Brubaker
Directed by Stuart RosenbergWhen the new warden comes in disguised as an inmate, he sees firsthand all the corruption and scams the guards and prison officials are running. When he reveals himself and starts to implement reforms to stop the corruption, the local business community, who had been benefiting from the scams, fights back, and the corrupt prison system starts making political trouble for the new warden.
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Brubaker Ratings & Reviews
- Mister ArnMay 17, 2025The opening third is so brutal that it's easy to root for any change to the prison.
- flavo43November 24, 2025Brubaker is a powerful and unsettling film, made even more disturbing by the fact that its prison scandal is rooted in real events. The idea that such brutality and corruption could exist within a state institution is horrifying enough—but seeing it brought to life on screen is genuinely gut-wrenching. Robert Redford delivers one of his most compelling performances as Henry Brubaker, a reform-minded warden whose undercover entry into the fictitious Wakefield State Prison exposes cruelty, exploitation, and systemic rot. Redford captures the full emotional spectrum: rage at the injustice, anger at the indifference, a fierce desire for reform, and ultimately the crushing sense of powerlessness that comes with pushing against an entrenched, corrupt system. The film doesn’t rely on sensationalism; instead, it builds its impact through quiet horror and moral clarity, making the audience feel every moment of outrage and frustration. Brubaker remains a sobering, socially conscious drama that still resonates today.
- GerardOctober 20, 2025My absolute favourite Robert Redford movie, truly believable gritty 70’s masterpiece.
- Bob BlanchettSeptember 21, 2025A staunch performance of a film about Men, their heights of loyalty and respect and their depths of corruption.
Brubaker Trivia
Brubaker was released on June 20, 1980.
Brubaker was directed by Stuart Rosenberg.
Brubaker has a runtime of 2h 5m.
Brubaker was produced by Ron Silverman.
When the new warden comes in disguised as an inmate, he sees firsthand all the corruption and scams the guards and prison officials are running. When he reveals himself and starts to implement reforms to stop the corruption, the local business community, who had been benefiting from the scams, fights back, and the corrupt prison system starts making political trouble for the new warden.
The key characters in Brubaker are Brubaker (Robert Redford), Dickie Coombes (Yaphet Kotto), Lillian (Jane Alexander).
Brubaker is rated R.
Brubaker is a Crime, Drama film.
Brubaker has an audience rating of 7.4 out of 10.
Brubaker had a budget of $9M.
Brubaker has made $37.1M at the box office.