This is a movie review of Sleepers
Written, produced and directed by Barry Levinson, Sleepers tells the story of sexual abuse in the juvenile criminal system and how it affects the kids once they turn into adults. Sounds boring and maybe a little creepy, right? Yes, some parts are creepy, but it isn’t boring.
The story has two sets of main characters. The first are the young boys, young teens, who have the run of New York streets in the early 1960s. They goof, they play, they dream and they make a bad decision. The bad decision puts them into the criminal system in which they find themselves abused at the hands of Kevin Bacon.
The movie isn’t about the abuse, though. It’s about revenge, guilt and traumatic recovery. Featuring a star cast, the movie is paced great, always keeps your attention and allows you to do a little detective work.
What you will like about Sleepers
You’ll like the following:
- Acting – The kids and adults do a great job acting. Dustin Hoffman also does a fantastic job with his part.
- The period – New York in the early 1960s was about to change and this movie shows you.
- Court scenes – The trial scenes are well done, suspenseful and pay off.
What you won’t like about Sleepers
You won’t like the following:
- Topic – Child sexual abuse is not something that is easy to deal with, especially as it is portrayed in the movie.
Sleepers is easily one of the better movies made in the late 20th century. With a great cast, excellent writing and sweeping visuals, the plot and story are well told.