On the outside, Sleuth seems like a move that cannot fail — directed by Kenneth Branagh with dialogue written by Nobel prize winner Harold Pinter, with Michael Caine (who also appeared in the original 1972 film together with Lawrence Olivier) and Jude Law in the main roles. However, the pieces just never fall into place, and Sleuth is a shadow of the film that it could have been.

The film is set within the confines of the Wyke residence, which owner Andrew Wyke (Michael Caine) has transformed into a high-tech mansion, and where he and part-time actor Milo Tindle (Jude Law) will indulge in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. Milo is actually sleeping with Andrew's wife, and all the bitter old man wants is vengeance. Except that in such a movie, the next twist is never too far away, and Wykes finds that the tables are turned on him despite starting out with the upper hand...

The dialogue in the film is trademark Pinter, which will appeal to fans of his work, and both Caine and Law put in passable performances that aren't too over the top. However, the twists in the plot are another matter altogether, and although Pinter retains the big twist from the source material, he also injects a homoerotic subtext in the final third of the film that is totally unnecessary and contrived beyond belief. With the bad outweighing the good, there's little reason to watch this remake over the original.