Midnight Express (1978)

95% of critics liked it
(21 reviews)
88% of users liked it
(28,943 ratings)

Midnight Express is a harrowing tale of a naïve American caught in a nightmare of his own making thousands of miles from his home. Billy Hayes (Brad Davis) is an American tourist visiting Turkey with his girlfriend Susan (Irene Miracle) when he's caught by customs officials trying to smuggle a large… More Midnight Express is a harrowing tale of a naïve American caught in a nightmare of his own making thousands of miles from his home. Billy Hayes (Brad Davis) is an American tourist visiting Turkey with his girlfriend Susan (Irene Miracle) when he's caught by customs officials trying to smuggle a large amount of hashish out of the country. The crime would normally carry a sentence of four years, but officials decide to make an example of Billy, and he draws a 30-year sentence despite the promises of his Turkish legal counsel. While Susan and Billy's father (Mike Kellin) pledge to do everything they can to speed Billy's release, in fact there's little than can be done. Billy quickly finds himself in a hellish prison that's a nightmare of filth, violence, rape, inedible food, and unspeakable health conditions. However, Billy gains a few confidantes behind bars: Jimmy (Randy Quaid), an American in a constant state of emotional overdrive; Max (John Hurt), an intelligent, drug-addicted Englishman; and Erich (Norbert Weisser), a gay Scandinavian who is attracted to Billy but accepts his gentle refusals of sex. Before long, Billy is convinced that he can take no more, and he makes plans to take the "midnight express" -- jailhouse slang for escape. While his friends are willing to help, they also make clear that almost no one who has tried to escape has lived to tell the tale. Based on a true story, Midnight Express was a box-office hit which won wide acclaim for the performances of Brad Davis and John Hurt; and the screenplay, by Oliver Stone, won an Academy Award. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 2 hr. 1 min.
Directed By: Alan Parker
Written By: Oliver Stone
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Sep 20, 1978 Wide
On DVD: May 22, 2001
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Wesley Lovell, Oscar Guy
It defined the hell of a Turkish prison whil portraying the humanity needed to survive such a terrible place.
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
a brutal and brutalizing film whose effects have diminished little in the decades since its controversial theatrical release in the late 1970s
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
Strong stuff indeed...swells proportional sight and sound subjectively to convey Hayes' nightmarish experience but also hypes up a story that probably doesn't need the help. [Blu-ray]
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
Despite the familiar plot, there are some excellent performances.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
A solid prison film that feels so real that if you heard a voiceover you'd swear it was a documentary.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Horrific scenes of prison brutality and powerful acting by Brad Davis as the American Billy Hayes help make up for the shortcomings in Alan Parker's sensationalistic tale and Oliver Stone's factual inaccuracies and narrow stereotyping of the Turks.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Despite the negative hullabaloo "Midnight Express" provoked for its brutal characterization of Turkish prison officials, director Alan Parker's rendering of Oliver Stone's exploitation screenplay is a stick of pure cinematic dynamite.
Kent Turner, Film-Forward.com
Director Alan Parker's right. His 1978 riveting prison drama still holds up.
Chuck O'Leary, Fantastica Daily
Searing and unforgettable. A harrowing descent into a real-life hell that's so relentlessly intense it will leave you feeling drained.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
All modern-day jail flicks owe it a debt.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
harrowing and involving
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Grim, nightmarish, unforgettabe prison tale
Jake Euker, F5 (Wichita, KS)
Suffers from the kind of excess -- and hyperbole -- writer Oliver Stone brought to his own films as director.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Intense, but somewhat false 'true' story distinguised by Parker's direction.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Alan Parker's Midnight Express works like a hammer lock on the viewer's mind.

