Sleeping Dogs

"What happens when you're hunted...and there's no place to run!"

1978 1h 47m EN

😐

5.8

MID

★5.8TMDB · 50

ActionDramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Recluse Smith is drawn into a revolutionary struggle between guerrillas and right-wingers in New Zealand. Implicated in a murder and framed as a revolutionary conspirator, Smith tries to maintain an attitude of non-violence while caught between warring factions.

“What happens when you're hunted...and there's no place to run!”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

ARROWSubscription

Google Play MoviesRent

YouTubeRent

Apple TV StoreBuy

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Cast

Sam Neill
Smith
Ian Mune
Bullen
Warren Oates
Col. Willoughby
Nevan Rowe
Gloria
Donna Akersten
Mary
Ian Watkin
Dudley
William Johnson
Cousins
Melissa Donaldson
Melissa

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Roger Donaldson
Writers: Ian Mune, Arthur Baysting
Languages: English, Maori
Countries: New Zealand

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

48 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Maori.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Roger Donaldson, shot by Michael Seresin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Mathew Brown. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ian John shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Sam Neill and Ian Mune and Warren Oates carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "What happens when you're hunted...and there's no place to run!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Roger Donaldson directs. Michael Seresin behind the camera. Mathew Brown scores. Ian John cuts. Produced in New Zealand. Dialogue in English, Maori.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
248 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Maori.
4Directed by Roger Donaldson, shot by Michael Seresin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Mathew Brown. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Ian John shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Sam Neill and Ian Mune and Warren Oates carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "What happens when you're hunted...and there's no place to run!".
9IMDB entry: tt0076725 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 50 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.