I liked it for a variety of reasons. I liked it for its interesting characters and how they develop during the movie. I liked Andy for his want to help others, like when he gets his fellow inmates beers when they are tarring the roof. Andy was also admirable for his positive attitude in prison despite having been innocent of the crime he was accused and also for his consistent determination to get freedom. This determination was shown by the fact that he took two decades to escape using a very small rock hammer.
The way the movie was shown through Red’s point of view made the movie more accessible and therefore more enjoyable. This way of showing the movie made it easier to understand the unusual ways of Andy, like him being oblivious to the walls around him and his determination for projects, like getting the library funds.
I also liked the movie for its twists and unexpected surprises in the movie, such as when Andy ends up doing the taxes for the prison guards and giving them financial advise, or when you find out how corrupt the warden is despite his decent first impression.
My favourite part and the main reason I liked this movie was for its unexpected and satisfying ending. That Andy got his freedom through escaping rather than through the new evidence on his case, and how the warden was taken down and his corruption finally exposed. I also liked it for how it shed new light on the rest of the movie. We find out that Andy was tunnelling his way out all along, and that he used the wardens money-laundering scheme to set up a new identity for himself. This helped to explain Andy’s behaviour earlier in the movie which appeared very odd at the time. It was also very satisfying to see Red finally get out and meet back up with his good friend Andy, who he had truly missed.