Film

Sleight

Name: Sleight
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Action, Science Fiction
Released: 2017
Cast: Jacob Latimore, Seychelle Gabriel, Storm Reid, Sasheer Zamata, Dulé Hill

Thriller

A street magician turned drug dealer uses his skills and wits to rescue his kidnapped sister from a dangerous supplier in LA. Sleight is a tense, stylish thriller that treats magic not as spectacle but as a survival tool—practical, desperate, ingenious. It's for anyone who loves a smart protagonist improvising under pressure, and who doesn't need explosions to feel the stakes.

TMDb rating

2.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like low-budget genre films that run on sheer ingenuity, where a street magician's sleight of hand and a tight, scrappy plot matter more than polish, and a sci-fi edge sits quietly under a gritty urban drama.

Skip it if you want slick, big-budget spectacle or a film that explains itself; its modest means show in places, and its ideas arrive faster than its characters can breathe.

What it asks of you: It runs a brisk 89 minutes and asks you to keep up, trusting that the small sleights and bargains will add up without being spelled out each time.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Uncut Gems2019

Like Sleight, it's a claustrophobic thriller about a man in over his head with criminals, using cunning and nerve to stay alive. The pressure never lets up, and both films find tension in intelligence rather than violence.

But It's relentlessly bleak and exhausting—there's no relief, no moment where you breathe. If you want hope or catharsis, this won't give it to you.

Good Time2017

Another film about a desperate man improvising through a criminal night, relying on quick thinking and charm. Like Sleight, it captures the frenetic energy of someone operating on instinct and adrenaline with everything at stake.

But The protagonist is deeply unlikeable and makes terrible choices. If you need to root for someone fundamentally good, this will frustrate you.

Brick2006

A high schooler navigates a criminal underworld using intelligence and careful planning. Like Sleight, it's a smart thriller where the protagonist's mind is the weapon, and style serves the story rather than overwhelming it.

But The noir pastiche might feel affected if you're not in the mood for self-conscious genre play. It takes itself very seriously in a way that won't work for everyone.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Sleight

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Now You See Me2013

Both are thrillers where stage magic and sleight of hand are literal tools for survival and deception, not just spectacle.

A heist film built around stage magic and misdirection. Like Sleight, it treats magic as a system of real skill and psychology rather than fantasy. Both films understand that the greatest trick is making people see what you want them to see.

But It's glossy and fun in a way Sleight isn't—the tone is entirely different. If you want the moral weight and desperation of Sleight, this is too slick and crowd-pleasing.

The Drop2014

A quiet man drawn into a criminal world he never wanted, trying to protect the innocent. It shares Sleight's focus on desperation and moral compromise, and the same sense that violence is always lurking just out of frame.

But It's deliberately slow and contemplative. If you want action or clear answers, you'll find it frustratingly patient.

Nightcrawler2014

An ambitious young man uses intelligence and ruthlessness to climb out of nothing in LA. Like Sleight, it's about a protagonist whose desperation and resourcefulness are both his greatest strength and his moral undoing.

But The central character is a sociopath. Spending two hours with someone that hollow can be exhausting and bleak.

A Prayer Before Dawn2018

Based on a true story, it follows a boxer using his skill and will to survive a prison in Thailand. It has the same visceral desperation as Sleight—a man with one tool fighting his way out of an impossible situation.

But The prison violence is graphic and sustained. It's not exploitative, but it won't feel good to watch, and some scenes are genuinely hard.

Crown Heights2017

Another 2017 film about a man trying to rebuild his life against systemic pressure, with an emphasis on resilience and moral clarity. It shares Sleight's focus on a protagonist fighting to protect someone he loves.

But It moves at a measured pace and isn't a thriller. If you're looking for tension and momentum, it's more modest than Sleight.

mid90s2018

Director Jonah Hill's debut about adolescence, friendship, and the choices that trap you. Like Sleight, it captures the desperation of youth—people making bad decisions because they see no other way.

But It's a coming-of-age film first and foremost, not a thriller. The narrative is loose and the stakes are emotional rather than criminal.

The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete2013

Two young boys fend for themselves in New York while their parents are imprisoned. It's about intelligence and scrappiness keeping you alive, themes that echo Sleight's core strength.

But It's a difficult watch about childhood poverty and exploitation. The bleakness is heavy, and the film doesn't soften its view of how the world treats vulnerable kids.

The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete poster

Ink2009

Both are low-budget thrillers where a desperate man's love for a sister/daughter drives him through a dangerous, stylized underworld he barely understands.

An indie film about a man navigating a surreal underworld to save his daughter, visually inventive and emotionally raw. Like Sleight, it's a genre film that trusts its protagonist's intelligence and uses style to heighten stakes rather than replace them.

But The plot is genuinely confusing, and the film doesn't always explain itself. It's frustrating by design, and some viewers will give up before it clicks.

Akira1988

Both feature young protagonists whose special abilities (magic/psychic power) become liabilities when used to navigate criminal violence, and both explore the cost of power obtained out of desperation.

An animated cyberpunk epic about desperate young people with extraordinary abilities caught in forces larger than themselves. Like Sleight, it's about resourcefulness and power as a double-edged weapon—the very thing that saves you can destroy you.

But It's a 35-year-old anime with a complex, sometimes opaque plot. The animation style won't appeal to everyone, and you need patience with its pacing.