‘Sleeping Dogs’
What would it look like if the government careened into fascism and started pursuing protestors without giving a thought to who they’re actually hunting down? That’s the vibe of Sleeping Dogs, a pioneering film in New Zealand’s late ’70s cinematic awakening. You can watch it for the sobering political commentary, conveyed via a relentless pace and a few twists. Or you can watch it to see 30-year-old Sam Neill make his debut as a leading man—a charismatic, scattered, temperamental, handsome leading man. Neill plays a divorced dad who just wants to live on an island with his dog, but the political uprising keeps harshing his mellow. It’s an intense ride that may feel all too real right now.