Read all 15 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

J P

Yeah it was pretty good. The acting was amazing and there were a lot of suspenseful moments. Does anyone really understand the meaning of BASED ON A TRUE STORY?? The original story for this movie was interesting already, so I don't understand why they changed a bunch of… More
Yeah it was pretty good. The acting was amazing and there were a lot of suspenseful moments. Does anyone really understand the meaning of BASED ON A TRUE STORY?? The original story for this movie was interesting already, so I don't understand why they changed a bunch of things around. So much in this movie is so wrong, I hardly consider it "based on a true" anything. I'm just really disappointed that it deviates from the source material so much. I felt that the stuff they added into the film made it really unrealistic. Other than the stuff they added, I felt like this was a pretty solid movie.
Dan S

A damning, swift kick to international justice systems, dealing with a young drug-smuggler (Brad Davis) who is dealt more than what he should be in his sentence to a Turkish prison, where he encounters torture on a daily basis and insanity creeping in ever so slowly. This is a… More
A damning, swift kick to international justice systems, dealing with a young drug-smuggler (Brad Davis) who is dealt more than what he should be in his sentence to a Turkish prison, where he encounters torture on a daily basis and insanity creeping in ever so slowly. This is a phenomenal drama that rests firmly on the shoulders of Davis, whose slow-burn performance is utterly gripping. At first you don't like this guy, he's just some punk kid who probably could use a lesson. However, as the film goes on and you begin to see the injustices that occur routinely, it is hard not to sympathize with this character. Sure, some of the events that occur in this movie might be a little overdone, but as a character study and as an exercise in how insanity takes over after a certain time period or traumatic event, this film is a stunning piece of work. Davis really makes this film, it is a shame he died at such a young age (41 in 1991), the man absolutely had a great talent, and he is the biggest reason as to why this film is as important as it is today when it comes to looking at prison systems.
familiar s

Pretty good fictionalization of the factual events. The movie got me pretty much involved in it. At certain parts, I felt too concerned for the characters & was constantly feeling, "Hey, don't do it, you don't know the consequences if you're caught". I was… More
Pretty good fictionalization of the factual events. The movie got me pretty much involved in it. At certain parts, I felt too concerned for the characters & was constantly feeling, "Hey, don't do it, you don't know the consequences if you're caught". I was almost absorbed in the movie and too. I don't know I'd have liked it as much as I did if it wasn't *based* on true story. Then again, it wasn't as great as another prisoner-escape movie 'Escape From Alcatraz' (one of my favorites).
xGary X

Midnight Express is the true story of a young American who is caught trying to smuggle drugs out of Turkey and is made an example of by the courts and left to rot in a Turkish prison. Alan Parker's extremely bleak prison drama is probably a little light on historical accuracy (it… More
Midnight Express is the true story of a young American who is caught trying to smuggle drugs out of Turkey and is made an example of by the courts and left to rot in a Turkish prison. Alan Parker's extremely bleak prison drama is probably a little light on historical accuracy (it was adapted by Oliver Stone from a book written by the prisoner himself, hardly the most objective viewpoints) but strong on atmosphere and tone. It's one of those films where you start thinking "this isn't so bad", but whenever hope is presented, the rug is yanked from under them resulting in a spiralling sense of hopelessness and degradation. Parker's direction has a great use of location and composition and the central performances believable, but it does have a few weaknesses; the soundtrack is clumsy and intrusive and the "forbidden love" montage that probably seemed so daring at the time now seems very, very lame. It has also been accused of racism as the Turkish guards are shown as such sadists, but then again, this is a prison drama so you're not exactly going to see the best a society has to offer. A grimly solid prison drama that can be a little heavy on the melodrama, but it works.
Leigh R

Pure hell, which was to be expected. I didn't want to see this at first, but once it was on the screen I really became engulfed in Billy's ordeal and life. I think everyone should see this classic at least once in their life.
Curtis L

It's what you'd expect. Turkish prisons suck. Entertaining because i'm a sucker for prison movies. This is one of the first prison movie I've seen where instead of getting raped in the shower first, he just becomes bi all by himself. There's just something… More
It's what you'd expect. Turkish prisons suck. Entertaining because i'm a sucker for prison movies. This is one of the first prison movie I've seen where instead of getting raped in the shower first, he just becomes bi all by himself. There's just something wrong about a young Randy Quaid too.
Anthony L

