Midnight Express

"Walk into the incredible true experience of Billy Hayes. And bring all the courage you can."

1978 2h 1m EN

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 1,958

DramaCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Billy Hayes is caught attempting to smuggle drugs out of a country. The courts decide to make an example of him, sentencing him to more than 30 years in prison. Hayes has two opportunities for release: the appeals made by his lawyer, his family, and the American government, or the "Midnight Express".

“Walk into the incredible true experience of Billy Hayes. And bring all the courage you can.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Brad Davis
Billy Hayes
Irene Miracle
Susan
Bo Hopkins
Tex
Paolo Bonacelli
Rifki
Paul L. Smith
Hamidou
Randy Quaid
Jimmy Booth
Norbert Weisser
Erich
John Hurt
Max

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Alan Parker
Writers: Oliver Stone
Languages: English, French, Maltese, Turkish
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Grossed $35M — a 15.2× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

48 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 4 languages: English, French, Maltese, Turkish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Alan Parker, shot by Michael Seresin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Giorgio Moroder. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Gerry Hambling shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Alan Parker directs. Michael Seresin behind the camera. Giorgio Moroder scores. Gerry Hambling cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English, French, Maltese, Turkish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $2.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Grossed $35M — a 15.2× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.
348 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Dialogue crosses 4 languages: English, French, Maltese, Turkish.
5International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
6Directed by Alan Parker, shot by Michael Seresin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Giorgio Moroder. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Gerry Hambling shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Brad Davis and Irene Miracle and Bo Hopkins carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "Walk into the incredible true experience of Billy Hayes. And bring all the courage you can.".
11IMDB entry: tt0077928 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
12Classified under 21 themes, including "prison", "airport", "drug smuggling", "escape".
13Released under 12 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Michael Seresin
Original score: Giorgio Moroder
Editing: Gerry Hambling
Production design: Geoffrey Kirkland
Costume design: Milena Canonero
Makeup / hair: Penny Steyne
Runtime: 121 min · 2h 1m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $2,300,000
Box office: $35,000,000
Return: 1522% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Midnight Express (1978)

Awards

Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama
Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay
BAFTA Award for Best Editing
BAFTA Award for Best Direction
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Academy Award for Best Original Score
Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay
National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Alan Parker

Stills · wallpapers

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Bazzjazz2018-04-12
★ 10/10
Midnight Express is a harrowing story based on true events. Brad Davis delivers an outstanding performance with great supporting roles from John Hurt, Randy Quaid. It was an adapted Screenplay written by Oliver Stone which won him his first Oscar. Georgia Maroda (spelling)soundtrack is really riveting as the ‘chase’ scene unfolds. This is a movie that will stay with you for life. They say that ‘Midnight Express’ did to Turkeys tourism, what ‘Jaws’ did to bathing in the sea. Highly recommended.
CinemaSerf2025-06-21
★ 6/10
Hmmm. I’m not sure time has been so kind to this, and as we look on it now it comes across as a rather condescending and stereotypical judgement of a Turkish penal system that dared to deal harshly with a drug smuggler. That character “Billy” (Brad Davis) doesn’t make it through immigration as he tries to leave Istanbul with loads of hashish strapped to his torso whilst sweating nervously. Initially, he is released on bail on the basis that he helps the authorities to trace his suppliers, but he decides to pull a fast one and that just ends up with him on the wrong end of a four year prison sentence. Now there’s no denying that life in the prison is brutal and the chief guard and slightly sexually ambiguous “Hamidou” (Paul L. Smith) has clearly got it in for the attractive young American and is aided and abetted by the odious prison Quisling “Rifki” (Paolo Bonacelli) who doesn’t much care for “Billy” either. Luckily, he does manage to make a few friends, not least the ailing Briton “Max” (John Hurt) and they manage to keep him on the straight and narrow for a while, but as some stomach-churning news reaches the young man on the verge of his release, it becomes clear that if he is to get out he is going to have to resort to more drastic action. What bothered me about this whole thing is that the entire premise seemed to be squarely attempting to illicit sympathy from us for this young man, even though he is undoubtedly guilty of his crime, by creating a culture amongst the Turks of obesity, brutishness, arbitrary violence and even a degree of depravity. At no point does Alan Parker make any effort to remind us that this real-life idiot was imprisoned because of his own actions - rather arrogant and selfish ones at that, too - and that perhaps the court was indeed trying to make an example of him to deter other likeminded individuals whose contempt for Turkey was just as culpable as his. Might we in the West not react the same if someone was caught here, and have we never seen films depicting atrocities in our own prisons? I don’t like being manoeuvred into a position where I’m encouraged to sympathise for a character just because of excess and exaggeration provided for creative licence. Davis, it also has to be said, looks easy enough on the eye but his acting prowess is ropey and inconsistent throughout. Indeed it’s really only Hurt and Bonacelli who can lay claim to any dramatic plaudits as this dark and gritty drama leads us by the nose. If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime - even if you are an American!