Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysHoliday PicksMAMISTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Sleepers

  • 1996
  • 12
  • 2h 27m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
234K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,788
149
Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Jason Patric in Sleepers (1996)
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:13
2 Videos
99+ Photos
CrimeDramaThriller

After a prank goes disastrously wrong, a group of boys are sent to a detention center where they are brutalized. Thirteen years later, an unexpected random encounter with a former guard give... Read allAfter a prank goes disastrously wrong, a group of boys are sent to a detention center where they are brutalized. Thirteen years later, an unexpected random encounter with a former guard gives them a chance for revenge.After a prank goes disastrously wrong, a group of boys are sent to a detention center where they are brutalized. Thirteen years later, an unexpected random encounter with a former guard gives them a chance for revenge.

  • 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
    234K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,788
    149
    • Director
      • Barry Levinson
    • Writers
      • Lorenzo Carcaterra
      • Barry Levinson
    • Stars
      • Robert De Niro
      • Kevin Bacon
      • Brad Pitt
    • 369User reviews
    • 75Critic reviews
    • 49Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 1 win & 5 nominations total

    Videos2

    Sleepers
    Trailer 2:13
    Watch Sleepers
    Sleepers
    Trailer 2:16
    Watch Sleepers

    Photos206

    Brad Renfro, Jonathan Tucker, Joe Perrino, and Geoffrey Wigdor in Sleepers (1996)
    Brad Pitt, Minnie Driver, Jason Patric, Billy Crudup, and Ron Eldard in Sleepers (1996)
    Robert De Niro in Sleepers (1996)
    Dustin Hoffman, Billy Crudup, and Ron Eldard in Sleepers (1996)
    Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Jason Patric in Sleepers (1996)
    Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Jason Patric in Sleepers (1996)
    Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Jason Patric in Sleepers (1996)
    Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Jason Patric in Sleepers (1996)
    Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Jason Patric in Sleepers (1996)
    Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Jason Patric in Sleepers (1996)
    Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Jason Patric in Sleepers (1996)
    Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Jason Patric in Sleepers (1996)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robert De Niro
    Robert De Niro
    • Father Bobby
    Kevin Bacon
    Kevin Bacon
    • Nokes
    Brad Pitt
    Brad Pitt
    • Michael
    Jason Patric
    Jason Patric
    • Shakes
    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
    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

    More like this

    Légendes d'automne
    7.5
    Légendes d'automne
    Mystic River
    7.9
    Mystic River
    Rencontre avec Joe Black
    7.2
    Rencontre avec Joe Black
    L'associé du diable
    7.5
    L'associé du diable
    Sept ans au Tibet
    7.1
    Sept ans au Tibet
    Le droit de tuer?
    7.5
    Le droit de tuer?
    Peur primale
    7.7
    Peur primale
    Les Nerfs à vif
    7.3
    Les Nerfs à vif
    Ennemis rapprochés
    6.2
    Ennemis rapprochés
    Donnie Brasco
    7.7
    Donnie Brasco
    Les incorruptibles
    7.8
    Les incorruptibles
    Le Temps d'un week-end
    8.0
    Le Temps d'un week-end

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Author Lorenzo Carcaterra has claimed that his book, on which the movie is based, is a true story of his childhood. When the New York legal community went on record stating that no cases resembling the events of his book could be found in any court records, Carcaterra refused to discuss it. Carcaterra's school attendance records show he couldn't have been in prison for as long as he said, and he couldn't have been in prison at the dates given for certain events in the book. David Stout, a New York Times reporter who did a story on the controversy, said in an interview that he could find nothing in the newspaper's extensive library, or anywhere else, that resembled the case. Carcaterra claims that names and locations were changed to avoid legal issues and stands behind his story. Many people from his youth came forward to say nothing like this happened to him.
    • 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

      Nokes: What do you want?

      John: What I've always wanted. To watch you die.

    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: 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

    User reviews369

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    The Sleeper of 1996
    Sleeper(1996) is a deeply emotional and brilliant film that was overlooked in 1996. It deals with the past and how events from the past can be instrumential in shaping the present. The movie was very controversial due to the subject matter. I believe that one reason that Sleepers(1996) didn't get the praise it deserved is the film deals with things that were already present in Mean Streets(1973) and Once Upon a Time in America(1984). The first half of the feature reminds me a lot of the flash back sequences from Once Upon a Time in America(1984). Brad Pitt gives what I see as the best performance of his life. What I also like about Sleepers(1996) is that it puts together two of the best actors of their genreation in Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro.
    helpful•106
    27
    • eibon09
    • Nov 27, 2000

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ1

    • Is the film based on a true story?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 30, 1996 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Levinson.com
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Những Kẻ Ngủ Mơ
    • 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

    Edit
    • 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

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 27 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • DTS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Production art
    List
    December Picks: All the Best Movies and Shows
    See our picks
    Production art
    List
    New and Upcoming Sequels, Prequels, and Spin-Offs
    Add these to your Watchlist
    Still frame
    List
    Top 10 Most Popular Indian Movies of 2023 (Theatrical)
    See the list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.