Unforgettable true story, written, acted and directed with brilliant craftsmanship. A classic.
Phil H

Another very harrowing real life tale, this time in a Turkish prison. This film is deeply depressing and very very harsh going. The brutality and corruption on show here is sky high, wether fully true is the question yet it works extremely well for the film and makes you happy you… More
Another very harrowing real life tale, this time in a Turkish prison. This film is deeply depressing and very very harsh going. The brutality and corruption on show here is sky high, wether fully true is the question yet it works extremely well for the film and makes you happy you weren't there. Davis is tremendous and shows the full scale of human emotion as he enters hell. Hurt and Quaid offer excellent support as do the rest of the realistic cast. The film is grim and dirty, you can almost smell the fear and sweat, its actually very unpleasant and makes you very uncomfortable, Stone succeeds 100% a real nightmare and true classic, but will upset you, be brave.
Randy T

Look, I know this is no Turkish travelogue and there are millions of bleeding hearts out there who feel that Billy Hayes got a raw deal, but if you ask my opinion I think that five years in a Turkish prison is getting off pretty light. For gosh sakes, the man was smuggling drugs(!).… More
Look, I know this is no Turkish travelogue and there are millions of bleeding hearts out there who feel that Billy Hayes got a raw deal, but if you ask my opinion I think that five years in a Turkish prison is getting off pretty light. For gosh sakes, the man was smuggling drugs(!). This film, as controversial as it is, probably did as much damage to Turkey's illegal hashish trade as it did to it's international tourism.
Chris G

When you hear of a movie that's set in a Turkish prison the first thing that pops into your mind is "man love". Sorry, that's not what Midnight Express is about. Alan Parker's film is an examination of Billy Hayes' five years in hell. Brad Davis burns… More
When you hear of a movie that's set in a Turkish prison the first thing that pops into your mind is "man love". Sorry, that's not what Midnight Express is about. Alan Parker's film is an examination of Billy Hayes' five years in hell. Brad Davis burns brightly in the lead and is supported by Randy Quaid and a great John Hurt. Parker's dark memoir of this Hades will send you reeling as Hayes is beaten down further and further into he finally goes off the wall. A great piece of film.
jd c

Extremely powerful and chilling movie that's somewhat based on a true story. This movie will give you goosebumps, from it's nerve wracking opening to it's nail biting and intense climax. The performances here are solid, moving, and the script is nothing less than… More
Extremely powerful and chilling movie that's somewhat based on a true story. This movie will give you goosebumps, from it's nerve wracking opening to it's nail biting and intense climax. The performances here are solid, moving, and the script is nothing less than perfect. This movie is simply mind blowing. Billy Hayes is caught attempting to smuggle drugs out of Turkey. The Turkish courts decide to make an example of him, sentencing him to more than 30 years in prison. Hayes has two opportunities for release: the appeals made by his lawyer, his family, and the American government, or the "Midnight Express". <img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/JDHallowEEn/BillyHayes.jpg"> Brad Davis playing Billy Hayes "Midnight Express is based on Billy Hayes, book of the same name adapted into screenplay by Oliver Stone. Hayes was a young American student sent to a Turkish prison for trying to smuggle hashish out of Turkey. The movie deviates from the book's accounts of the story, especially in its portrayal of Turks, to such a level that many have criticized the movie version, including Billy Hayes himself. Later both Oliver Stone and Billy Hayes expressed their regret on how Turkish people were portrayed in the movie." <img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/JDHallowEEn/BillyHayes2.jpg"> The real Billy Hayes Real or not this movie is still scary(in the real life sense) and stuff like this does indeed happen in prison anyway. This movie stirred up a lot of controversy for it's time and I can see why. This is one of the best prison movies ever made. I highly recommend this film. "Searing and unforgettable. A harrowing descent into a real-life hell that's so relentlessly intense it will leave you feeling drained." - Fantastica Daily "Grim, nightmarish, unforgettable prison tale." - Kansas City Kansan "Harrowing and involving." - Shadows on the Wall "Alan Parker's Midnight Express works like a hammer lock on the viewer's mind." - Spirituality and Practice "One of the most terrifying "prison flicks" you'll ever see." - eFilmCritic
Sarah G

