Papillon (1973)

Steve McQueen excels as Henri Charriere, a burglar wrongly convicted of murder who befriends prison-mate Louis Dega (Hoffman), a small time crook. It’s the 1930s in French Guiana, and these unlikely allies plan to escape their harsh conditions but as each year passes, the obstacles against their success become greater. Hoffman’s versatility is captured perfectly in this true story based on Charriere’s account.