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Movies like Doing Hard Time (2012)

The best movies like Doing Hard Time (2012) are Undisputed III: Redemption (2010), The Valachi Papers (1972) and Lost Highway (1997). If Doing Hard Time hooked you, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Undisputed III: Redemption (2010)

    Russian inmate Boyka, now severely hobbled by the knee injury suffered at the end of Undisputed 2. No longer the feared prison fighter he was, he has declined so far that he is now good only for cleaning toilets. But when a new prison fight tournament begins - an international affair, matching the best fighters from prisons around the globe, enticing them with the promise of freedom for the winner - Boyka must reclaim his dignity and fight for his position in the tournament.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. The Valachi Papers (1972)

    When Joe Valachi has a price put on his head by Don Vito Genovese, he must take desperate steps to protect himself while in prison. An unsuccessful attempt to slit his throat puts him over the edge to break the sacred code of silence.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. Lost Highway (1997)

    A tormented jazz musician finds himself lost in an enigmatic story involving murder, surveillance, gangsters, doppelgängers, and an impossible transformation inside a prison cell.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  4. Convict (2014)

    Set in the dark and old Parramatta prison built by the original convicts our lead character Ray a war veteran finds himself serving 18 months for manslaughter after defending his fiance. He soon realizes that the prison boss has it in for him and does everything possible to break Ray even going after his fiance.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  5. King Cobra (2016)

    It’s 2006, YouTube is in its infancy, and internet porn is still behind a paywall. Taking the stage name Brent Corrigan, a fresh-faced, wannabe adult video performer is molded into a star by Stephen, a closeted gay porn mogul who runs the skin flick empire Cobra Video from his seemingly ordinary suburban home.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

  6. Your Friends & Neighbors (1998)

    Restless and unhappy, two couples get caught up in infidelity and deception. Barry is a sullen businessman married to Mary, a writer who is unsatisfied with their relationship. Mary begins an affair with Jerry, a smug theater professor and husband of her friend, Terri, who is also a writer. Adding to the adulterous mix are Cary, a callous doctor, and Cheri, an art-gallery assistant.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

  7. Auto Focus (2002)

    A successful TV star during the 1960s, former "Hogan's Heroes" actor Bob Crane projects a wholesome family-man image, but this front masks his persona as a sex addict who records and photographs his many encounters with women, often with the help of his seedy friend, John Henry Carpenter. This biographical drama reveals how Crane's double life takes its toll on him and his family, and ultimately contributes to his death.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. In Hell (2003)

    A man must survive a prison where hardened criminals battle to the death for the warden's entertainment.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. Oldboy (2013)

    A man has only three and a half days and limited resources to discover why he was imprisoned in a nondescript room for 20 years without any explanation.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

  10. GirlHouse (2014)

    In an attempt to make some extra cash while away at College, Kylie moves into a house that streams content to an X-rated website. After a deranged fan hacks in to determine the house's location, she finds herself in a terrifying fight for her life.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. The Krays (1990)

    Twins Ronnie and Reggie Kray are raised in east London, under the influence of their hateful but doting mother Violet. As they grow up, Ronnie's violent nature takes over, and Reggie follows his brother's lead. The two become notorious crime lords who rule over the East End club scene. But at the height of their power, the brothers veer into different lives, giving the older crime bosses a chance to reclaim what the Krays took from them.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. Unfaithful (2002)

    A New York suburban couple's marriage goes dangerously awry when the wife indulges in an adulterous fling.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. Shame (2011)

    Brandon, a thirty-something man living in New York, eludes intimacy with women but feeds his deepest desires with a compulsive addiction to sex. When his younger sister temporarily moves into his apartment, stirring up bitter memories of their shared painful past, Brandon's life, like his fragile mind, gets out of control.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  14. The Overnight (2015)

    Alex, Emily, and their son, RJ, are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte, and Max. A family “playdate” becomes increasingly interesting as the night goes on.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

  15. Wasteman (2026)

    Taylor's hopes for a fresh start post-parole are jeopardised by cellmate Dee's arrival. As Dee takes Taylor under his wing, a vicious attack tests their bond, forcing Taylor to choose between protecting Dee and his own chances at freedom.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  16. In the Blood (2014)