Director:Alan Parker Released: 1978 Stars: John Hurt, Brad Davis, Randy Quaid and Irene Miracle Genre: Crime, Biography Country:UK/USA <a… More
Director:Alan Parker Released: 1978 Stars: John Hurt, Brad Davis, Randy Quaid and Irene Miracle Genre: Crime, Biography Country:UK/USA <a href="http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/sarah88_uk/?action=view&current=MidnightExpress.jpg"target="_blank"><img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/sarah88_uk/MidnightExpress.jpg" border="0"alt="Photobucket"></a> Billy Hayes is caught attempting to smuggle drugs out of Turkey. The Turkish courts decide to make an example of him, sentencing him to more than 30 years in prison. Hayes has two opportunities for release: the appeals made by his lawyer, his family, and the American government, or the "Midnight Express A film which I have meaning to watch for a number of years and I'm glad that I finally got around to buying the film and watching it. Mignight Express is a true story of extreme courage under unbelievable circumtances in a Turkish Prison. As a viewer and one the same age as the main character, you can emptahise with the character more with the incredible realistic way it's shot..... More to follow in a bit...
Aaron N

Max: The best thing to do is to get your ass out of here. Best way that you can. Billy Hayes: Yeah, but how? Max: Catch the midnight express. Billy Hayes: But what's that? Max: [laughs] Well it's not a train. It's a prison word for... escape. But it doesn't stop… More
Max: The best thing to do is to get your ass out of here. Best way that you can. Billy Hayes: Yeah, but how? Max: Catch the midnight express. Billy Hayes: But what's that? Max: [laughs] Well it's not a train. It's a prison word for... escape. But it doesn't stop around here. This is an entertaining movie adapted from the true story of Billy Hayes, a young man who was caught attempting to smuggle drugs out of Turkey back to the US, only to be caught and put into a Turkish Prison for five years before finally escaping. By the way, that's not much of a spoiler since Billy wrote his own autobiography, which this movie is based on. During Billy's time in Prison he goes through hell, put against the harsh conditions, torture on occasion, bullying from other inmates, as well as a very mean warden, before breaking down even more and almost losing his entire faith in finding his freedom. Billy's only ways to keep his sanity come from some of his fellow inmates, Randy Quaid and John Hurt, and an affair with another prisoner. For being based on a true story, there are clearly moments of exaggeration. Elements involving Billy's breakdown and what happens to certain characters. Its also fairly well known that many involved with the production of this movie have recognized and apologized for the depiction of the Turks in this movie. As far as the performances go, Brad Davis does a good job as Billy. Despite the way the screenplay functions, making some of his actions seem questionable, Davis works very well as this character, particularly in scenes with his dad. Randy Quaid sort of seems like the odd man out, while John Hurt is very good as the older prisoner. Some of the problems I had involved the portrayal of Billy's life in prison. For his first two and a half years in a Turkish prison, the movie really didn't give the impression of it being that rough for him. There were other aspects as well involving what was going on inside the prison that felt some what off. This still works as an entertaining film, showing the descent of a man into his own personal hell, only to keep a small amount of hope alive. Jimmy: This ain't the good ol' USA! This is Turkey, man! It's a fuckin' accident here if you're innocent! There ain't nobody here is innocent!
Luke B

Perhaps controversial and hard hitting in its day this is now something quite generic. It's never really that shocking or surprising. I have no quarms with certain artistic license to enhance a story but quite frankly if you're smuggling drugs take your punishment like a… More
Perhaps controversial and hard hitting in its day this is now something quite generic. It's never really that shocking or surprising. I have no quarms with certain artistic license to enhance a story but quite frankly if you're smuggling drugs take your punishment like a man. It is well acted and cunningly scripted but its overall impact will be down to your personal feelings on the story and events.
Lady D

