Sleuth

1972 Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz

If It Was Murder, Where's the Body?

A mystery novelist devises an insurance scam with his wife’s lover – but things aren’t exactly as they seem.

Laurence Olivier Michael Caine Alec Cawthorne John Matthews Eve Channing Teddy Martin

Country

Languages

English Italian

Alternative Titles

Le Limier, La huella, 侦察

mystery thriller crime

138 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Paul Elliott ★★★★½

Tailored from playwright Anthony Shaffer's Tony Award-winning play, by Shaffer himself, Sleuth proved to be Joseph L. Mankiewicz's final offering as a director, after five successful decades in the film business, and it provides some enthralling entertainment. It observes prosperous crime fiction author Andrew Wyke, a man who adores games as well as the theatre extending an invite to his wife's lover, Milo Tindle, to join him at his country manor house to talk over the predicament amicably.
Mankiewicz investigates the dense sets with some tremendous vigilance to both detail and atmosphere, and the emerging two hours plus runtime comes to be a real tour de force for its two, and only, stars Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine. Shaffer's intricate…
Review by Vinny Thornburg ★★★★½ 6

You know what film is really hard to track down these days? Sleuth.
Seriously, it's like $40 online. It's SO worth it though. God I love this film. So much.
I'd only seen it once, years before. On just that one viewing I knew I was in love with it. Since then, the fight for finding it was expensive but it was fueled by knowing the reward at the end. So now I get to watch it again, soon after I finally find a copy. I grab a friend who hasn't seen it yet (Which to be honest, A LOT of people haven't seen it) and start it up.
Despite the possibility of it being somewhat alienating with all the…
Review by Colin the dude ★★★★★ 6

Sleuth is a brilliant film on the page. It is based on a play of which I know nothing about, so when I first watched it a few years ago, I found the dialogue stunning with wit and playfulness. As written, the story is flawlessly macabre and blacker than black in its humor. The script could be handed off to any filmmaker and they'd be given immediate advantage. In fact, it was handed off to Kenneth Branagh as a remake, of which I have also not seen.
What puts this version over the top is dropping two of cinema's most celebrated and versatile legends into the sandbox together to square off over who can command the camera with more ease.…
Review by Kevin Jones ★★★★ 5

25 Films x 4 Decades: 1970s
A twisty little mystery thriller, Sleuth is a film adapted from a play and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. As with every play-to-film adaptation, it never stops feeling like a play, which is both to the film's detriment and betterment. Featuring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine as two men squaring off in a battle of the minds with the two putting one over on one another throughout the film. What is truth and what is fiction befuddles both the characters and the audience, with very moments going as anticipated. When will these boys cry wolf and actually see a wolf? Will they ever see a wolf? This all plays out in Sleuth, which is…
Review by Simone ★★★★ 6

To say anything specific about the elaborate and convoluted plot is doing the very enjoyable experience of watching this film for the first time a huge disservice. All I'll say is that Lawrence Olivier and Michael Caine are obviously having lots of fun playing these two characters who love a good game of cat and mouse. If you're patient through the seemingly endless talking and all of the twists and turns, this film will reward you. Sleuth is based on a play and therefore feels very much like a play, but there are distinct cinematic elements that make this a worthwhile film. I'm not sure if I need to see it again, but I had a lot of fun watching it this time.
This might sound kinda crazy and please don't hurt me, but Michael Caine kicks Lawrence Olivier's ass in terms of acting prowess here. I was pretty floored to discover that.
Review by loureviews ★★★★½ 3

This film is based on the stage play by Anthony Shaffer, and before I saw for the first time, eleven years ago or so, I had already seen it on stage, where I had no idea of the twists and tricks the piece can play.
Other reviews here are chock-full of spoilers, but if you're coming to this fresh for the first time, you will meet Andrew Wyke in his maze-surrounded posh house, and Milo Tindal who is part-Italian and conducting a very English affair with Mrs Wyke.
Wyke (Laurence Olivier, in one of his best parts amongst a host of late-career dross) is a silky voiced serpent with a wicked sense of appropriateness, while Tindal (Caine) is rough at…
Review by JR ★★★★ 4

In which Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine psychologically torture each other for almost two and a half hours, in the process ruthlessly deconstructing the classic British drawing room mystery. Of course it’s stagy, the entire thing is built around performance, perception and deception, how to create another reality through carefully chosen words and props, and maybe a clown outfit or two. Paradoxically it’s Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s most visually interesting movie, although for the most part he steps back to let his two leads have a bit of fun - or maybe bitter fun. What does it matter, it’s only a game.
“The shortest way to a man’s heart is through humiliation.”
Review by Cadinho93 ★★★★★

"There's nothing like a little bit of mayhem to cheer one up."
Sleuth is a pleasure to watch with twists and reversals reveal themselves is a big part of the fun. Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine are at the top of their game. Sparklingly dialogue with a sinister undertone building as the plot twists just keep coming, impeccably paced all contribute to a film that is a thrill to watch, in a state of ignorance and almost as fun to watch when you know what's coming, admiring just how masterfully it all unfolds. Overall, it's a great murder mystery with multiple twists and turns.
Review by Steve G 🐝 ★★★★ 1

