The line comes from the French-language dub of Evolution, Ivan Reitman's 2001 sci-fi comedy about an alien organism rapidly evolving after a meteor strike. In the French version a character sums up a hopeless situation by declaring the place 'a real prison', and the clipped, exasperated delivery made it a favourite on French-speaking soundboards. From there it spread into short-form video as a reaction to anything confining, from curfews to cramped apartments, keeping the 2001 film alive with viewers who may never have seen the original.