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Sleepers

  • 1996
  • R
  • 2h 27m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
257K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
390
249
Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Jason Patric in Sleepers (1996)
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:13
4 Videos
99+ Photos
EpicLegal DramaPeriod DramaPrison DramaPsychological DramaPsychological ThrillerTeen DramaTragedyCrimeDrama

A reporter and a District Attorney help childhood friends who killed a sadistic guard.A reporter and a District Attorney help childhood friends who killed a sadistic guard.A reporter and a District Attorney help childhood friends who killed a sadistic guard.

  • Director
    • Barry Levinson
  • Writers
    • Lorenzo Carcaterra
    • Barry Levinson
  • Stars
    • Robert De Niro
    • Kevin Bacon
    • Brad Pitt
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    257K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    390
    249
    • Director
      • Barry Levinson
    • Writers
      • Lorenzo Carcaterra
      • Barry Levinson
    • Stars
      • Robert De Niro
      • Kevin Bacon
      • Brad Pitt
    • 415User reviews
    • 70Critic reviews
    • 49Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 1 win & 5 nominations total

    Videos4

    Sleepers
    Trailer 2:13
    Sleepers
    Sleepers
    Trailer 2:16
    Sleepers
    Sleepers
    Trailer 2:16
    Sleepers
    Sleepers: Guard Fight Aftermath - Clip
    Clip 4:08
    Sleepers: Guard Fight Aftermath - Clip
    Sleepers: Kevin Bacon Enforces Harsh Prison Rules - Clip
    Clip 5:02
    Sleepers: Kevin Bacon Enforces Harsh Prison Rules - Clip

    Photos323

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 316
    View Poster

    Top Cast89

    Robert De Niro
    Robert De Niro
    • Father Bobby
    Kevin Bacon
    Kevin Bacon
    • Nokes
    Brad Pitt
    Brad Pitt
    • Michael
    Billy Crudup
    Billy Crudup
    • Tommy
    Ron Eldard
    Ron Eldard
    • John
    Minnie Driver
    Minnie Driver
    • Carol
    Vittorio Gassman
    Vittorio Gassman
    • King Benny
    Dustin Hoffman
    Dustin Hoffman
    • Danny Snyder
    Terry Kinney
    Terry Kinney
    • Ferguson
    Bruno Kirby
    Bruno Kirby
    • Shakes' Father
    Frank Medrano
    Frank Medrano
    • Fat Mancho
    Jason Patric
    Jason Patric
    • Shakes
    Joe Perrino
    Joe Perrino
    • Young Shakes
    Brad Renfro
    Brad Renfro
    • Young Michael
    Geoffrey Wigdor
    Geoffrey Wigdor
    • Young John
    Jonathan Tucker
    Jonathan Tucker
    • Young Tommy
    Peter Appel
    Peter Appel
    • Boyfriend
    Joseph Attanasio
    • Male Juror
    • (as Joe Attanasio)
    • Director
      • Barry Levinson
    • Writers
      • Lorenzo Carcaterra
      • Barry Levinson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews415

    7.5257.3K
    1
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    Summary

    Reviewers say 'Sleepers' Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Curabitur pretium tincidunt lacus.

    Nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam quis enim lobortis scelerisque
    Lorem ipsum dolorSit amet consecteturAdipiscing elitSed do eiusmodTempor incididuntUt labore et doloreMagna aliquaUt enim ad minimVeniam quisNostrud exercitation
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    Related interests

    Orson Welles in Citizen Kane (1941)
    Epic
    Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and Kevin Pollak in A Few Good Men (1992)
    Legal Drama
    Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, and Eliza Scanlen in Little Women (2019)
    Period Drama
    Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins in The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
    Prison Drama
    Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
    Psychological Drama
    Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl (2014)
    Psychological Thriller
    Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club (1985)
    Teen Drama
    Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams in Manchester by the Sea (2016)
    Tragedy
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      Despite the tense relationship on-screen, Kevin Bacon recalled it was an absolute blast working with the boys and other extras who played inmates, to the point where it was difficult to joke around between takes and then return to a his abusively strict character.
    • Goofs
      The narrator reports the summer of 1968 as "the Summer of Love." This was actually a hippie-reference nickname given to the summer of 1967.
    • Quotes
      • Michael: [Michael is giving Shakes information on each of the four Wilkinson's guards] Adam Styler; plainclothes cop, works narcotics in Queens. Known to shake down dealers for dope and cash. He's got a cocaine problem, and other personal information there. Henry Addison; now works for the mayor, if you can fuckin' believe that. He's a community outreach director in Brooklyn. Sexual habits haven't changed... he still likes sex with young boys. Ralph Ferguson; works for a social service agency in Long Island...
      • Lorenzo: How long you been working on this, Mike?
      • Michael: [continuing] He's recently divorced, got one child, and on weekends, teaches Catholic Sunday school.
      • Lorenzo: Well, seems clean then, right?
      • Michael: That's exactly why I want the piece of shit. The plan is to call Ferguson in as a character witness. Get him talking about his best friend, Sean Nokes. Once I got him on the stand, I'm gonna open the door to Wilkinson's.
      • Lorenzo: Mike, are you sure you wanna go this way? I mean, we buried this a long time ago.
      • Michael: You still sleep with the light on?
      • Lorenzo: John and Tommy? Do either of them know about this?
      • Michael: Nah, it'll play better in court if they don't know it.
    • Alternate versions
      The 4K Blu-ray released in April 2026 contains a secondary, optional audio track for the film, denoted as a "director's remix". This apparently removes only two short sections of dialogue (totaling about 20 seconds) during the hot dog cart chase scene. The original theatrical audio mix is the main track on the disc.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper: The Chamber/The Ghost and the Darkness/The Long Kiss Goodnight/Looking for Richard/Freeway (1996)
    • Soundtracks
      Walk Like A Man
      Performed by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
      Written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio (as Robert Gaudio)
      Courtesy of The Four Seasons Partnership
      By arrangement with Warner Special Products

    Top picks

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    FAQ2

    • Why did no one put the 4 adults together as the kids who got in trouble together? Surely it would seem odd for Mike to prosecute John & Tommy when they all went to juvie together.
    • Is the film based on a true story?

    Details

    • Release date
      • October 18, 1996 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Levinson.com
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Los hijos de la calle
    • Filming locations
      • Fairfield Hills Hospital - Mile Hill Rd., Newtown, Connecticut, USA(as Wilkinson School for Boys)
    • Production companies
      • Astoria Films
      • Baltimore Pictures
      • Polygram Filmed Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    • Budget
      • $44,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $53,315,285
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $12,305,745
      • Oct 20, 1996
    • Gross worldwide
      • $165,615,285
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    • Runtime
      • 2h 27m(147 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • DTS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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