Summer of Scam 2: Criminally Insane
Letterboxd needs to put in place a heat rule for reviewing.
This is great.
Review by Alex ★★★

An enjoyable experience, no doubt, but this story just belongs on the stage. Due to this, I felt Mankiewicz went a bit overboard in trying to elevate the simple set-up, specifically with the over-active camerawork. Regardless, it's a solid two hours spent with a couple of actors doing great work and clearly enjoying their roles.
Review by Steven Sheehan ★★★★ 2

Caine and Olivier both seem to revel in the space and freedom afforded to them in their respective roles, two men roaming wide spaces, filling every corner with their larger than life personalities. A murder-mystery set in an English countryside mansion, it harks back to rigid Agatha Christie style tales. Except the snobbishness unspoken in those sagas rise to the surface and threatens to descend into a full-on class war.
The content of its early 70's release reflected a wind of change sweeping through the UK, after late 60's cinema had begun highlighting the country's post-war generation rallying against the old guard. In that regard alone, both Caine and Olivier are the perfect embodiment of that culture clash. Caine wore…
Review by Carlo 7

Maybe you don't like this movie but I'm sorry I simply will not stand for Sleuth shaming.

Recent reviews

Review by martindunlop ★★★★½

I put this on while browsing JustWatch thinking I'd find something new and fancy, but I couldn't stop watching. It's just Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier acting their butts off at each other in a house that's just COVERED in ugly tacky shit. I wanna take a sledgehammer to that house while Laurence Olivier cries and tells me how he was gonna use that wind up doll for something later, and a therapist tries to get him to sort through his shirts.
It's only missing half a star cos it has one of the only two endings it could've had, and I was hoping it would surprise me with some magical third ending that could somehow come out of nowhere but also make complete sense. I'm a fucking asshole.
Review by TGP ★★★

impossible to find. a lot to like. about 30 minutes too long.
Review by elena🚀 ★★★★

Buenísima 👌🏻
*plano de Jack el marinero jovial*
Review by groovetastic ★★★★★

Two amazing actors at the top of their game matching wits. This movie wins over anyone I have shown it to.
Review by Paul Elliott ★★★★½

Tailored from playwright Anthony Shaffer's Tony Award-winning play, by Shaffer himself, Sleuth proved to be Joseph L. Mankiewicz's final offering as a director, after five successful decades in the film business, and it provides some enthralling entertainment. It observes prosperous crime fiction author Andrew Wyke, a man who adores games as well as the theatre extending an invite to his wife's lover, Milo Tindle, to join him at his country manor house to talk over the predicament amicably.
Mankiewicz investigates the dense sets with some tremendous vigilance to both detail and atmosphere, and the emerging two hours plus runtime comes to be a real tour de force for its two, and only, stars Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine. Shaffer's intricate…
Review by Malcolm Taylor ★★★★★

Wow, Okay, perspective gained. Branagh’s Sleuth remake of Pinter’s adaptation definitely got graded on a bell curve by me not having seen this original adaptation of Andrew Schaffer’s stage play, The Wicker Man, helmed by the legendary Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Michael Caine’s performance here is astounding. He demonstrates a deep personal sense of shame and humiliation with a tender gravitas, unmatched by Jude’s Milo in the remake. Also, Caine revived that emotional access for his turn as Andrew in the remake, making him the best thing in both versions. Maybe in some future virtual reality the two Caines, Milo and Andrew, can meet in one singular version. Of course, Olivier’s pure consummate acting chops effortlessly glide you through the smug proceedings of his…
Review by Rob Bishop ★★★★½ 2

After revisiting "Wild Things" recently, I decided to pair the twist-and-turn-filled noir with an intellectual predecessor, "Sleuth." The 1972 film has gone unwatched on my shelf since tracking down a copy of the DVD many months ago. The DVD has long been out-of-print, but a question remains: was it overpriced?
While intrigue abounds in "Sleuth," I'll go ahead and solve this one. It was well worth the price tag. Though I entered with lofty expectations, it did not disappoint despite a lengthy running time (138 minutes). Despite there being little doubt the film is an adaptation of a stage production due to its singular setting and limited cast, "Sleuth" manages to feel cinematic.
Unlike many modern films that rely on…
Review by Will Carlier ★★★★★ 2

La perception des choses ne peut être certaine, il n'est pas judicieux de considérer le même angle de vue. Se laisser prendre au jeu et sous-estimer la Chose, la même regorgeant d'idées et de secrets bien moins discernables. Sleuth ou l'exercice du détective, la victoire du mésestimé et passionné devant l'apparente superficialité d'une société moderne.
Review by Frazzleg123 ★★★★½

Twist, twist and twist again!!
Review by Andrew Jones ★★★★

James Adomian has a perfect Laurence Olivier impression in him.
Review by Shawn McLoughlin ★★★½

Okay, I get it, you're so goddamn witty. We covered that in the first hour though. You don't need to be THIS long.
(Please note: I'm cranky and have COVID and am barely awake for two hours at a time so my critique might be more snappy than usual, and my usual patience for this sort of thing is gone past me.)
Review by NoahGoucher ★★★½

A twisty and turny showcase for two great performances.