Sleeping Dogs (2024)
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A retired detective with Alzheimer's disease begins to piece together a decades-old murder mystery while undergoing experimental memory treatment.
The story
Roy Freeman, a retired homicide detective suffering from Alzheimer's disease, undergoes experimental treatment to recover his memories. He is contacted by an advocate who asks him to meet Isaac Samuel, an inmate facing execution for the murder of Dr. Joseph Wieder. Isaac claims he was coerced into a confession by Roy's former partner, Detective Jimmy Remis. As Roy investigates the old case, he begins to uncover discrepancies in the original investigation, including the involvement of a man named Richard Finn. His search leads him to a manuscript detailing a complex web of relationships involving a woman named Laura Baines and a mysterious past.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Roy Freeman, a retired homicide detective with Alzheimer's disease, undergoes experimental treatment to regain memories. He meets Isaac Samuel, an inmate facing execution for the murder of Dr. Joseph Wieder, who claims he was pressured to confess by Roy's former partner, Jimmy Remis. Roy investigates and learns of Richard Finn's death, obtaining a manuscript from Finn's family detailing Finn's relationship with Laura Baines, a collaborator of Dr. Wieder. Roy discovers that Laura Baines is actually Dr. Westlake. During his investigation, a former patient of Dr. Wieder, Wayne Devereaux, attempts to kill Roy but is shot in self-defense. Roy's memories return, revealing that Dr. Westlake/Laura Baines was involved in a heated argument with Finn and Devereaux. At Dr. Wieder's house, Westlake and Jimmy confront Roy. Westlake shoots Jimmy, who dies after revealing he did everything for Roy. Roy finally remembers that his ex-wife, Diane, was sexually exploited by Dr. Wieder, who recorded the act. Laura Baines gave Roy the recording, leading him to kill Dr. Wieder. Jimmy helped cover up the crime, resulting in the innocent Isaac Samuel spending ten years on death row.
- First release year
- 2024
- Runtime (minutes)
- 112
- Production countries
- United States; Australia
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Adam Cooper
- Writers
- Adam Cooper · screenplay; Bill Collage · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Russell Crowe · Roy Freeman; Karen Gillan · Laura Baines; Marton Csokas · Dr. Joseph Wieder; Tommy Flanagan · Jimmy Remis; Harry Greenwood · Richard Finn; Thomas M. Wright · Wayne Devereaux; Elizabeth Blackmore · Dana Finn; Lynn Gilmartin · Diane Lynch
- Genres
- crime thriller
- Themes
- Memory loss; Cover-ups; Justice; Betrayal
- Tone and mood
- Dark; Suspenseful; Melancholic
- Premise and plot tags
- Crime; Thriller; Mystery; Alzheimer's Disease
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Book of Mirrors by E.O. Chirovici
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 45 · scale: 100 · review count: 10; Metacritic · score: 45 · scale: 100 · review count: 10
- Production trivia
- Russell Crowe made his feature-length directorial debut with this film.; Principal photography took place in Victoria, Australia.; The film was released in the United States on March 22, 2024.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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