Midnight Express | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

90% Tomatometer 30 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings

Billy Hayes (Brad Davis) is a young American caught by Turkish police while attempting to smuggle hash out of Istanbul. He's tried and sent to prison for four years, where he endures all manner of privation and abuse. As he finishes up his time, he's shocked to learn that the Turkish High Court has added a further 30 years to his sentence. He is now thoroughly demoralized, and his life in prison grows increasingly unbearable until he concludes that escape is his only option.

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Midnight Express

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Critics Consensus

Raw and unrelenting, Midnight Express is riveting in its realistic depiction of incarceration -- mining pathos from the simple act of enduring hardship.

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Critics Reviews

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Midnight Express | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Pauline Kael New Yorker Midnight Express is single-minded in its brutal manipulation of the audience: this is a clear-cut case of the use of film technique split off from any artistic impulse. Sep 18, 2023 Full Review Midnight Express | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Jay Scott Globe and Mail Just another prison break movie... but I liked it. Aug 11, 2022 Full Review Midnight Express | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Ed Potton Times (UK) It's a film that probably wouldn't be made today, but it taps into a potent fear: losing your liberty far from home. Rated: 4/5 Jun 22, 2018 Full Review Midnight Express | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Mike Massie Gone With The Twins Its strict adherence to facts isn’t necessarily as potent as the cinematic cautionary tale that it generates, though the depicted events will surely inspire further research into Hayes’ genuine plight. Rated: 6/10 Aug 9, 2023 Full Review Midnight Express | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Alistair Lawrence Common Sense Media Brutal, dated prison drama has drugs, language, stereotypes. Rated: 2/5 Mar 3, 2021 Full Review Midnight Express | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Tom Meek Cambridge Day The score by Moroder is infectious and chest rattling... Rated: 3/4 Aug 7, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Arid S Stressed the life out of me, I just wanted him free, billy was tortured this film is something else. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/22/24 Full Review Aender S Brutal but engrossing film with great acting and an excellent musical score. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/22/24 Full Review Mike P Stunning captivity drama penned by American Ex-patriot and student Billy Hayes, (and adapted to a screenplay by Oliver Stone); based on his own real-life experiences as a young man, en route to the States on a routine trip; who was suddenly apprehended and thrown into a Turkish Prison for four years for smuggling hashish...And then then it's like a Heart of Darkness type journey through hell; as he struggles to survive for four years in a Turkish Prison.(!!) The opening scenes in particular are VERY powerful; (it's impossible not to imagine yourself in that situation, the way they film it); and this serve as a stunning "Just Say No" type cautionary tale...It's all so gritty and intense; and it grabs you by the jugular from that unforgettable opening sequence...Excellent work from the always reliable Alan Parker; the surefooted director; who brilliantly creates a sense of gritty urgency; and gritty determinism from the opening shots...Good work from Brad Davis too; who has such a vulnerable, young-man/wounded puppy look about him in this movie, that you can't help sort of falling in love with him and feel sorry for him...(Even though his actions were IDIOTIC!!) Anyway; impressive job from everyone... Infact I'd say this is a minor classic from the 70s..Overall: 👍 RecommendedPS. THIS is likely the movie where that old saying "I'd rather be locked up in a Turkish Prison for two years" came from...Because Turkish Prisons weren't even part of the national zeitgeist until this movie came out. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/10/24 Full Review Martin F A difficult movie with harsh but beautiful visuals. Midnight Express is a controversial movie, the main character is stuck in a cycle of mental and physical torture in what looks like one of the most horrible place in the world. The movie is all about maintaining hope and subsequently humanity but none of the characters succeed to do so. The visuals contribute a lot to the atmosphere of the movie, it's all about sand, used structures, sweats, naked bodies and dusts; you can feel the unbearable heat through the scenes. There is a homoerotic overtone of the movie that really contribute to the unique atmosphere of Midnight Express.The movie can be pretty controversial for Turkey representation as their prison and justice system are pictured are deeply flawed and inhuman. In one scene, the main character made a whole speech about how he hates the country and his people. Despite, being obviously a gross exaggeration of what Turkey really is, it shows the main character's point of view, as he is going through hell and have a justifiable anger to express. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/02/24 Full Review Definitely B One of the best movies 🎥 made a whole country mad 😂 Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/28/23 Full Review Tony M A great movie from start to finish. If you like Prison movies, Midnight Express is one of the best. A must see. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Alan Parker Director Brad Davis Billy Hayes Randy Quaid Jimmy Booth John Hurt Max Bo Hopkins Tex Paul L. Smith Hamidou
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Synopsis Billy Hayes (Brad Davis) is a young American caught by Turkish police while attempting to smuggle hash out of Istanbul. He's tried and sent to prison for four years, where he endures all manner of privation and abuse. As he finishes up his time, he's shocked to learn that the Turkish High Court has added a further 30 years to his sentence. He is now thoroughly demoralized, and his life in prison grows increasingly unbearable until he concludes that escape is his only option.

Director
Alan Parker

Producer
Alan Marshall, David Puttnam

Screenwriter
William Hayes, William Hoffer, Oliver Stone

Distributor
Columbia Pictures

Production Co
Columbia Pictures

Rating
R

Genre
Drama, Biography, Crime

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 1, 1978, Original

Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 16, 2012

Runtime
2h 1m

Sound Mix
Mono

Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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