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Sleuth

Sleuth

Think of the perfect crime... Then go one step further.

1972138 minPGMidcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Director
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Starring
Laurence Olivier, Michael Caine, Alec Cawthorne, John Matthews

A man who loves games and theatre invites his wife's lover to meet, setting up a battle of wits with potentially deadly results.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Sleuth?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Sleuth on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Sleuth?

Sleuth earns 9 badges, led by Stood the test of time and Top 5% of films.

Show 1 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Sleuth worth watching?

Sleuth's Midcredits score is the 96th percentile of all films, from 87K ratings across 5 sources. 86% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

96th percentile

Better received than 96% of films

98th percentile among Mystery96th percentile among 1970s
Acclaim (how much people like it)92nd
Approval (how many liked it)96th

76 /100

92nd percentile of all films

97th percentile among Mystery94th percentile among 1970s

Critics 49 · Audience 78

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

86% liked it

96th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Mystery97th percentile among 1970s
86% rated it 7–1014% rated it 1–6

Critics 90% · Audience 90%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 4 Oscar noms · 5 wins / 11 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Actor in a Leading Role
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Actor in a Leading Role

88th percentile

87K ratings across platforms

91st percentile among Mystery92nd percentile among 1970s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 7% in 30 days

Box office

Domestic gross$4.1M

What reviewers say

Common ground

A two-hander set in a single mansion where the entire appeal rests on the verbal duel and mind games between the two lead actors.

Fans praised

  • Olivier and Caine deliver career-defining, Oscar-nominated performances that elevate the material
  • Shaffer's screenplay is brilliantly witty, full of verbal sparring and unpredictable twists
  • Ken Adam's production design and Oswald Morris's cinematography turn the manor into a character itself

Detractors panned

  • Plot twists are heavily telegraphed and predictable, especially the Inspector Doppler disguise
  • Overlong and talky, with pacing that drags despite the limited cast and setting
  • Stagebound direction with no cinematic opening-up; feels like a filmed play, not a movie

What stands out

ActingDivisive90

Olivier and Caine both nominated; Caine holds his own, Olivier revels in theatricality

DialogueDivisive85

Witty, sharp verbal jousting with class barbs

AtmosphereDivisive80

Creepy manor with automata creates uneasy, theatrical mood

CharactersDivisive70

Class conflict between pompous writer and upstart hairdresser

OriginalityDivisive70

Clever cat-and-mouse structure; detractors call it derivative stage trickery

TensionDivisive70

Suspense builds from psychological games

Plot and storyDivisive65

Ingenious twists but some see them as obvious and contrived

PacingDivisive40

Slow, overlong for many; fans find it absorbing despite runtime

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 5 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 3 points apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is Sleuth like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense, has a few laughs and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseAbsurdThrilling
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Wry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.Satirical · 5% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Single location · 5% of films: Confined to essentially one place throughout.
ToneThe film holds its duel at a knowing distance, treating the gamesmanship with wry amusement while satirizing class pretensions.
The rideThe film maintains a taut, theatrical tension punctuated by absurd games and sudden twists, building to a violent climax.
StructureThe story unfolds linearly over two evenings in the same manor house, with the automata and decor contributing to the theatrical atmosphere.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's class critique and bleak ending linger, provoking reflection on the games people play and their real costs.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MysteryPuzzle
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% (this title) · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Puzzle: A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).

7% of films fit this archetype

with Tragedy underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe film is a duel of wits with multiple twists, functioning as a puzzle for the audience to decipher who is outsmarting whom, while the class conflict and fatal ending give it a tragic shape.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfClassPower
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% (this title) · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% (this title) · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Class · 3% of filmsRevenge · 4% of filmsDeception · 9% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on class hatred and pride, with each man's scheme driven by a desire to humiliate the other across social lines.
StanceThe film interrogates class and ego through a shifting duel of wits, refusing to side fully with either man.

The world

ContemporaryDomesticRuralRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · John Addison
Settinga country manor in Wiltshire, 1972
MusicAddison's score blends playful, suspenseful and grand themes, supporting the theatrical cat-and-mouse.

Content guide

Is Sleuth okay for kids?

PG

Sleuth is rated PG. As of October 2, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (29/100), sexual content at minimal (13/100), language at moderate (38/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (37/100) and frightening material at moderate (50/100). Its violence, language, drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 6 other countries
  • UK15
  • Germany16
  • FranceU
  • Denmark15
  • Greece13
  • Netherlands6
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Mild
too few votes to rank (8 votes)
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 24%
Profanity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (7 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
too few votes to rank (8 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (47 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Sleuth have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Sleuth?

Cast

Laurence Olivier
as Andrew Wyke
Michael Caine
as Milo Tindle
Alec Cawthorne
as Inspector Doppler
John Matthews
as Detective Sergeant Tarrant
Eve Channing
as Marguerite Wyke
Teddy Martin
as Police Constable Higgs
Skeleton
as Skeleton

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Sleuth?

Movies like Sleuth include Sleuth (2007), The Mirror Crack'd (1980) and Evil Under the Sun (1982). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films written by Anthony Shaffer, and several are puzzle films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

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What else shares a premise, people or place with Sleuth?

2.4K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: rivals. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.