Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- grim
- determined
- harrowing
- historical drama night
- survival film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film well acted and solidly produced but a conventional, less effective version of a story better served by the 1973 adaptation.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Papillon survives transportation, solitary confinement, forced labor, and repeated punishment while preserving his determination to escape.
Papillon and Louis Dega form an unlikely alliance in which protection and financial support enable their shared struggle against the penal system.
The story moves from the Parisian underworld to the remote Devil's Island penal colony in French Guiana, making geographic isolation a central source of danger.
Papillon's central objective is to regain his liberty after being framed for murder and condemned to life imprisonment.
Films like Papillon, and why
Papillon
shared prison drama, escape narrative, endurance themes, and historical brutality
The Count of Monte Cristo
shared wrongful imprisonment, institutional abuse, friendship, and determined escape plotting
The Shawshank Redemption
shared prison setting, survival under oppressive institutions, and emotionally resilient protagonists
Unbroken
shared historical adventure, captivity, physical hardship, and liberation-driven storytelling
Movie Details
- Director
- Michael Noer
- Release Date
- 2017-09-07
- Runtime
- 134 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (2217)
Cast
- Charlie Hunnam
- Rami Malek
- Christopher Fairbank
- Eve Hewson
- Michael Socha
- Brian Vernel
- Nicholas Asbury
- Louisa Pili
- Antonio de la Cruz
- Andre Flynn
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Cinemax Amazon Channel, Cinemax Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Papillon about?
- A wrongly convicted Parisian safecracker forges a life-or-death alliance with a counterfeiter to escape Devil's Island and reclaim his freedom.
- What is Papillon like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Papillon as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Papillon violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Papillon as brutal.
- What did critics think of Papillon?
- Critics broadly found the film well acted and solidly produced but a conventional, less effective version of a story better served by the 1973 adaptation.
- Which films are like Papillon?
- Films with a similar feel include Papillon, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Shawshank Redemption, and Unbroken.
- How long is Papillon?
- Papillon runs 134 minutes.
- Where can I watch Papillon?
- In United States, Papillon streams on Cinemax Amazon Channel, Cinemax Apple TV channel.
