Best movies & TV Shows like Behind Bars: The World's Toughest Prisons

A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like Behind Bars: The World's Toughest Prisons . If you liked Behind Bars: The World's Toughest Prisons then you may also like: You're Next, The Rise of the Krays, Jail Bait, Animal Factory, One in the Chamber and many more popular movies featured on this list. You can further filter the list even more or get a random selection from the list of similar movies, to make your selection even easier.

These are some of the toughest prisons in the world. Prisons so tough, even gang bosses and killers learn the meaning of fear. Across four continents, six different prisons, the series takes us beyond the gates, walls, barred windows and cells into an unknown world, a world we know exists, but a world nobody wants to think about.

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You're Next

When the Davison family comes under attack during their wedding anniversary getaway, the gang of mysterious killers soon learns that one of their victims harbors a secret talent for fighting back.

The Rise of the Krays

Follows the early years of two unknown 18 year old amateur boxers who quickly fought their way to becoming the most feared and respected villains in all of London. Told through the eyes of a close friend that survived them, we see them rise to infamy through drugs, sex and murder.

Jail Bait

Buster agrees to pose as a murderer to throw off the police while his room mate, a reporter, searches for the real killer.

Animal Factory

Suburbanite Ron is spoiled, young and not overly worried about the marijuana charges leveled against him. But, after being made out to be a drug dealer, he faces a five-year jail sentence in San Quentin State Prison. Physically frail and unaccustomed to his rough surroundings, Ron is primed to fall victim to sexual predators and bullying guards – that is, until he's befriended by Earl, a veteran inmate who finds meaning in protecting the vulnerable new kid.

One in the Chamber

A seasoned assassin plays both sides in a Russian gang war and becomes the target of an unknown enemy.

Tactical Force

A training exercise for the LAPD SWAT Team goes terribly wrong when they find themselves pitted against two rival gangs while trapped in an abandoned Hangar, armed with nothing but blanks.

Riot

Copper Jack Stone purposefully orchestrates a bank robbery in order to be thrown into prison with the notorious Russian kingpin Balam. Balam is more than just a mob criminal; he's a very cunning and dangerous lord who controls the police force from behind bars. Balam lives in prison as a cover for his real power, which is King of the city. His cell is a lavish private room built specifically for him, inaccessible to most in the depths of the prison structure. Even the warden fears venturing into his area of the prison. However, even surrounded by his loyal henchmen and guards in his sectioned off fortress, Balam doesn't know Jack is coming for him to avenge his family, who Balam murdered in cold blood. Balam is tough... but Jack is tougher.

Dawn Rider

A gripping story of vengeance and passion set in the American West. When the father of gunslinger John Mason is shot to death by masked bandits, Mason sets out with guns blazing to track down those who killed him. During his quest, he finds himself involved in a grim love triangle when he falls for Alice, the determined and beautiful woman also adored by John’s best friend. Based on the timeless John Wayne adventure, Dawn Rider is a riveting saga of retribution, duty and valor in the American West.

The Limey

The Limey follows Wilson, a tough English ex-con who travels to Los Angeles to avenge his daughter's death. Upon arrival, Wilson goes to task battling Valentine and an army of L.A.'s toughest criminals, hoping to find clues and piece together what happened. After surviving a near-death beating, getting thrown from a building and being chased down a dangerous mountain road, the Englishman decides to dole out some bodily harm of his own.

El padrino: The Latin Godfather

In the streets of East Los Angeles, Manny is a formidable drug dealer. Impressed by his extravagant lifestyle and prowess, his young son, Kilo, yearns to follow in his footsteps. Kilo resolves to learn how to prosper in the drug world, and his new life as a dealer begins. In a world where a man wants everything, he may end up with nothing.

The Last Gangster

A crime boss goes searching for his ex-wife and son after a ten-year prison stint. His old gang has other plans though, and use the child to try and make him disclose the location of the loot he hid before going to the slammer.

City Streets

A mobster's daughter leads her boyfriend from the circus into bootlegging.

