Lucky Break_
Half-way through his 12-year prison sentence for an incompetent armed robbery, Jimmy Hands gets a lucky break: he's transferred to a prison from which he can probably escape. He convinces the governor to stage a musical in an old chapel next to the prison's outer wall. He rounds up volunteer actors and puts his escape plan into production. Two other barriers, besides the wall, confront him: the arrival of a nasty inmate, John Toombes, who insists on joining the escape, and Jimmy's feelings of attraction for Anabel, a social worker who agrees to appear in the play. Opening night approaches: is this Jimmy's breakout performance?
Starring
James Nesbitt, Olivia Williams, Timothy Spall
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Year context
Lucky Break was released 25 years ago in 2001.
Overview
Half-way through his 12-year prison sentence for an incompetent armed robbery, Jimmy Hands gets a lucky break: he's transferred to a prison from which he can...
Lucky Break is a Comedy, Crime film with a runtime of 1h 47m.
CAST (20)
James Nesbitt
James 'Jimmy' Hands
Olivia Williams
Annabel
Timothy Spall
Cliff
Christopher Plummer
Graham Mortimer
Bill Nighy
Roger
Lennie James
Rudy
Ron Cook
Perry
Peter Wight
George Barratt
Celia Imrie
Amy
Raymond Waring
Darren
JP
John Pierce Jones
Mad Lenny
Peter McNamara
Ward
Ram John Holder
Old Billy Morris
Julian Barratt
Paul Dean
Frank Harper
John Toombes
DM
Desmond McNamara
Arthur
Andy Linden
Kenny
AB
Annette Bentley
Julie Gumbell
WH
William Howe
Ritchie Gumbell
OU
Ofo Uhiara
Wayne Wayne
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
107 min (1h 47m)
Language
English
Country
Rating
6.1/10 (36 votes)
Popularity
1
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Lucky Break about?
Half-way through his 12-year prison sentence for an incompetent armed robbery, Jimmy Hands gets a lucky break: he's transferred to a prison from which he can probably escape. He convinces the governor to stage a musical in an old chapel next to the prison's outer wall. He rounds up volunteer actors and puts his escape plan into production. Two other barriers, besides the wall, confront him: the arrival of a nasty inmate, John Toombes, who insists on joining the escape, and Jimmy's feelings of attraction for Anabel, a social worker who agrees to appear in the play. Opening night approaches: is this Jimmy's breakout performance?
How long is Lucky Break?
Lucky Break has a runtime of 107 minutes (1h 47m).
Who stars in Lucky Break?
The cast of Lucky Break includes James Nesbitt, Olivia Williams, Timothy Spall, Christopher Plummer, Bill Nighy.
What is the rating of Lucky Break?
Lucky Break has a rating of 6.1 out of 10 based on 36 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (2)
Comedy
Crime