Midnight Express

Alan Parker’s brutal, riveting and controversial true-life account of an American student’s incarceration in a Turkish jail continues to be debated.

American student Billy Hayes’ autobiographical account of his incarceration in a Turkish jail for drug smuggling is the basis for this controversial and memorably harrowing film. Billy must learn to survive a harsh new world ruled by sadistic prison guards, until he meets Max, a wise but world-weary co-prisoner who shares Billy’s desire to escape (or take the ‘midnight express’, as it’s known).

Directed by Alan Parker from Oliver Stone’s screenplay, Midnight Express became both a cultural and critical flashpoint of 1970s cinema. Its harsh depiction of Turkish culture and its people, alongside accusations of crude sensationalism, mean its impact and legacy continues to be debated. Controversy notwithstanding, the film remains raw and riveting, anchored by an award-winning performance from John Hurt as Max, and a hugely influential electronic score by Giorgio Moroder.