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Dead Man Walking

Dead Man Walking

1995
Drama
Crime
2h 2m
A caring nun receives a desperate letter from a death row inmate trying to find help to avoid execution for murder. Over the course of the time to the convict's death, the nun begins to show empathy, not only with the pathetic man, but also with the victims and their families. In the end, that nun must decide how she will deal with the paradox of caring for that condemned man while understanding the heinousness of his crimes. (imdb)
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Dead Man Walking

1995
Drama
Crime
2h 2m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 60.38% from 2790 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(2790)
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Rated 05 Jul 2015
92
84th
In which a rapist/murderer gets what's coming to him. For some reason, this is presented as a bad thing.
Rated 24 Apr 2010
72
76th
This is such a powerful film. Great performances by Sarandon and Penn. It focuses a little too much on the religious side of things for my liking, but this is definitely worth a watch.
Rated 17 Jan 2018
95
84th
It's hard to have empathy for a convict, especially when it comes to both rape and murder. Call me crazy, but I actually felt terrible for Matthew towards the end of the movie. Penn and Sarandon are both amazing in this, which is probably what made me feel as emotional and empathetic as their characters. The story explores the families of both the victims and the convict and I like how that plot is done because it truly adds to the experience. An experience that brought me to tears. Good film.
Rated 20 Aug 2013
80
85th
"Dead Man Walking" testifies that Robbins the filmmaker is a force to be reckoned with. Although some of the religious stuff were a little too much for me, the way the film avoids cheap preaching and one-sided arguments (Robbins' anti-capital punishment stance is only subtly hinted at) is admirable. But the picture owes much of its emotional potency to the actors: Sarandon and especially Penn deliver excellent performances, lending their characters depth they might have otherwise lacked.
Rated 26 May 2009
90
86th
Very strong and very watchable examination of capital punishment
Rated 14 Aug 2007
88
64th
One of the few movies that made me cry.
Rated 17 Jun 2009
80
91st
Sarandon acts as if she's been a nun all her life. And Penn is on top form, he's had practise being a convict, but here he actually makes a murderer seem sympathetic.
Rated 06 Oct 2011
85
90th
Remarkable film that deserves its classic status. I was skeptical at first because of its visual blandness, but it's so well-acted and written and just, well, gripping.
Rated 22 Mar 2008
85
83rd
It'd rare that you get a strong, sad, difficult movie that isn't preachy or overdone. The leads and director really serve the material beautifully.
Rated 12 Feb 2012
90
80th
The emotion Tim Robbins achieves in this picture is just incredible. When we see the way the families of the murdered are affected, we hate Sean Penn. We want to see him die. When we see how Sean Penn's family is affected by his eventual death, we sympathize with this awful man. It is this flip-flop of feeling that makes Dead Man Walking a great film.
Rated 09 Jun 2010
98
88th
Is there a line for redemption - as to who can qualify? What does it mean to forgive? Can you forgive anyone regardless of their sins? One of the most powerful arguments against death sentence. Riveting performances from both lead actors.
Rated 24 Jun 2013
73
66th
Very powerful and I absolutely loved the performances of Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon. Too bad I had the feeling that the actors beside these two lacked emotion which had a strange effect and never really dragged me into it. I truly believed Sean Penn, I never believed any of the two fathers.
Rated 27 Jan 2010
85
66th
A good earnest anti-death-penalty with an excellent Sarandon performance and a superb performance by Sean Penn.
Rated 20 Mar 2007
100
99th
Quite possibly the best film I've ever seen.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
87
63rd
A truly moving motion picture that appeals to real human emotion.
Rated 25 Feb 2009
91
77th
Sarandon and Penn are both outstanding in this stirring film. Highly recommended.
Rated 03 Jul 2007
78
40th
A glimpse into a time when Susan Sarandon's acting skills hadn't faded with age yet. Good thing her bazoombas are still as lively.
Rated 21 Aug 2007
75
75th
Good
Rated 08 Mar 2012
60
33rd
It's definitely Oscar bait, but it's also really well done. In a career full of outstanding performances, this is Penn's best.
Rated 04 Mar 2009
65
79th
Touching... the death penalty appauls me.
Rated 12 Dec 2009
83
82nd
Strong performances by Sarandon (who won a Best Actress Oscar) and Penn anchor this sobering story which, despite the humanizing of its central character, is not a simple pro- or anti-death penalty treatise.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
100
97th
Powerful performances from Sarandon and Penn make this an unforgettable film.
Rated 14 Oct 2008
85
84th
Very intense movie.
Rated 14 Aug 2009
79
61st
Susan Sarandon! I never really noticed how great of an actress she is, but she steals it here.
Rated 06 Apr 2011
81
88th
idam cezasi, tecavüz, cinayet, rahibe, hristyanlik, masumiyet, (Matthew arkadasiyla beraber, bir genc kiza tecavüz edip onu ve erkek arkadasini öldürmüstür. idamina yakin bir rahibeye mektup yazip ayardim ister. Rahibe matthew'e yardim eder, ama ölüm matthew için kacinilmazdir. film idam cezasi hakkinda ve cezaya karsi bir durus sergiliyor. bu arada mahkum psikolojisi hakkinda ipuclari veriyor. hapishane filmi olarak degerlendirmek yanlis olur. biraz agir ve diyakoglarla geciyor)
Rated 01 Aug 2009
81
64th
Sad. Great movie.
Rated 18 Jun 2012
79
67th
Made me weep like a baby in class, and I'm not really sure why.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
89th
A truly remarkable film from Tim Robbins made almost perfect by the performances of Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn.
