The Client

The Client (1994)

A district attorney out for a conviction. A new lawyer out of her league. A young boy who knew too much.

Release:1994
Runtime:1h 59m
Country:United States
Director:Joel Schumacher
Language:English

Genre

CrimeDramaMystery
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Keywords

SuicideSibling RelationshipBrotherGangsterInvestigationWitness ProtectionPrincipal WitnessSearch For Witnesses

The Client rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb6.7/10· 84K votes
Rotten Tomatoes78%
Metacritic65%
TMDb6.7/10· 1K votes

With 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 6.7/10 on IMDb and 65/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been positive.

About The Client

A street-wise kid, Mark Sway, sees the suicide of Jerome Clifford, a prominent Louisiana lawyer, whose current client is Barry 'The Blade' Muldano, a Mafia hit-man. Before Jerome shoots himself, he tells Mark where the body of a Senator is buried. Clifford shoots himself and Mark is found at the scene, and both the FBI and the Mafia quickly realize that Mark probably knows more than he says.

Cast of The Client

  • Brad Renfro

    Brad Renfro

    as Mark Sway

  • Susan Sarandon

    Susan Sarandon

    as Reggie Love

  • Tommy Lee Jones

    Tommy Lee Jones

    as Roy Foltrigg

  • Mary-Louise Parker

    Mary-Louise Parker

    as Dianne Sway

  • Anthony LaPaglia

    Anthony LaPaglia

    as Barry Muldano

  • Bradley Whitford

    Bradley Whitford

    as Thomas Fink

  • Will Patton

    Will Patton

    as Sergeant Hardy

  • Anthony Edwards

    Anthony Edwards

    as Clint Von Hooser

  • J.T. Walsh

    J.T. Walsh

    as Jason McThune

  • Anthony Heald

    Anthony Heald

    as Larry Trumann

  • Kim Coates

    Kim Coates

    as Paul Gronke

  • Kimberly Scott

    Kimberly Scott

    as Doreen

The Client facts

Budget
$45M
Box office
$117.6M

Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026MethodologyData sources

Audience opinions

What the audience liked

  • Tense legal drama balances courtroom intensity with character development
  • Well-crafted thriller maintains suspense throughout complex narrative
  • Strong cast delivers compelling performances in morally ambiguous roles

What the audience disliked

  • Some pacing issues during slower investigative middle sections
  • Crime procedural elements feel predictable within the thriller formula

Trailer

Where to watch The Client(US)

View on JustWatch

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