Tiger Claws II

Released five years after the first installment, Tiger Claws II finds Yeung's martial arts serial killer, Chong, busted out of jail by a team of heavies in the employ of gangster Dai Lo Fu and whisked across the country to San Fransisco's Chinatown. When NYC cop Tarek Richards learns of a rash of recent killings using Chong's distinctive M.O.— a claw-like mark across the face of the victim— he contacts his old partner, Linda Masterson, who is now living in L.A., for help. But Chong, as it turns out, has nothing to do with the murders. He's just being used by crime kingpin Lo Fu, who needs to combine his energy with Chong's to open some sort of time portal to provide vital supplies for the ancient Shaolin monks. In truth, though, Lo Fu greedily plans to use the portal to smuggle heavy modern artillery back and rule Qing Dynasty-era China himself.

Boomerang Bill

When New York City police officer O'Malley learns of a young man who is about to embark on a life of crime by taking part in a robbery, he takes the boy aside and tells him the story of Boomerang Bill, another wanna-be gangster who wanted to be a big shot in the New York crime scene. It seems that Bill fell for a pretty young dance-hall girl, and went up against local gang boss Tony the Wop when he insulted her. Tony, who never forgot a slight, found a way to make things very, very tough for Boomerang Bill, in a way that he never saw coming.

Cartel

Chuck Taylor is a charter pilot who unknowingly smuggles cocaine for the Cartel into the U.S. Unfortunately he is captured by the feds. Ironically, so is Tony King, boss of the Cartel. The two are placed in the same cell, and a relentless battle of wills begins. King even has Taylor's family executed from behind bars. When King escapes from the prison, Taylor takes that as his cue to do likewise. He hunts down the members of the Cartel one by one, and gets vengeance for his loved ones in this ultra violent and bloody action flick.

Slasher House

When RED awakens in a prison cell within an old abandoned Madhouse, she has no idea how she got there and why she has been placed there. As her cell door opens she soon discovers that she is not alone. Trapped with the worlds most notorious serial killers she finds herself caught in a deadly game with no escape as one by one the other 'inmates' are released to stalk her as their own prey. RED must now battle impossible enemies as she tries to find her freedom and soon realizes that there is a bigger plan for all this than she first realized. Will this 'Final' girl have what it takes? Or will she see the last of her days in the endless corridors of SLASHER HOUSE!

Inkubus

Inkubus tells the story of a skeleton crew working the final shift at a soon to be demolished police station. The night takes a gruesome turn when the demon, Inkubus, calmly walks into the station holding the severed head of a murdered girl. Inkubus toys with the crew, allowing himself to be restrained, and begins to proudly confess to his litany of crimes, some dating back to the Middle Ages. Why? Inkubus has a score to settle with the one detective that almost put him away some thirteen years ago. To their dismay, the cops quickly become pawns in Inkubus' brutal crowning achievement of murder, gore, and mayhem. They ultimately realize it's his world, they only die in it. Written by Anonymous (www.imdb.com)

Behind Prison Gates

An agent for the state attorney general poses as a convict to learn about bank loot.

Killer Bean Forever

When things go bad in Beantown, top assassin Killer Bean is called to clean-up the mess. Detective Cromwell finds himself in the middle between Killer Bean and mob boss Cappuccino.

The Wrath of Cain

A former kingpin of the streets, Miles “Cain” Skinner is doing life in prison. He is feared and respected among the inmates. When Cain learns that his sentence will be shortened only by brain cancer, his urgency to change his ways goes into overdrive.

The Toughest Man in the World

Mr. T's first starring made-for-TV movie role has him playing a tough and scowling, but softhearted, nightclub bouncer who finds himself involved with a bunch of kids after being conned into taking over a youth center.

Hooligans at War: North vs South

After fighting for their country in the Army, friends Chris and Johnny return to South London only to find their home town has changed beyond recognition. With no jobs the two join local gangs, work their way to the top and become feared hooligan bosses. The only thing that can top war, and threaten friendships, is money and power, but who will stand their ground and come out on top in the violent and bloody battle between North and South?

