Cool Hand Luke

Cool Hand Luke

The man... and the motion picture that simply do not conform.

Directed by Stuart Rosenberg

Produced by Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, Jalem Productions

1967127 min7.7 / 10

A gritty prison drama about an incorrigible rebel whose defiance against institutional authority becomes a symbol of human dignity in the face of systematic dehumanization.

When petty criminal Luke Jackson is sentenced to two years in a Florida prison farm, he doesn't play by the rules of either the sadistic warden or the yard's resident heavy, Dragline, who ends up admiring the new guy's unbreakable will. Luke's bravado, even in the face of repeated stints in the prison's dreaded solitary confinement cell, "the box," make him a rebel hero to his fellow convicts and a thorn in the side of the prison officers.

Where to watch

Questions people ask

  • Is Cool Hand Luke sad? Yes. More sad than 82% of films.

  • Is Cool Hand Luke scary? Yes. More frightening than 76% of films.

  • Is Cool Hand Luke easy watching? Not especially. Less comforting than 74% of films.

  • Is Cool Hand Luke violent? Somewhat. More violent than 68% of films.

  • Does Cool Hand Luke end with hope? Not especially. Less hopeful than 64% of films.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

63/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Familiar shape, done well.

Rarity22

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise89

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love93

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Everything like Cool Hand Luke, and what each one shares →

Like Cool Hand Luke

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as Cool Hand Luke

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like Cool Hand Luke, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like Cool Hand Luke, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like Cool Hand Luke, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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