Sleeping Dogs (1977)

Directed by

Roger Donaldson

Genre

dystopian film, political thriller film

Country

New Zealand

Runtime

1h 47m

Rated

NR

Rating

5.6 of 10 from 46 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A man named Smith is trying to stay out of trouble as New Zealand turns into a police state after industrial unrest leads to martial law. He gets caught between a violent special police force and a growing resistance movement, and is forced to pick a side.

bleaktensesuspensefulparanoidgrimfast-pacedpoliticallonely

What happens

Sleeping Dogs is a 1977 New Zealand action thriller film directed by Roger Donaldson, and based on C. K. Stead's book Smith's Dream. It is notable for being the first feature-length 35 mm film produced entirely in New Zealand. The film stars Sam Neill, Clyde Scott, and Warren Oates. It was a major success critically and commercially, and launched the career of Neill. A political thriller with action film elements, it follows the lead man alone character Smith (Neill) as New Zealand plunges into a police state as a fascist government institutes martial law after industrial disputes flare into violence. Smith gets caught between the special police and a growing resistance movement, and reluctantly becomes involved. Often named one of the best New Zealand films of all time, it is considered a classic and a landmark in the new wave of New Zealand cinema that flourished in the 1970s and 80s. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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