Spotlight: “The Shawshank Redemption”
Author Stephen King has a bone to pick with the film of “The Shawshank Redemption,” from Castle Rock Entertainment

Spotlight: “The Shawshank Redemption”

Three decades on, this potent prison breakout drama is still the best cinema ever made from a Stephen King book that skipped the supernatural.

By Peter Travers

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★★★½ (3½ out of 4)

Everyone loves “The Shawshank Redemption,” celebrating its 31st birthday this month and widely regarded as the best Stephen King film adaptation that shockingly never touches on the paranormal. This week’s King entry, “The Long Walk,” is receiving high praise for doing the same thing, as did 1986’s “Stand By Me.” But over the years “Shawshank” has grown in the hearts of movie lovers, who think it’s not only the best prison break epic ever made but a drama that can stand the test of time as stars Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins play convicted murderers sentenced to life at Shawshank State Penitentiary.