A man who loves games and theater invites his wife's lover to meet him, setting up a battle of wits with potentially deadly results.A man who loves games and theater invites his wife's lover to meet him, setting up a battle of wits with potentially deadly results.A man who loves games and theater invites his wife's lover to meet him, setting up a battle of wits with potentially deadly results.
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
47K
YOUR RATING
- Director
- Writer
- Anthony Shaffer(play)
- Stars
- Laurence Olivier
- Michael Caine
- Alec Cawthorne(credit only)
Top credits
- Director
- Writer
- Anthony Shaffer(play)
- Stars
- Laurence Olivier
- Michael Caine
- Alec Cawthorne(credit only)
- Nominated for 4 Oscars
- 5 wins & 11 nominations total
Videos2
Alec Cawthorne
- Inspector Doppleras Inspector Doppler
- (credit only)
Eve Channing
- Marguerite Wykeas Marguerite Wyke
- (credit only)
- Director
- Writer
- Anthony Shaffer(play) (screenplay)
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
Storyline
Andrew Wyke is a famous and successful author of detective novels. Milo Tindle comes to him with a strange request, that Mr Wyke divorce his wife so that Tindle can marry her. Mr Wyke is not particularly perturbed by this, he and his wife have drifted apart, and he is having an affair with another woman anyway, but uses the meeting and Mr Tindle's request as a chance to play a game, a game with potentially deadly consequences. —grantss
- Taglines
- If it was murder, where's the body? [original movie poster]
- Genres
- Certificate
- PG
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaMichael Caine was so very much beside himself to be working with Lord Laurence Olivier that he didn't even know how to address him. Eventually, he broke down and just asked. Olivier replied "Well, I am the Lord Olivier and you are Mr. Michael Caine. Of course, that's only for the first time you address me. After that I am Larry, and you are Mike."
- Goofs(at around 1h 2 mins) When Wyke "shoots" Tindle in the head at contact range with what is supposed to be a blank cartridge, Tindle simply faints from fright. In fact, the hot gases, explosive particles, wadding and minuscule barrel debris from a blank-cartridge shot to the head at point-blank range would certainly have given Tindle quite a serious wound, possibly even a fatal one.
- Quotes
[last lines]
Milo Tindle: Andrew... remember... be sure and tell them... it was only a bloody game.
- ConnectionsFeatured in 51st Annual Academy Awards (1979)
- SoundtracksJust one of these things
Words and music by Cole Porter
Top review
Deadly Games
In England, the Italian English hairdresser Milo Tindle (Michael Caine) is invited by the successful writer of detective stories Andrew Wyke (Laurence Olivier) to visit his isolated house. The lower class Milo is the lover of Andrew's wife, who is used to have a comfortable life, and he intends to marry her. Andrew proposes Milo to steal his jewelry simulating a burglary. Milo would make a fortune selling the jewels to an intermediary; and Andrew would be reimbursed by the insurance company and would not pay alimony. However, the whole situation was part of an evil game. When Milo vanishes, a detective visits Andrew to investigate what really happened that night, when deadly games are disclosed.
"Sleuth" proves that a great screenplay, an outstanding director, two top-notch actors and four scenarios suffice to make an excellent movie with four nominations to the Oscar. The intelligent and wit theatrical story has amazing lines and twists in a duel of cat and mouse between two icons, and has not aged. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Trama Diabólica" ("Diabolic Plot")
"Sleuth" proves that a great screenplay, an outstanding director, two top-notch actors and four scenarios suffice to make an excellent movie with four nominations to the Oscar. The intelligent and wit theatrical story has amazing lines and twists in a duel of cat and mouse between two icons, and has not aged. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Trama Diabólica" ("Diabolic Plot")
helpful•359
- claudio_carvalho
- Jan 2, 2007
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $4,081,254
- Runtime2 hours 18 minutes
- Color
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