Genre: Mystery / Thriller Director(s): Joseph L. Mankiewicz Release Date: 09 December 1972 Movie rating: 8.1

Adapted from a play of the same name written by Anthony Shaffer (who also wrote the script), Sleuth is completely played by a two man cast featuring two acting Colossuses of acting – Lawrence Olivier and Michael Keaton. Lawrence Olivier plays Andrew Wyke, a successful crime mystery writer whose wife is having an affair with Milo Tindle, a hairdresser. One day he invites Tindle to his home so they could talk things through. Wyke proposes to Tindle to stage a robbery, so that Tindle would walk away with Wyke’s precious jewels and Wyke would pocket the insurance money. When Tindle agrees Wyke produces a handgun and shoots at Tindle. Next we see a police inspector having a conversation with Wyke at his place. He informs Wyke that Tindle has gone missing, and upon finding blood stains in the house he accuses Wyke of killing Tindle. Wyke spills the beans on the fake robbery, but swears that his gun was loaded with blanks and that Tindle has left his house on his own two feet. The Police officer then strips the mask off his face, revealing that it was Tindle all along. Tindle then starts another game, claiming that the police are truly on their way to the house and that he has planted evidence that would indict Wyke for the killing of his own mistress. Wyke doesn’t believe him until he calls his mistress to have her roommate tell him she’s been missing. When the doorbell rings Tindle pretends it’s the police and imitates different voices, but Wyke is quick to catch on. Tindle makes fun of Wyke which causes him to whip out his gun and threaten to kill Tindle, who calmly tells him that he expected it and that the police should be there any minute. This time Wyke doesn’t believe him and pulls the trigger. Tindle drops to the floor as we hear police sirens blaring.

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