True Believer
Seen it?1989 | 105 min | Crime, Drama
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (96% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop and a lukewarm 6.2 out of 10 from audiences. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 45 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Eddie Dodd is a burnt out former civil rights lawyer who now specializes in defending drug dealers. Roger Baron, newly graduated from law school, has followed Eddie's great cases and now wants to learn at his feet. With Roger's idealistic prodding, Eddie reluctantly takes on a case of a young Korean man who, according to his mother, has been in jail for eight years for a murder he didn't commit.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
96% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesBelow par
6.2 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerWeak
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 16K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Joseph Ruben
- James WoodsEddie Dodd
- Robert Downey Jr.Roger Baron
- Margaret ColinKitty Greer
- Yuji OkumotoShu Kai Kim
- Kurtwood SmithRobert Reynard
- Tom BowerCecil Skell
- Luis GuzmánOrtega
- Graham BeckelSklaroff
- Sully DiazMaraquilla Esparza
- Woody HarrelsonMan in Dodd's office