MOVIEVIBE ← Back to Home

The Green Mile

1999 3h 9m
Fantasy Drama Crime
MOVIEVIBE Rating
8.5/10
19,771 reviews
Your Rating
The Green Mile

A supernatural tale set on death row in a Southern prison, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the cell block's head guard, Paul Edgecomb, recognizes Coffey's miraculous gift, he tries desperately to help stave off the condemned man's execution.

"Paul Edgecomb didn't believe in miracles. Until the day he met one."

Top Billed Cast

Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Paul Edgecomb
David Morse
David Morse
Brutus 'Brutal' Howell
Bonnie Hunt
Bonnie Hunt
Jan Edgecomb
Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Clarke Duncan
John Coffey
James Cromwell
James Cromwell
Warden Hal Moores
Michael Jeter
Michael Jeter
Eduard Delacroix
Graham Greene
Graham Greene
Arlen Bitterbuck
Doug Hutchison
Doug Hutchison
Percy Wetmore

Detailed Critic & Audience Reviews

W Wuchak Verified TMDB Critic
2024-04-08

**_A Masterpiece of Cinematic Art -- Captivating and Reverent_**

The head Death Row guard at a Tennessee prison during the Depression (Tom Hanks) observes a new inmate, a black man named John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), who is condemned to death for the rape and murder of two little girls. He and his fellow guards become intrigued by the gentle giant and conclude that there's no way he could be guilty of the crime. Who, then, is guilty? And will the guilty party get away with it.

"The Green Mile" expertly mixes film genres: It's part prison flick, part supernatural mystery and part d...

C CinemaSerf Verified TMDB Critic
2024-04-29

"Edgecomb" (Tom Hanks) is in charge of the prison officers who tend to the inmates on death row. He's a decent man who, with the help of his partner "Howell" (David Morse) tries to carry out his task as humanely as possible. Their team also numbers the truly odious "Percy" (Doug Hutchinson). He's an incompetent coward, but he also happens to be the nephew of the state governor, so tends to get away with his obnoxiousness towards the prisoners. That nasty behaviour becomes more pronounced when the giant "Coffey" (Michael Clarke Duncan) arrives. Also newly arrived is a small mouse which befriend...

S sirdorius Verified TMDB Critic
2025-02-04

Great acting by everyone involved, but the story is just not my cup of tea. If you like fake miracles (no shortage of people that do) and fantasy storylines, like prison guards that are humane and empathic (on death row nonetheless), then you might enjoy this more. I, however, will stick to more realistic fantasy, like mages fighting orcs and that sort of thing, and leave this in the trash pile of conservative media....

G griggs79 Verified TMDB Critic
2025-06-24

_The Green Mile_, directed by Frank Darabont and based on a Stephen King story, revisits prison life with a spiritual edge. Tom Hanks is steady, while Michael Clarke Duncan brings real heart. Set almost entirely on Death Row, its slow pace mirrors the routine and inevitability of execution. The soft lighting and measured camerawork add a quiet melancholy. At over three hours, it’s powerful but indulgent—moving at times, but it does test your patience....