Midnight Express poster

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Midnight Express

1978 · Movie · 121 min
B

MEANRANK

77/100

Averaged across 11 ratings · 261.8K votes

Every rating

Platform pages last read 29 September 2026. IMDb’s figure comes from IMDb’s own data file, which we re-read about once a month.

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56–90 out of 100

Split

Lowest is Criticker on 56, highest is Rotten Tomatoes critics on 90.

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A young American vacationing in Turkey is caught attempting to smuggle drugs out of the country and is sentenced to prison. The film chronicles his nightmarish ordeal inside the brutal Turkish prison system, where he endures violence, despair, and torture over several years. His spirit and sanity are tested as he dreams of escape, clinging to the hope of one day taking the "midnight express" to freedom.

Details

Director
Alan Parker
Based on
Midnight Express by Billy Hayes
Released
31 August 1978
Country
United Kingdom, United States
Language
English, Turkish, French
Runtime
121 min
Rated
R
Budget
$2.3M
Box office
$35.0M
Awards
15 wins, 13 nominations

This title elsewhere

Awards & nominations

See all 28 →

9 major awards won · 15 wins from 28 nominations across 10 ceremonies

Academy Awards 1978 Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium Oliver Stone Winner
Academy Awards 1978 Best Original Score Giorgio Moroder Winner
Golden Globe Awards 1978 Best Motion Picture – Drama Winner
Golden Globe Awards 1978 Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture John Hurt Winner
Golden Globe Awards 1978 Best Screenplay – Motion Picture Oliver Stone Winner
Golden Globe Awards 1978 Best Original Score – Motion Picture Giorgio Moroder Winner
Golden Globe Awards 1978 Best Motion Picture Acting Debut – Male Brad Davis Winner
Golden Globe Awards 1978 Best Motion Picture Acting Debut – Female Irene Miracle Winner
Show all 28 awards across 10 ceremonies

Awards from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.