Overview
A gripping tale of survival and friendship forged in the depths of despair.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- grim
- brutal
- stoic
- classic film night
- historical drama viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly recognized the film's visual sweep, performances, score, and tribute to human endurance, while finding its lengthy melodrama grim, uneven, and emotionally distant.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Papillon's central objective is to escape French Guiana's penal system despite repeated punishment and isolation.
Papillon protects Dega in exchange for financial support, and their partnership becomes essential to both men's survival.
The film places labor camps, Devil's Island, jungle terrain, and remote colonial outposts within a large-scale visual framework.
Solitary confinement, forced labor, corrupt officials, and harsh penal routines are presented as tools for breaking prisoners.
Films like Papillon, and why
The Great Escape
Shared prison drama, escape narrative, institutional brutality, and themes of endurance and liberty.
The Shawshank Redemption
Shared historical prison setting, oppressive institutions, friendship under confinement, and eventual hope.
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Shared survival drama, colonial-era penal environment, physical hardship, and indomitable will to live.
Midnight Express
Shared biographical prison drama, harsh labor conditions, and resistance to an unjust system.
Movie Details
- Director
- Franklin J. Schaffner
- Release Date
- 1973-12-16
- Runtime
- 151 min
- Rating
- 7.8 / 10 (2197)
Cast
- Steve McQueen
- Dustin Hoffman
- Victor Jory
- Don Gordon
- Anthony Zerbe
- Robert Deman
- Woodrow Parfrey
- Bill Mumy
- George Coulouris
- Ratna Assan
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- 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 accused safecracker and a wealthy counterfeiter forge a hard-won alliance while battling an inhuman French Guiana penal system and the dream of escape.
- What is Papillon like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Papillon as measured, 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 recognized the film's visual sweep, performances, score, and tribute to human endurance, while finding its lengthy melodrama grim, uneven, and emotionally distant.
- Which films are like Papillon?
- Films with a similar feel include The Great Escape, The Shawshank Redemption, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and Midnight Express.
- How long is Papillon?
- Papillon runs 151 minutes.
- Where can I watch Papillon?
- In United States, Papillon is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
