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Brian Banks

Brian Banks

Falsely accused. Wrongfully convicted. Never defeated.

201899 minPG-13Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Director
Tom Shadyac
Starring
Aldis Hodge, Greg Kinnear, Tiffany Dupont, Sherri Shepherd

An All-American football player's dreams to play in the NFL are halted when he is falsely accused of rape and sent to prison.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Brian Banks?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Brian Banks streaming on Cinemax via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Subscription

via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Brian Banks?

Brian Banks earns 5 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Award Winner.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Brian Banks worth watching?

Brian Banks' Midcredits score is the 86th percentile of all films, from 19K ratings across 6 sources. 80% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

86th percentile

Better received than 86% of films

78th percentile among Biography86th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)79th
Approval (how many liked it)90th

70 /100

79th percentile of all films

70th percentile among Biography78th percentile among 2010s

Critics 58 · Audience 71

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.3 — solid but not unanimous.

80% liked it

90th percentile of all films

84th percentile among Biography91st percentile among 2010s
80% rated it 7–1020% rated it 1–6

Critics 64% · Audience 97%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 2 wins / 2 noms overall

89th percentile

19K ratings across platforms

75th percentile among Biography90th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 17% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$10M
Opening weekend$2.2M
Domestic gross$4.4M
Worldwide gross$4.4M

Returned 0.4× its budget — 55th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A conventional, inspirational biopic about a wrongly convicted man that delivers a clear emotional message but lacks narrative and directorial sophistication.

Fans praised

  • aldiss hodge's compelling performance
  • inspirational true story of perseverance and forgiveness
  • effective emotional impact, tearjerking moments

Detractors panned

  • clichéd and formulaic script
  • wooden, subdued lead performance
  • shallow treatment of complex justice issues

What stands out

Emotional impactDivisive75

inspiring and tearjerking for fans; detractors find it manipulative

EndingDivisive70

uplifting resolution leaves fans satisfied

ActingDivisive65

aldiss hodge's performance praised for capturing emotion; detractors find it wooden

Plot and storyDivisive60

strong true story undermined by formulaic, predictable structure

CharactersDivisive55

supporting characters like mom and lawyer well-cast but underwritten

Pacing55

non-chronological structure helps engagement but slow moments noted

Dialogue40

corny, on-the-nose lines criticized across camps

Originality35

criticized as generic, predictable, akin to lifetime movie

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 7 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US 5 points apart

Watch experience

What is Brian Banks like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and uplifting: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be moved and come out lifted.

It is intense and leaves you fired up. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Moving and uplifting.

Moods
TenseHopefulCathartic
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Warm
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film treats its subject with gravity and sincerity, never undercutting the emotional reality of Brian's ordeal.
The rideTension is sustained from wrongful conviction through the legal fight, balanced by hope and building toward a cathartic resolution.
StructureThe film primarily follows a conventional three‑act structure but opens in media res on parole and uses flashbacks to the arrest, prison, and original incident.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Fired up.

The answer rests on this: Rousing · 10% of filmsHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayAn inspirational true story that leaves you both enraged at the system and uplifted by Brian's perseverance and ultimate exoneration.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rebirth
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2% (this title)
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Second chance: A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).

13% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeBrian Banks, a high school football star, is wrongly convicted of sexual assault and spends years in prison and on parole before the California Innocence Project helps him clear his name and reclaim his life and NFL dreams, fitting a rebirth pattern of second chance.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5% (this title)
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsFreedom · 5% of filmsRedemption · 6% of films: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores a wrongfully convicted man's fight to restore his freedom and reputation within a flawed justice system.
StanceThe film warns of the injustice within the legal system through one man's story, focusing closely on his personal ordeal.

The world

Early 21st centuryInstitutionalUrbanRealistic
Orchestral classicalAmbientSupportive music · original score · John Debney
SettingA Southern California community and a youth correctional facility
MusicScore by John Debney underscores the emotional weight and resilience.

Content guide

Is Brian Banks okay for kids?

PG-13

Brian Banks is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for thematic content and related images, and for language” (MPAA). As of March 15, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at mild (31/100), language at moderate (58/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (28/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). Its violence, language, drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 9 other countries
  • UK15
  • Germany6
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil14
  • Hungary12
  • Norway12
  • PortugalM/16
  • RO18
  • Sweden15
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Mild
too few votes to rank (6 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 56%
Profanity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (8 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (6 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (7 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (43 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Brian Banks have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Brian Banks?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Aldis Hodge
as Brian Banks
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Greg Kinnear
as Justin Brooks
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Tiffany Dupont
as Alissa Bjerkhoel
Sherri Shepherd
as Brian's Mom, Leomia
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Melanie Liburd
as Karina Cooper
Dorian Missick
as Officer Mick Randolph
Xosha Roquemore
as Kennisha Rice
Matt Battaglia
as Pete Carroll
Jose Miguel Vasquez
as Deputy District Attorney Mateo
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Mystie Smith
as Marilyn

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Brian Banks?

Movies like Brian Banks include When the Game Stands Tall (2014), Jungle Cry (2022) and Coach Carter (2005). Of the 12 closest matches, most are biopics, and most are stories about mentors and protégés.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its world: sports. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Brian Banks?

778 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: courtroom drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.