Ever been to a Turkish prison? This film does seem to go on forever even though it's just under 2 hours long. An excellent performance from Brad Davis and an excellent story based on true events, this film kind of has a big moral to it, that one stupid mistake can change the… More
Ever been to a Turkish prison? This film does seem to go on forever even though it's just under 2 hours long. An excellent performance from Brad Davis and an excellent story based on true events, this film kind of has a big moral to it, that one stupid mistake can change the rest of your life. The film highlights both mental and physical brutalitiy from police and how laws vary from place to place. VERDICT: If you have the patience to watch this then you'll find it a great movie
Lafe F

People shouldn't smuggle drugs, or films like this might happen to them. Billy Hayes is caught by Turkish authorities with drugs under his shirt, and they send him to a stinkhole of a Turkish prison for a long time, and the American authorities can't do much to get him out.… More
People shouldn't smuggle drugs, or films like this might happen to them. Billy Hayes is caught by Turkish authorities with drugs under his shirt, and they send him to a stinkhole of a Turkish prison for a long time, and the American authorities can't do much to get him out. There wasn't too much torture or rape, but it was a dreadful experience nonetheless. Poor Billy. There's a great chase sequence with wonderful synthesized music by Moroder. The ending gets the justice it deserves.
Pierluigi P

If there is a penitentiary drama that can be named as the most savage, crude and inspiring, this is it. euphorical epilogue.
Byron B

Wow, impressive realism of the brutality of life in prison, particularly in a prison where the rights we enjoy in America are valued so little. The main character comes so close to totally losing his sanity. I love, love, love the scene where he wonders to the basement where… More
Wow, impressive realism of the brutality of life in prison, particularly in a prison where the rights we enjoy in America are valued so little. The main character comes so close to totally losing his sanity. I love, love, love the scene where he wonders to the basement where prisoners mindlessly shuffle around a central column totally given into conformity and lacking their humanity. The main character at first shuffles along with everyone else then begins going against the flow and finally climbs the stairs out of the basement regaining his sanity. So transcendent!!
Jeffrey M

A powerful, gritty, and realistic prison drama/thriller inspired by a true story. The unrelenting brutality and depravity of the Turkish prison was captured well, as was the lasting psychological effects. All the performances were strong, but special recognition should go to the… More
A powerful, gritty, and realistic prison drama/thriller inspired by a true story. The unrelenting brutality and depravity of the Turkish prison was captured well, as was the lasting psychological effects. All the performances were strong, but special recognition should go to the legendary John Hurt. Everything about the film feels real, making it especially disturbing. Features an intelligently strong and and insightful screenplay by Oliver Stone. 4/5 Stars
Stephen E

I won't deny that there are some talented people involved in Midnight Express. It is a fine film, one that charges its audience with questions about morals and values, and it is very inspirational. But I can't help but feel that I was somehow robbed. This movie could've… More
I won't deny that there are some talented people involved in Midnight Express. It is a fine film, one that charges its audience with questions about morals and values, and it is very inspirational. But I can't help but feel that I was somehow robbed. This movie could've been so much better than it was. This is largely due to the script. Cuts were made, scenes were crossed out due to budgetary and location concerns. I understand all of that. But if they had just tacked on another twenty minutes, Midnight Express would be magnificent. Yes, I'm referring to the ending, which I felt was abrupt as hell. That disappointed me. I would have liked to see Billy race through Greece and meet up with his family. Now, THAT would've been an ending. Brad Davis (whom I'm not so familiar with) is great in his role. He really captures the emotion that is needed to play this kind of character. His acting gets progressively better as the film go on. He is helped out by a great supporting cast as well. And as usual, Alan Parker has great direction. No matter what film he's behind, he manages to make it good. To end my review, I will say once more that Midnight Express was good, but could've--and should've--been better than it was. It could've really been something.