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Dead Man Walking
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Metascore
80 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.9 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 33 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon
  • Summary: Follows the relationship between a death-row inmate (Penn) and local nun (Sarandon) to whom he turns for spiritual guidance in the days leading up to his scheduled execution.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 26
  3. Negative: 2 out of 26
  1. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Gene Siskel
    100
    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.[12 January 1996, Friday, p.B]
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  2. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Frank Lovece
    50
    Sarandon is terrific and Penn is in top form, but the film is an achingly earnest message movie with a curiously muddled message.
  3. Film.com
    Reviewed by: Tom Keogh
    30
    Overpraised, intellectually soft, narratively unfocused, and thematically ambivalent.
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See all 26 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 14
  3. Negative: 2 out of 14
  1. Lissa
    10
    This made me change my views on the Death Penalty. Amazing film.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. SalmanH.
    10
    Awesome acting...not an easy movie to watch i must say....but thats the beauty of this movie....Penn and Surandon did deserved an award.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. mctrollol1269
    0
    Its was not an easy watch. Sean Penn's character almost never moves from the cell and talks to the nun from through bars. Structuring the film like this leads to a very boring script where nothing happens, it is predictable from start to finish. I would recommend this movie to someone who wants to consider the pro and cons of the death sentence, but it is definitely not an entertaining movie.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 14 User Reviews

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