    When her husband goes missing during their Caribbean vacation, a woman sets off on her own to take down the men she thinks are responsible.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

  17. Bronson (2009)

    A young man who was sentenced to 7 years in prison for robbing a post office ends up spending 30 years in solitary confinement. During this time, his own personality is supplanted by his alter ego, Charles Bronson.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. Shades of Desire (2023)

    After her twin sister Aubrey goes missing, Jennifer uncovers the scandalous, secret double-life that Aubrey leads - and that has put both of them in danger.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. The Dreamers (2003)

    When Isabelle and Theo invite Matthew to stay with them, what begins as a casual friendship ripens into a sensual voyage of discovery and desire in which nothing is off limits and everything is possible.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  20. Paradise Alley (1978)

    Three Italian-American brothers, living in the slums of 1940's New York City, try to help each other with one's wrestling career using one brother's promotional skills and another brother's con-artist tactics to thwart a sleazy manager.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

  21. The Fall of Communism as Seen in Gay Pornography (1998)

    Every image in The Fall of Communism as Seen in Gay Pornography comes from gay erotic videos produced in Eastern Europe since the introduction of capitalism. The video provides a glimpse of young men responding to the pressures of an unfamiliar world, one in which money, power and sex are now connected.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style

  22. Title 18 (2022)

    An experimental short film made as part of a multi-media triptych, originally screened alongside a fashion collection and an art-installation. Drawing from Papa Yorick’s (Director and fashion designer) thesis “Men Are My Cumrag”, the film reenacts eight mainstay gay porn scripts, incorporating and parodying tropes and clichés, that explore masculine identities within the gay porn industry, through a satirical and critical lens.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style

  23. Without a Mom (2011)

    Two gay dads fumble to provide their straight son with meaningful support after the loss of his first real love.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style

  24. I'm a Porn Star (2013)

    I'm a Porn Star follows the lives of guys in the neighborhood who are likely a lot more famous than you - at least on the Internet. There are an estimated 370 million pornographic websites on-line. Porn is now a thirteen BILLION dollar business. So who's doing all this moonlighting? Turns out -- probably some people you know.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style

  25. Straight Guy Watches Gay Porn for the First Time (2026)

    When Janek, a straight Polish guy watches gay porn for the first time, his world is turned upside down. Battling with unsettling new thoughts, he is put into a journey of self-discovery.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style

  26. Knife+Heart (2018)

    In the summer of 1979, gay porn producer Anne sets out to film her most ambitious film yet, but her actors are picked off, one by one, by a mysterious killer.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style

  27. The Fluffer (2001)

    Self-effacing, boyish Sean moves to LA to pursue a career in movies but finds it tougher than he imagined. He stumbles onto porn star Johnny Rebel - a handsome, muscled dream of men and women alike - who awakens Sean’s deep obsession.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style

  28. The Day I've Been Fucked in Front of the Entire World (2023)

    Remodeling of a pornographic scene in which I shot for a major French studio. It was a question of reappropriating these images (originally categorized as "hard") to extract their erotic and perhaps even romantic potential.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style

  29. Tips (2016)

    Mario (Thiago Cazado) is in debt. To pay the bills, he displays the body on a famous porn site.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style

  30. Hustler White (1996)

    Reminiscent of Sunset Boulevard, the action is transposed from the silver screen's old backlots to contemporary male prostitution and the pornographic industry.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style

Like Doing Hard Time and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Doing Hard Time?

The closest matches to Doing Hard Time are Undisputed III: Redemption (2010), The Valachi Papers (1972) and Lost Highway (1997). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Doing Hard Time?

Start with Undisputed III: Redemption (2010), the closest match to Doing Hard Time.

What is the highest-rated movie like Doing Hard Time?

Undisputed III: Redemption (2010), rated 7.6/10 by 1,087 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Doing Hard Time?

Straight Guy Watches Gay Porn for the First Time (2026) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like Doing Hard Time?

Yes: Undisputed III: Redemption (2010), The Valachi Papers (1972) and Lost Highway (1997).

How are movies similar to Doing Hard Time chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Doing Hard Time, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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