Sleepers (MA 15+) PRESENTED IN 35MM FILM

Sleepers (MA 15+, 1996) 30th Anniversary Presented in 35mm Film by The Revival House Perth

In 1960s Hell's Kitchen, four close-knit boys—Shakes, Michael, John, and Tommy—commit a reckless prank that goes tragically wrong, resulting in a sentence to a brutal juvenile detention facility. There, the boys endure horrific physical and sexual abuse at the hands of sadistic guards, an experience that irrevocably shapes and scars each of them as they grow into adulthood. Years later, when two of the group encounter their former abuser by chance and exact violent revenge, the surviving friends—now a prosecutor (Brad Pitt) and a journalist (Jason Patric)—devise a dangerous plan to ensure justice is served, manipulating the legal system itself to protect their friends and finally confront the horrors of their shared past.

Director Barry Levinson crafts a harrowing, deeply felt drama about trauma, loyalty, and the long shadow cast by childhood abuse, anchored by a formidable ensemble cast. Robert De Niro brings quiet moral complexity as a priest caught between faith and complicity, while Dustin Hoffman and Kevin Bacon deliver committed supporting performances as, respectively, a compromised defence attorney and one of the facility's most vicious guards. The young actors portraying the boys during their imprisonment convey genuine anguish and vulnerability, grounding the film's difficult subject matter in raw emotional authenticity. Levinson's unflinching depiction of institutional abuse, paired with the film's exploration of brotherhood forged through shared suffering, results in a powerful, deeply uncomfortable meditation on trauma, vengeance, and the elusive nature of justice.

Original format and audio experience of this film faithfully reproduced by The Revival House. Presented in 35mm film unless noted otherwise.

When: Thursday, October 1st at 7:20PM
Where: The Revival House at the Como Theatre
Rating: MA 15+ (Adult themes, High level violence)

Levinson's harrowing drama of trauma and loyalty features a formidable ensemble cast—experience this powerful, difficult story on 35mm film.