History NightmareFuel / TheShawshankRedemption

* To start, Andy undergoes a decades-long sentence for a crime he didn't commit. Long prison sentences and executions on false charges are unfortunately things that happen in real life.

-->''This'' is a conspiracy. ''That's'' what this is. It's all ''one big'' '''''DAMN CONSPIRACY!''''' And '''''EVERYONE'S''''' ''in on it!'' Including '''''[[Creator/RaquelWelch HER!]]''''' [throws rock at poster, which hides Andy's escape route]

* '''[[BigBad Sam Norton]]'''. An utterly sociopathic warden who has Byron under his wing, the film does ''not'' shy away from the script's claim of him "[[LackOfEmpathy looking like he could piss ice water]]". Norton makes slight effort in hiding his utter cruelty and lack of compassion for his inmates with a FauxAffablyEvil demeanor that drops fast and easy. And when it does drop during one confrontation with Andy, he immediately orders him to be ''put in solitary confinement for a month'' specifically just because he was called obtuse. [[BitchInSheepsClothing His polite exterior is what led to Tommy being shot dead and dooming Andy to remain wrongly convicted, and ol' Sammy made sure to rub it in Andy's face later on.]] And then, Andy decides that he wants out, cowering before Norton and on the brink of insanity. Finally, Norton's terrifying speech after that...

* Elmo Batch, the true culprit who killed Andy's wife and her lover is, despite only appearing in one scene, perhaps the most terrifying character in the movie. A psychotic criminal with an EvilLaugh that have nothing to envy to the Joker's, Blatch murdered Andy's wife and her lover for no reason other than they woke up during his burglary of the lover's house and "gave him shit". The glee and sadism with which he recounts the events to Tommy, and how Andy got framed for his crime are truly shilling, not counting how fast he can go from cold and venomous to joyful and cackling indicating how insane he is. To make things worse he got away with his murders, only getting a light sentence for a burglary, and could very well kill other people once he's free.

-->It's all ''one big'' '''''DAMN CONSPIRACY!''''' And '''''EVERYONE'S''''' ''in on it!'' Including [[Creator/RaquelWelch '''''HER!''''']] [throws rock at poster, which hides Andy's escape route]

-->Don't you ''ever'' mention "money" to me ''again'', '''''you sorry son of a BITCH! Not in THIS office, NOT ANYWHERE!!!'''''

-->It's all ''one big'' '''''DAMN CONSPIRACY!''''' And '''''EVERYONE'S''''' ''in on it!'' Including '''''HER!''''' [throws rock at poster, which hides Andy's escape route]

* Boggs is an awful human being, but it's still terrifying to see him desperately crawling out of his cell, trying to get away from the guards who are clearly going to beat the living shit out of him, only to be pulled back in screaming for help.
* [[TheDragon Byron.]] [[HairTriggerTemper Hadley.]] We already see what a vicious person he is [[EstablishingCharacterMoment when he brutally beats a new inmate]] to ''death'' just because [[IWantMyMommy he kept crying for his mother.]] Then (albeit he had it coming) he sneaks into Boggs' darkened cell and beats the shit out of him, essentially rendering him a vegetable. Later on, at Norton's orders, he fatally shoots Tommy Williams through the heart due to his knowledge of the real murderer of Andy's wife and her lover. Plus, although we never see it ourselves, it's heavily implied that he beats ''Andy'' as well. Namely after Tommy's death, after he's thrown in the hole and Hadley opens his door, his reaction was to '''cower'''. Brrr.