Movie · 1994 · Drama, Thriller, Crime, Mystery · 1h 59m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 4.0/10 (145.1K ratings)
A district attorney out for a conviction. A new lawyer out of her league. A young boy who knew too much.
Overview
A street-wise kid, Mark Sway, sees the suicide of Jerome Clifford, a prominent Louisiana lawyer, whose current client is Barry 'The Blade' Muldano, a Mafia hit-man. Before Jerome shoots himself, he tells Mark where the body of a Senator is buried. Clifford shoots himself and Mark is found at the scene, and both the FBI and the Mafia quickly realize that Mark probably knows more than he says.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.0/10
IMDb: 6.7/10
Letterboxd: 3.28/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
Metacritic: 65
TMDB: 6.7/10
Director
Joel Schumacher
Production
Alcor Films, Regency Enterprises, Warner Bros. Pictures
Cast
Brad Renfro, Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, Mary-Louise Parker, Anthony LaPaglia, Bradley Whitford, Will Patton, Anthony Edwards, J.T. Walsh, Anthony Heald, Kim Coates, Kimberly Scott, Ossie Davis, William H. Macy, David Speck, Rebecca Jernigan, William Sanderson, Micole Mercurio, Walter Olkewicz, Amy Hathaway
Curator Review
Verdict
A solid 90s legal-thriller with a strong child-in-danger premise, a brisk conspiracy plot, and standout performances from Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. It’s not airtight as a courtroom procedural, but it works well as tense, accessible entertainment with a humane center.
Best for
fans of 90s thrillers
viewers who like legal/crime suspense
people who enjoy kid-at-the-center danger stories
audiences who want strong star performances
fans of morally messy, procedural-adjacent dramas
Skip if
you want strict legal realism
you need nonstop action
you dislike courtroom and FBI procedural scenes
you prefer darker, more modern crime thrillers
Overview
The Client is one of those mid-90s studio thrillers that knows exactly how to keep you moving from one pressure point to the next. A kid witnesses a suicide, gets pulled into a mob cover-up, and suddenly every adult in the room is either threatening him, using him, or trying to protect him. The setup is pure suspense machinery, but it’s effective because the movie understands how vulnerable a child can feel when the grown-up world turns predatory.
Worth noting
Brad Renfro gives the film its nervous center, and Susan Sarandon brings real backbone as the lawyer who refuses to treat Mark like collateral damage. Tommy Lee Jones adds his usual clipped authority, even when the movie bends legal logic for momentum. The result is less a precision courtroom drama than a tense, crowd-pleasing thriller with a strong emotional hook.
Bottom line
It’s a little glossy, a little schematic, and occasionally more interested in attitude than procedure. But if you like 90s crime dramas that mix danger, wit, and a surprisingly warm protective streak, this is an easy watch.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Lydia :) (3.5★) · 795 likes
Reggie Love is probably the coolest name I’ve ever heard
Morgan (3.5★) · 651 likes
Personally I would’ve snitched immediately without being asked but this works too
Kylo (3.5★) · 514 likes
Boy, I loved watching Susan Sarandon dress down all these jerk lawyers. What a performance. So much attitude. A typical 90’s drama. Just the way I like them. I’ve gotta rewatch Dead Man Walking soon.
1993 · Drama, Mystery, Thriller · 2h 34m · R · Curator 4.3/10 (284.1K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, MGM Plus
Shares the same era, legal-cat-and-mouse energy, and escalating danger around a young lawyer caught in a conspiracy.