Sleepers

***Justifiable execution and justifiable lying***

“Sleepers” (1991) starts out as a coming-of-age film about four boys in 1966-1967 from Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan, and then morphs into a juvenile prison picture, which covers the first hour. The rest of the movie is a crime tragedy turned courtroom drama, taking place 13 years later in the early 80s. Jason Patric plays the adult version of Shakes, the main protagonist and narrator, while Brad Pitt plays his attorney friend, Michael. When their other two buds, John and Tommy, are taken into custody for murder they hatch a plan to get th...

‘Sleepers’ uses a disturbing and unnecessary narration to tell its controversial revenge story, but the rich characters and great actors easily make up for that.

8/10...

Been a very long time since I last watched this and seeing it again it's a well acted movie that doesn't quite hit the emotional punch despite the very dark story (compare that with something like Mystic River). Still a very good movie with an amazing cast. **4/5**...

Four young pranksters from Hell's Kitchen find themselves in a reform school after one of their scams - with an hotdog vendor's cart - ends in tragedy. No sooner have they arrived than the warder "Nokes" (Kevin Bacon) makes it known that these four lads are going to be providing him and his colleagues with some extra-curricular entertainment in the basement of the prison. The remainder of their sentence proves horrific and abusive and upon release they go their separate ways. Two - "Johnny" (Ron Eldard) and "Tommy" (Billy Crudup) continue with a life of petty crime whilst "Shakes" (Jason Patri...