Barry Shabaka Henley, D.L. Hughley, Daniel Louis Rivas, Georg Stanford Brown, Jerry Quickley ...( see more  see more... ) , Jose Pablo Cantillo , Kristen Wilson , Lizette Carrion , Tony Lee , Vicellous Reon Shannon

D.L. Hughley stars as Ben, a disillusioned teacher struggling to get his career back on track and escape his own damaged past. Tapped to salvage an inmate teaching program at a state prison, Ben's uno...( read more  read more... )rthodox methods win over a hardcore crew of unlikely students. Wielding freestyle rap lyrics like weapons, Ben inspires drop-outs and lifers alike to clean up their act and transform their lives, even talented but troubled teen drug dealer Gabriel (Cantillo), whose raw skills just might be his ticket out of the ghetto after he enters a poetry-slam competition outside the prison walls. But after a deadly jail riot erupts, Ben must fight to survive this private hell. A stone-cold shattering drama, "Shackles" proves how tough it is to break the cycle and make a difference - or even make it out alive.

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68% liked it

958 ratings

R, 115 min.

Directed by: Charles Winkler

Release Date: January 1, 2005

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DVD Release Date: September 20, 2005

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Flixster Reviews (49)


  • July 13, 2009
    Loved the Slam Poetry on this...the message is pretty good to!
  • November 23, 2008
    This movie is verry much over looked, and rightfully so, just look at the cover. It rely's on the star power of D.L. Hughley, and thats it's downfall. The split screen stuff with the poet is really cool. It makes me think of that line from a scatman john sont"The book's in his sh...( read more)oping cart is probably the best education he's ever going to have." This movie is pretty damn good and surprisingly well made.
  • November 29, 2007
    D L Hughley played dis roll so well,xellent poetry
  • January 20, 2007
    teachers should watch this movie
  • September 28, 2006
    This looks really crap.
  • September 6, 2006
    ooh the picture surprised me ah joking bad film

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Shackles Trivia


  • There's no reason we need to be shackled by the strictures of the employee-employer relationship. Unless you're into that sort of thing. In which case, I got some shackles in the back. I'm just kidding. But seriously, I've got 'em.   Answer »
  • Which movie features the follwing lines (to a song): "Cast off the shackles of yesterday, Shoulder to shoulder into the fray... Our daughter's daughters will adore us, And they'll sing in grateful chorus... Well Done! Sister suffragettes"  Answer »
  • Which film is not a comedy?  Answer »
  • WHAT MOVIE WAS IT THAT THE GORRILLA HATED TO HEAR SHACKLES/KEYS?  Answer »

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