The Border Menace

Ranger Bill Williams goes to prison to get information on Chuck Adams. Then a fake posse chase gets him invited into Adams' gang. But just as he learns who Adams' boss is and is about to make his move, his cell mate who escaped from prison returns to identify him.

Under Jakob's Ladder

Based on a true story, 'Under Jakob's Ladder' is a full-length feature film that takes place in the Soviet Union during 1938. Jakob, a former teacher who lost his job due to the new Communist system, can only stand by and watch as the world around him slowly disintegrates and fear and suspicion rule the day. Like most of the men in his village, he soon finds himself in a Soviet prison. But it is there that he discovers that the freedom he craves might actually be found within the walls of his cell.

Take My Life

A well meaning Dr. lends his building to a group of neighborhood kids. When the neighbors learn that they are members Harlem tough -kid gang, they suspect that their operation there conducting nefarious deeds.

A Cosmic Christmas

Three aliens from an unknown planet, who bear a strong resemblance to the Biblical Magi, visit earth to know the true meaning of Christmas. Peter, a young boy, and Lucy, his goose, are the first to encounter them. Unable to find the true meaning of Christmas in town, Peter takes them to his family's house in the woods. While Peter's grandmother tells the aliens about her memories of Christmas, Marvin, one of the town's bullies, steals Lucy. In the chase to rescue Lucy, Marvin falls through the ice in a lake. Peter attempts to rescue him but falls into the lake as well. The townsfolk, who were out searching for the aliens, attempt to save the boys but their human chain isn't long enough to reach them. The three aliens, who had sworn not to interfere with events on earth, decide to help in order to learn the meaning of Christmas.

The House that Eats Flesh

There is a house that has been passed down from generation to generation, but it isn't just any ordinary house. This house is built on the Gates of Hell. This Thanksgiving a group of friends desperate to have a nice holiday together, will discover the truth of what goes on inside. It's the age old saying " what happens inside the house, stays inside the house". The doors are locked, the windows are barred, and something sinister is breaking through the floor. Soon they will realize that this house is one that makes The Amityville House look like a Barbie Dream House. The friends learn that in order to escape, the House must feed......on blood!!!!.

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

Bourdain travels across the globe to uncover little-known areas of the world and celebrate diverse cultures by exploring food and dining rituals. Known for his curiosity, candor, and acerbic wit, Bourdain takes viewers off the beaten path of tourist destinations – including some war-torn parts of the world – and meets with a variety of local citizens to offer a window into their lifestyles, and occasionally communes with an internationally lauded chef on his journeys.

Expedition Unknown

The adventures of Josh Gates as he investigates unsolved iconic stories across the globe.

Inside the World's Toughest Prisons

Crime journalist Raphael Rowe goes behind the bars of some of the world’s most notorious and toughest prisons. Immersing himself in maximum security facilities around the world to live as a prisoner, he encounters the inmates locked up for their crimes and meets the men and women on the right side of law tasked with keeping the criminals behind bars.

Africa's Great Civilizations

Henry Louis Gates Jr. takes a look at the history of Africa, from the birth of humankind to the dawn of the 20th century. A breathtaking and personal journey through two hundred thousand years of history, from the origins, on the African continent, of art, writing and civilization itself, through the millennia in which Africa and Africans shaped not only their own rich civilizations, but also the wider world.

A Time to Kill

The key to solving the toughest homicides lies somewhere in the final hours of a victim's life. In each one-hour episode, determined investigators must piece together events during this critical window to reconstruct the timeline, unlock the motive, and ultimately close in on the killer.

Expedition Unknown: Hunt for the Yeti

Josh Gates sets off on a quest to find the Yeti, a legendary man-ape living in the high altitude of the Himalayas.

Expedition Unknown: Hunt for Extraterrestrials

Josh Gates sets off on the most extraordinary expedition of his career. He'll journey over 50,000 miles to four continents to tackle mankind's greatest question: Are we alone in the universe?

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