Dead Man Walking The film “Dead Man Walking” is a film about redemption. The film is directed by Tim Robbins. Susan Sarandon plays a Nun called Sister Helen Prejean. She is asked by a convicted murderer to get him a lawyer, and then later is asked to be his spiritual advisor. The convicted killer is named Matthew Poncelet, and he is played by Sean Penn. The film is set in the Angola state penitentiary, in Louisiana. Matthew Poncelet first asks her to get him a lawyer so he can repeal his Death sentence. Sister Helen gets him a lawyer, but they fail after several good attempts to get h