What is the iRankMovies score for Sleepers?

Name: Sleepers
Director: Barry Levinson
Genre: crime, drama, thriller
Released: 1996
Duration: 2 h 27 min
Rating: 7.5

Sleepers has an iRankMovies score of 70.2/100, based on a weighted combination of IMDb (×3.0), Rotten Tomatoes (×2.0), Metacritic (×1.5), and TMDb (×1.0).

Sleepers (1996)

Four friends have made a mistake that will change their lives forever.

Release:1996

Runtime:2h 27m

Country:United States

Director:Barry Levinson

Language:English

Genre

CrimeDramaThriller

See the best crime movies →

Keywords

Child AbuseSexual AbuseCourt CaseCourtRepaymentSadisticPastorJuvenile Prison

iRank70

Sleepers rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb7.5/10· 249K votes

Rotten Tomatoes76%

Metacritic49%

TMDb7.602/10· 4K votes

With 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 7.5/10 on IMDb and 49/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been positive.

About Sleepers

Two gangsters seek revenge on the state jail worker who during their stay at a youth prison sexually abused them. A sensational court hearing takes place to charge him for the crimes.

Cast of Sleepers

Kevin Bacon
as Nokes
Robert De Niro
as Father Bobby
Dustin Hoffman
as Danny Snyder
Bruno Kirby
as Shakes' Father
Jason Patric
as Shakes
Brad Pitt
as Michael
Minnie Driver
as Carol
Brad Renfro
as Young Michael
Ron Eldard
as John
Billy Crudup
as Tommy
Vittorio Gassman
as King Benny
Terry Kinney
as Ralph

Sleepers facts

Budget: $44M
Box office: $165.6M

Our take on Sleepers

Barry Levinson's 1996 crime drama follows two men who set out to avenge the sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of a juvenile detention worker during their time locked up as boys. Their reckoning unfolds through a sensational courtroom case built to bring their tormentor to account. Somber and morally charged, the film weaves memory, loyalty and buried trauma into a story about the long shadow that childhood cruelty casts. Deliberate and heavy in tone, it suits viewers drawn to serious dramas about justice, revenge and damaged lives rather than propulsive thrills. Its difficult subject matter means it rewards patience and a willingness to sit with discomfort.

Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026Methodology Data sources