The Green Mile (1999)

The Green Mile is a richly emotional, slow-burning drama with a touch of the supernatural. Set in a 1930s Louisiana prison during the Great Depression, the story follows Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks), a seasoned death-row guard whose orderly life is overturned when an enormous Black prisoner, John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), arrives convicted of a terrible crime. Coffey’s gentle manner and an inexplicable healing ability force the guards to confront cruelty, injustice, and the meaning of mercy. Watching the film you’ll experience a mixture of tension and quiet wonder: tense courtroom- and prison-room drama, heartbreaking scenes of injustice and loss, and moments of uncanny, miraculous power that upend the characters’ — and the audience’s — assumptions. The film balances moral dilemmas and character-driven human drama with moments of awe and spiritual ambiguity, building to a moving, sometimes devastating emotional payoff. Based on Stephen King’s novel, The Green Mile blends crime, drama, and fantasy to explore empathy, redemption, and the costs of doing what’s right. Viewers should expect to be moved, unsettled, and left thinking about the nature of compassion long after the credits roll.

Actors: Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse

Director: Frank Darabont

Runtime: 189 min

Genres: Crime, Drama, Fantasy

7.9 /10 61 /100 8.6 /10 7.5 /10