Overview
A young boy's life spirals into danger when he witnesses a shocking crime connected to a powerful mob family.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- anxious
- propulsive
- serious
- suspense movie night
- 1990s thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an engrossing, brisk legal thriller that brings John Grisham's page-turner to the screen through Joel Schumacher's sturdy direction and strong performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Eleven-year-old Mark Sway unknowingly gains knowledge linking a mob family to a missing senator's body and is pursued for it.
Reggie Love takes on Mark's case and confronts both federal prosecutors and organized crime to keep him safe.
The absent senator's body prevents prosecution and makes Mark's possible knowledge the central object of the investigation.
Mark must negotiate lawyers, the FBI, mobsters, and witness-protection pressures while his family is destabilized.
Films like The Client, and why
A Time to Kill
shared legal thriller structure, endangered witness, institutional pressure, and brisk suspense
Witness
shared child-centered danger, crime conspiracy, and tense pursuit by powerful adversaries
The Pelican Brief
shared courtroom suspense, moral conflict, and accessible crime drama
The Firm
shared paranoid legal investigation, witness protection stakes, and 1990s thriller tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Joel Schumacher
- Release Date
- 1994-07-20
- Runtime
- 119 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (1447)
Cast
- Brad Renfro
- Susan Sarandon
- Tommy Lee Jones
- Mary-Louise Parker
- Anthony LaPaglia
- Bradley Whitford
- Will Patton
- Anthony Edwards
- J.T. Walsh
- Anthony Heald
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Client about?
- An impoverished eleven-year-old becomes the target of mobsters and federal prosecutors after learning a secret that could expose a senator’s presumed killer.
- What is The Client like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Client as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Client violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Client as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Client?
- Critics broadly found the film an engrossing, brisk legal thriller that brings John Grisham's page-turner to the screen through Joel Schumacher's sturdy direction and strong performances.
- Which films are like The Client?
- Films with a similar feel include A Time to Kill, Witness, The Pelican Brief, and The Firm.
- How long is The Client?
- The Client runs 119 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Client?
- In United States, The Client is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
