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Plot
In the heart of the bustling LA, Dito, a seasoned writer, finds himself drawn back to the raw authenticity of his past in Astoria, Queens, after a chilling phone call about his ailing father breaks his 15-year-long absence. As he returns to the streets that nurtured and nearly destroyed him, his journey unfurls through a vivid tapestry of flashbacks.
From the innocence of childhood to the reckless rebellion of adolescence during the gritty 1980s, we walk alongside the young Dito, his fiercely loyal friends, his dedicated parents, and his first love, Laurie. As they each grapple with the complexities of family, race, and loyalty, their lives are punctuated by the cold realities of sex, violence, and the tantalizing allure of escape. A seemingly ordinary incident—a ball falling onto subway tracks—spirals into a defining moment, mirroring how their small lives are often tossed around by the unpredictable whims of fate.
As Dito's friends meet tragic ends—claimed by death, drugs, or the unforgiving prison system—he begins to see his survival as the result of intervention by unacknowledged saints. These silent guardians, woven into the fabric of his Astoria life, shield him from the same destiny that befell his comrades.
Yet, as Dito stands on the precipice of his past and present, he is confronted with the haunting question: Can he truly return home, or has the passage of time and the burden of survival forever altered the landscape of his memories? "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints" is a stirring exploration of redemption, salvation, and the power of roots that bind us, for better or worse.
Where to watch A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints?
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is a crime movie featuring Shia LaBeouf.
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Popcornflix and it's also available on Hoopla.