The Shawshank Redemption poster

The Shawshank Redemption

Gatekeeper Strong in semis, fades in finals
1994 · Drama, Crime · Frank Darabont

The Shawshank Redemption wins consistently — it's the finals that create the ceiling. At 55% overall, it clears most of the field, but the films that make it to the last round tend to be the ones it can't beat. The film that tops every greatest-ever list, which creates a paradox: when something is universally admired, choosing it feels less like a statement than choosing against it does. Its quiet power is undeniable, but brackets reward conviction, and admiration can be quieter than love. It leads both Frank Darabont films tracked on BingeBracket. 0.8s per vote. That's not a decision — it's a reflex. Voters see the matchup and act without thinking.

Synopsis

Imprisoned in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates -- including an older prisoner named Red -- for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope.

Round 1
62.4%
78/125
Semifinals
65.4%
Where it thrives
Finals
21.6%
The ceiling

Strong enough to reach the final at 65% in the semis, not strong enough to win it at 22%. The pattern is consistent enough across tournaments to define The Shawshank Redemption.

Titanic at 50% is as close to a dead heat as the platform produces. Every vote matters in this one. On the other end of the spectrum: It's a Wonderful Life at 71% is a comfortable win, while Pulp Fiction at 0% is the matchup The Shawshank Redemption can't crack.

Closest Rival

The Shawshank Redemption leads Frank Darabont's filmography on BingeBracket, though only 2 films are tracked so far. The Green Mile at 49% is the comparison point.

BingeBracket Record
55%
Win Rate
#17 of 88 in Drama #16 of 45 from the 1990s #1 of 2 Frank Darabont films
Scores based on real fan votes in head-to-head brackets. 50% = wins as often as it loses — perfectly average.
Featured Tournament

Featured in Movies That Changed You.

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City of God #1
The Pursuit of Happyness #2
The Shawshank Redemption #3
It's a Wonderful Life #4
The Godfather #5
Schindler's List #6
Titanic #7
The Silence of the Lambs #8
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About These Rankings

BingeBracket ranks films through head-to-head matchups in 8-film brackets — no star ratings, no reviews, just direct comparison. Browse tournaments, try Discovery mode, or explore the leaderboards. You can also .