A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints

Play trailer

2:15

A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints

R

2006

1h 40m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

93 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Dito Montiel (Robert Downey Jr.), a successful author, receives a call from his long-suffering mother (Dianne Wiest), asking him to return home and visit his ailing father. Dito recalls his childhood growing up in a violent neighborhood in Queens, N.Y., with friends Antonio (Channing Tatum), Giuseppe, Nerf and Mike.

Watch on Prime Video

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is a lively, powerful coming-of-age tale with winning performances and sharp direction from first-timer Dito Montiel.

Read Critics Reviews

Anna Smith

Film4

Superb performances and a gripping retrospective plotline make this tough cookie an entertaining one, even if its adult story strand is weighed down with vagaries.

Feb 27, 2008

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Given all the filmed memory pieces about screaming, violent Italian-American families in New York boroughs, I'm not especially thrilled by even a well-made example.

Feb 27, 2008

Full Review

Stella Papamichael

BBC.com

It positively crackles with energy, featuring startlingly raw performances from a cast that also includes Shia LaBeouf as the young Dito. And if it looks ragged around the edges, that's as it should be.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 31, 2007

Full Review

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Dito Montiel adapts his autobiographical 2001 novel into a vivid slice-of-life drama from the Jim Carroll school of disaffected coming-of-age New York journalism.

Rated: B+

Apr 24, 2009

Full Review

Brandon Fibbs

BrandonFibbs.com

It is its very autobiographical roots that make Saints an emotional wallop, a raw, authentic work that is, at its defiant core, violently and unrestrainedly alive.

Rated: 7/10

Feb 28, 2008

Full Review

Walter Chaw

Film Freak Central

I love the scenes with young people in the middle of a hot New York summer, talking to one another like panthers circling.

Rated: 2.5/4

Sep 6, 2007

Full Review

Read all reviews

Dan S

For me this movie was a big let down. They have a loaded cast of great actors and the footage is gritty but the plot misses the mark.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/09/25

Full Review

Ezequiel T

What a great movie, made me feel so nostalgic

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/07/25

Full Review

stewart M

gtitty real powerful coming of age tale in working class Queens. Moving but never sappy Tale about the need to leave your past behind but never forgetting Outstanding performances by all especialy Channing Tatum and Diabe Wiest.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/10/24

Full Review

colin m

Powerful movie featuring dysfunctional relationships in New York. A great film getting to the core of what people are.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Despite some great performances and heartfelt moments, "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints" doesn't quite seem to know what it wants to be, with inconsistent pacing and questionable themes, making it seem more confusing than rewarding in the end. Could've been much better, however, the movie just doesn't leave much of an impact on the audience as it definitely should have.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

Glen M

THERE IS NO MESSAGE this is not church we don't need messages its real life with all the warts and flaws its teenagers being teenagers

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/23/22

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Dito Montiel

Director

Robert Downey Jr.

Dito

Shia LaBeouf

Young Dito

Chazz Palminteri

Monty

Dianne Wiest

Flori

Channing Tatum

Young Antonio

The Cake Eaters

64%

48%

The Cake Eaters

Watchlist

Winter Solstice

61%

43%

Winter Solstice

Watchlist

Aurora Borealis

68%

64%

Aurora Borealis

Watchlist

Local Color

39%

59%

Local Color

Watchlist

Little Children

81%

82%

Little Children

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Box Office Guru Preview: Ashton vs. Ashton – This Time It’s Personal

Critical Consensus: ‘Tis Not The "Season," "Guardian" Lacks Defenders, And "School" Flunks

SUNDANCE: End of Festival Awards Announced

A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints: Trailer 1

2:15

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Dito Montiel (Robert Downey Jr.), a successful author, receives a call from his long-suffering mother (Dianne Wiest), asking him to return home and visit his ailing father. Dito recalls his childhood growing up in a violent neighborhood in Queens, N.Y., with friends Antonio (Channing Tatum), Giuseppe, Nerf and Mike.

Director: Dito Montiel
Producer: Trudie Styler, Travis Swords, Charlie Corwin, Clara Markowicz
Screenwriter: Dito Montiel
Distributor: First Look
Production Co: Xingu Films
Rating: R (Pervasive Language|Drug Use|Sexuality|Some Violence)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 29, 2006, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 22, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $516.1K
Runtime: 1h 40m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Most Popular at Home Now