--- title: "The Shawshank Redemption: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-shawshank-redemption/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-shawshank-redemption" critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 7 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Shawshank Redemption (1994): what the critics said Critics' score 74 from 7 reviews: 5 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics respond warmly to The Shawshank Redemption as an old-fashioned prison drama built around friendship, patience and hope. Praise centres on Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, whose performances give the central relationship dignity and make the inmates’ struggle against despair affecting. The reviews also value the careful adaptation and imposing prison setting, with several finding that the film’s deliberate pace allows its humanity to emerge without forcing the emotion. The spread is wide, however, and sentimentality is the main dividing line. The New Yorker finds that the film avoids cheap sentiment, while Slant Magazine sees contrived emotion and a romanticised account of prison life. The Independent likewise objects to the idealised characterisation and handling of sex in prison. Length is a broader reservation, appearing even in favourable reviews: the painstaking detail earns respect, but the slow pace can become exhausting. ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 5/5. This deeply moving adaptation of Stephen King's novella is one of the best of the author's work. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman deliver world-weary dignity against the odds in a prison drama underlined by strong supporting performances. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-zmus2u/the-shawshank-redemption/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 4/4. 23 September 1994. The critic praises the film as a story about time, patience, loyalty and friendship between two lifers who find a way to fight despair. He singles out the performances of Robbins and Freeman and the direction that paints prison life with drab realism while building to redemption. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-shawshank-redemption-1994) ## Time Out — TCh Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. Darabont's adaptation of a Stephen King novella is a throwback to the kind of serious, literate drama Hollywood used to make, though some elements like the spiritual resolution may be hard to swallow. It is an engrossing, superbly acted yarn with a formidable prison setting. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-shawshank-redemption) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 1994. The critic calls it a fine movie with strong performances and a focus on the prison as the true star, noting its careful stoicism and old-fashioned decency that grows on the viewer. He singles out the dignified performance by Freeman and the way the film avoids cheap sentiment while delivering uplift. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1994/09/26/1994-09-26-108-tny-cards-000147025) ## Variety — Leonard Klady Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 1994. The critic finds a painstaking exactness that is laudable yet exhausting, praising the humanity of the inmate principals and Robbins' riveting performance while noting it is a long haul that will need critical support. He singles out the clever adaptation and strong tech credits as making it an estimable, haunting entertainment. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/the-shawshank-redemption-1200438677/) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 2/4. 16 October 2004. The critic dismisses the film as overly sentimental melodrama that romanticizes prison life and panders to contrived emotions, criticizing its nostalgic tone and failure to confront serious issues like violence and manhood. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-shawshank-redemption/) ## The Independent — Adam Mars-Jones Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 16 February 1995. The critic finds The Shawshank Redemption a so-so film that drags on too long and leans into sentimentalities about prison life. He singles out the handling of sex in prison and the idealised portrayal of the inmates and staff as points of complaint. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/the-revenger-s-tragedy-1573336.html) ## Empire — Ian Nathan 17 February 1994. The critic calls it a thumpingly good ode to friendship, hope and wisdom with a beautifully rounded script and spellbinding performances. He singles out the poetic completeness of the ending and the inspirational character of Andy Dufresne for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/shawshank-redemption-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Duane Byrge 23 September 1994. The critic finds the film a well-wrought drama about hope and friendship in prison that should appeal to mature audiences, praising the performances of Robbins and Freeman and the technical contributions, especially the score, while noting it is a tough watch that could be shorter. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/shawshank-redemption-review-1994-movie-932222/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-shawshank-redemption.md