Sleeping Dogs (2024 film)

Last updated

Sleeping Dogs
Sleeping dogs 2024 poster.jpg
Release poster
Directed byAdam Cooper
Written by
  • Adam Cooper
  • Bill Collage
Based on The Book of Mirrors
by E.O. Chirovici
Produced by
  • Deborah Glover
  • Pouya Shabazian
  • Bill Collage
  • Henry Winterstern
  • Arun Kumar
  • Mark Fasano
  • Adam Cooper
Starring
CinematographyBen Nott
Edited by Matt Villa
Music by David Hirschfelder
Production
companies
  • Nickel City Productions
  • Highland Film Group
Distributed byThe Avenue
Release date
  • March 22, 2024 (2024-03-22)
Running time
112 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Sleeping Dogs is an American crime thriller film directed by Adam Cooper in his feature-length directorial debut from a screenplay adapted by Cooper and Bill Collage from the 2017 novel The Book of Mirrors by E.O. Chirovici, and starring Russell Crowe and Karen Gillan.

Contents

The film was released in the United States on March 22, 2024.

Plot

Roy Freeman is a retired homicide detective with Alzheimer’s who is undergoing experimental treatment to help him regain some memories. One day, he receives a call from Emily Dietz, an advocate for prison inmates, who asks him to meet with Isaac Samuel, an inmate soon to be executed for the murder of Dr. Joseph Wieder. Isaac tells Roy he was pressured to confess by Roy’s partner, Detective Jimmy Remis.

Roy reviews his old files then meets with Jimmy and asks him why they didn’t check into the records of their other suspect, Richard Finn, whose fingerprints were all over Dr. Wieder’s house. Jimmy says he will look into the matter.

After he meets with Jimmy, Roy learns of Finn’s sudden death. Roy has a fleeting memory of Finn being outside Dr. Wieder’s house the day after the murder. Roy meets some of Finn’s family members at the funeral and receives a manuscript that Finn had been writing that details Finn’s time with Dr. Wieder and with a woman Finn loved, Laura Baines, who was collaborating with Dr. Wieder on her thesis.

Shortly after, Dr. Wieder’s murder, Laura Baines learns she won’t get any credit for her research with Dr. Wieder, after which Laura Baines disappears.

Roy goes to meet Finn’s widow, who recalls a heated conversation Finn had with Dr. Elizabeth Westlake. Roy goes to meet Dr. Westlake. To his surprise, she instantly recognizes him. He learns that Finn had stalked Dr. Westlake and made her feel unsafe. Roy realizes Laura Baines and Dr. Westlake are the same person. He gives Dr. Westlake a copy of Finn’s manuscript and leaves.

Roy then meets with Wayne Devereaux, one of Dr. Wieder’s former patients. Devereaux mentions that Dr. Wieder, Finn, and Dr. Westlake had gotten into a heated argument.

After Roy returns from meeting with Devereaux, Dr. Westlake arrives at Roy’s house to return the manuscript. She refutes the notion that she and Finn were in love. After Dr. Westlake leaves, Devereaux attempts to run over Roy with a pick-up truck.

Based on his fractured, but returning memories, Roy goes to a bar that he used to frequent. From the current bartender, he receives some cursory details about a former bartender, Diane. Roy then goes to Dr. Wieder’s house. He finds a baseball bat buried in the garden. Dr. Westlake/Laura Baines shows up, followed by Jimmy. They start explaining their connection to Dr. Wieder’s murder. After Laura had read Finn’s manuscript, she realized that Devereaux would be implicated. Based on that revelation, Jimmy now understands her connection to the deaths of Finn and Devereaux. Jimmy begins to explain it to Roy, but before he can finish, Laura shoots Jimmy and he falls to the ground. She then takes aim at Roy, but is shot in the back by Jimmy. Before taking his last breath, Jimmy says he did everything for Roy.

Roy’s memories continue to return. He recalls Devereaux mentioning bartender Diane as one of Dr. Wieder’s sexual exploits. Roy now realizes that Diane is his ex-wife. Diane had been treated by Dr. Wieder to get rid of painful memories of her alcoholic father. Dr. Wieder took advantage of Diane and got her on tape. Roy had seen that recording, become furious, and decided to kill Dr. Wieder. After the murder, Jimmy helped Roy avoid repercussions. Yet, because of Roy’s actions, Isaac Samuel, an innocent man, had spent ten years of his life in prison.

Cast

Production

The film is an adaptation by Adam Cooper and Bill Collage of E.O. Chirovici's novel The Book of Mirrors , with Cooper also on-board as director. Mark Fasano of Nickel City Pictures produced, alongside Cooper, Collage and Pouya Shabazian. Matthew Goldberg, Cliff Roberts and Highland Film Group CEO Arianne Fraser served as executive producers.

In August 2022, Crowe was announced in the lead role. [3] [4] In February 2023, Karen Gillan, Marton Csokas, Harry Greenwood and Thomas M Wright were added to the cast. [5]

Principal photography commenced in Victoria, Australia in February 2023, [6] [7] with Crowe making himself at home in Melbourne. [8] Production wrapped in May. [9]

Release

In November 2022, it was announced that Highland Film Group had agreed to distribution deals with Signature Entertainment in the United Kingdom. [10] The film will be released in Australia by Galaxy Pictures (a joint venture between Rialto Distribution and Vertigo Releasing). [11]

Sleeping Dogs was released by The Avenue in the United States on March 22, 2024. [12]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 38% of 34 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.6/10. [13] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 43 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [14]

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References

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  2. 1 2 "Karen Gillan Cast Opposite Russell Crowe in Crime Thriller 'Sleeping Dogs'". Collider. February 18, 2023.
  3. "Russell Crowe to Star in Crime-Thriller 'Sleeping Dogs' for Nickel City Pictures". Variety. August 31, 2022.
  4. "Russell Crowe Cast as Lead in Adam Cooper's Directorial Debut 'Sleeping Dogs'". Collider. August 31, 2022.
  5. "Karen Gillan and Marton Csokas Join Russell Crowe in Cold Case Crime Film 'Sleeping Dogs' (Exclusive)". Variety. February 18, 2023.
  6. "Russell Crowe To Star In Sleeping Dogs Filmed in Victoria". Miragenews.com. February 15, 2023.
  7. "Russell Crowe's thriller Sleeping Dogs sets tongues wagging as filming starts across Melbourne". March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  8. "Russell Crowe spotted with fans in Melbourne's west". Herald Sun.
  9. "Russell Crowe & Tommy Flanagan Investigate the Past in 'Sleeping Dogs' Image". Collider . May 20, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  10. "AFM: Russell Crowe Thriller 'Sleeping Dogs' Sells Key International Territories". Variety. November 2022.
  11. Frater, Patrick (October 27, 2023). "New Film Distributor Galaxy Pictures to Launch in Australia, New Zealand". Variety . Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  12. Nash, Anthony (January 25, 2024). "Sleeping Dogs Trailer Previews Russell Crowe-Led Crime Thriller". ComingSoon.net . Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  13. "Sleeping Dogs". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved April 19, 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  14. "Sleeping Dogs". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 14, 2024.