Women in Cellblock 9 (1978): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1978, Women in Cellblock 9 is an action, drama and crime film directed by Jesús Franco, running about 75 minutes.

What it’s about. A group of female freedom-fighters led by Karine Levere is caught by the warden of a women's prison, located somwhere in the South American jungle. None of them will reveal the secrets of their organisation or the names of their collaborators in the cities, so they are handed over to Dr. Costa who, after four years inactivity in Europe, is delighted to be able to practice his torture techniques once more. Laverne fails to resist the inhuman treatments and reveals all. The only hope of saving the organization is for the girls to warn the city cell before it's too late. They trick the prison guard into having sex with them, knock him out and break out of prison. The warden and Dr. Costa must prevent them from revealing the practices inside the prison. The hunt is on and it's shoot to kill...

Who’s in it. Women in Cellblock 9 stars Karine Gambier as Karine, Howard Vernon as Dr. Milton, Susan Hemingway as Maria and Aida Gouveia as Aida Moret, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 4.4/10, Women in Cellblock 9 has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Women in Cellblock 9 page.

If you liked it. Fans of Women in Cellblock 9 tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.