimes funny story of friendship and redemption, with phenomenal cinematography, music and editing.
Whether it's what I personally would regard as 'the' best movie of all time is up for debate, but I truly agree with the critics in the sense that it's absolutely up there!