Rated 01 Jan 2011
100
89th
Sarandon delivers one of her very best performances; her shock at encountering the wrath of the victim's family is registered beautifully. And Sean Penn, who for too long has suffered with the label of being a "bad boy," gives an Oscar-caliber performance.
Rated 31 Jul 2017
86
80th
The intersection of two unlikely people making a spiritual and provocative journey that absorbs you outrightly. Religious way of thinking is dominant but this is still powerful overall. Enchanting performances by Sarandon and Penn.
Rated 09 Apr 2010
91
83rd
great performances and social commentary
Rated 23 Feb 2008
91
90th
Absolutly great performance from the main actors, but it was sad, sad, sad... Best ad against capital punishment of all time.
Rated 27 Feb 2009
6
55th
A good movie that I will never watch again. Sean Penn carries this, he is so damn good (and robbed of an Oscar by Nic Cage). There was too much religious nonsense for me and it tries to be anti capital punishment but come on, he kills a young Peter Sarsgaard! R. Lee Ermey is awesome as usual too.
Rated 22 Feb 2007
60
62nd
Good film.
Rated 01 Aug 2011
85
79th
I didn't read the book before seeing the movie but it seems to me true and very sensitive. Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon's performances are excellent. "Dead Man Walking" is a film not exactly about the death penalty, but about the people involved in a death penalty case (the killer, the families whose kids were killed). Well, that's my view for what it's worth - I hope it will encourage people to see the movie or see it again!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
81
71st
Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn play excellent roles.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
82
42nd
great acting
Rated 02 Jul 2014
70
53rd
Sarandon facing the families is A+ stuff, I didn't care about anything though because I went into this right after Sophie's Choice and was still an empty husk
Rated 26 Jan 2008
90
79th
Sean Penn in one of the great performances. Robbed of the Oscar for this one.
Rated 06 Oct 2007
97
98th
Sarandon's best work. Penn's unlikable convict is crucial to creating the tension around which the film's central questions revolve. The film's anti-death penalty position works because it focuses on human beings rather than arguments, refusing to avoid the pain on either side of the ledger. And best of all, it offers its portrait of humanity through a religious figure, giving increased weight to the tragedy of state-sanctioned killing, as well as offering hope in spite of it. Also, great music.
Rated 26 Aug 2012
85
71st
Moving and believable treatment of capital punishment. Sean Penn is up to his consistent high standard.
Rated 03 Jan 2011
80
33rd
I saw it many year ago. I don't remember any details. i just remember that the whole idea was great and caught me and made me thinking.
Rated 15 Sep 2007
75
79th
Well made, well acted, and effective.
Rated 10 Oct 2015
9
92nd
Raw and powerful performances from Penn and Sarandon here present an unlikely relationship between a determined nun and a death row convict that grows to develop heart-wrenching emotional intimacy (see Matthew's confession and Helen's outstretched arm in the intense climax). Flashbacks to the crime and scenes with the victims' and prisoner's families are added throughout to create a thoughtful and well-rounded (but still moving) study of death, violence, and justice that avoids easy answers.
Rated 26 Dec 2010
80
73rd
Powerful performances from both Sarandon and Penn. Robbins' direction allows you to get very close to the two leads as they delve into what one might feel as their final day draws near. There was a sincere effort to stay neutral in the death penalty debate, thus nullifying it as a plot point. Well done.
Rated 22 Oct 2008
98
23rd
A great film - a Great title - a Great story - well acted.
Rated 23 Aug 2015
75
68th
I liked ot but I didn't love it
Rated 26 Jul 2011
71
46th
I prefer "True Crime" when it comes to this topic.
Rated 07 Sep 2010
56
77th
#90s#, story, reviews.
Rated 24 Jun 2022
83
83rd
Nothing is tidy, no characters are perfect or know the right thing to do. The resolutions and answers are few. The perpetual moral conflict is handled with patience and respect for the viewer. Each of us has a unique fight to cultivate our soul and our character, and it will never be easy.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
79
65th
Yes, excellent performances, but the preachiness gets to be a turnoff.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
75
64th
Not such a big fan but it's still an A quality film.
Rated 16 Nov 2007
45
44th
a bit heavy-handed, but worth a watch.
Rated 11 Dec 2023
95
41st
This movie is excellent. Sean Penn is incredible and Susan Sarandon gives the best performance of her whole career in this movie.
Rated 22 Jan 2011
45
11th
A beat-you-over-the-head agenda-driven piece of Oscar bait. Typically when people use terms like that to describe popular movies, I take the statements with a grain of salt, always opting to give the film the benefit of the doubt. In the case of Dead Man Walking, the words are accurate. As for the performances by Penn and Sarandon, I saw right through them. They might as well have been saying "Look at what a great actor I am" the whole time.
Rated 26 Nov 2020
80
41st
An earnest "message" movie that stars two talented actors that I personally find very irritating. When the movie was made, the US was passing a lot of tough on crime laws, and a lot of people have hardened in their opinions on the death penalty since then. The film's contribution for today's viewer may lie more in its exploration of grief, faith, and service and less in its depiction of the "did he deserve it?" ethical quandary (along with the presentation of the actual crime).
Rated 05 Dec 2007
70
48th
toccante
Rated 10 Jun 2007
87
62nd
well acted..but not one to watch more than once
Rated 14 Aug 2007
77
40th
I didn't care for the movie, but Penn's acting was TOP notch!!
Rated 20 Mar 2020
51
49th
Seen: 2.

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