Papillon (1973): cast, story & where to watch
1973 · Film · ★ 7.8
Released in 1973, Papillon is a drama and crime film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, running about 151 minutes. “The greatest adventure of escape!” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. A man befriends a fellow criminal as the two of them begin serving their sentence on a dreadful prison island, which inspires the man to plot his escape.
Who’s in it. Papillon stars Steve McQueen as Henri "Papillon" Charriere, Dustin Hoffman as Louis Dega, Victor Jory as Indian Chief and Don Gordon as Julot, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 7.8/10, Papillon has been warmly received by audiences. It went on to earn $53.3M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Papillon page.
If you liked it. Fans of Papillon tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Papillon (1973)?
- In US, Papillon is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Papillon worth watching?
- Papillon holds an audience score of 7.8 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy drama and crime. Most viewers rate it highly.
- Who stars in Papillon?
- Papillon stars Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman, Victor Jory, Don Gordon and Anthony Zerbe.
- When was Papillon released?
- Papillon was released in 1973, with a runtime of about 151 minutes.