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Sleuth
1972 138 min United Kingdom PG 12+
★8.3
Thriller, Mystery, Crime
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
🎭 Based on
«Sleuth»
byAnthony Shaffer
Trailers
Description
A man who loves games and theatre invites his wife's lover to meet, setting up a battle of wits with potentially deadly results.
Budget:
$3.5M
US Gross:
$4.08M
Worldwide:
$5.75M
Starring
Laurence Olivier
Actor
Michael Caine
Actor
Alec Cawthorne
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 1973
— Best Director
Academy Awards 1973
— Best Score for a Drama
BAFTA 1974
— Best Screenplay
BAFTA 1974
— Best Actor
Golden Globe 1973
— Best Picture (Drama)
BAFTA 1974
— Best Production Design
Academy Awards 1973
— Best Actor
Golden Globe 1973
— Best Actor (Drama)
BAFTA 1974
— Best Cinematography
Key opinion
Sleuth is widely celebrated as a masterful, dialogue-driven chamber piece that relies on the exceptional chemistry and performances of Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine. While it is highly regarded for its theatrical intensity and clever screenplay, its lengthy, dialogue-heavy nature and deliberate pacing divide audiences between those who find it captivating and those who feel it drags.
| Acting | Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine deliver masterful, charismatic performances that anchor the entire film. | |
| Production | The production design, characterized by a labyrinthine house filled with mechanical dolls and props, effectively enhances the film's surreal and theatrical atmosphere. | |
| Direction | Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s direction successfully transforms a stage play into a dynamic, tension-filled cinematic experience. | |
| Score | The film's score and cinematography are skillfully integrated, playing a vital role in defining the movie's mood and tone. | |
| Screenplay | The intricate, twist-heavy screenplay offers a compelling mental duel, though the final denouement leaves some viewers dissatisfied. | |
| Pacing | The two-and-a-half-hour runtime creates a polarizing experience, with some viewers finding the dialogue-heavy, contemplative pacing engaging and others finding it exhausting. |