Ten years after its first release, one of the best films of the 1990s is being reissued. This is the story of New England banker, Andy, who is serving a double life sentence, and his friendship with another ‘lifer’, Red. The men are in Shawshank State Prison where Red runs a flourishing smuggling business and Andy ends up running a financial advice shop from the prison library.
As weeks turn into years, the men’s friendship develops, their different social backgrounds becoming irrelevant in the face of their moral worth. Despite the men’s institutionalisation within a brutal regime, they manage to hold onto some dreams. This is a powerful film of male friendship, hope and ultimately justice with memorable performances from the leads.