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Sherlock Holmes in Washington

Sherlock Holmes in Washington

Mystery · Crime · Thriller · 1943

In World War II, a British secret agent carrying a vitally important document is kidnapped en route to Washington. The British government calls on Sherlock Holmes to recover it.

Movie details

Sherlock Holmes in Washington

“The Mystery Master in America!”

1943 Mystery · Crime · Thriller 1h 11m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.8 / 10

Community rating

In World War II, a British secret agent carrying a vitally important document is kidnapped en route to Washington. The British government calls on Sherlock Holmes to recover it.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Sherlock Holmes in Washington?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Dressed to Kill

Dressed to Kill

Mystery · 1946

A convicted thief in Dartmoor prison hides the location of the stolen Bank of England printing plates inside three music boxes. When the innocent purchasers of the boxes start to be murdered, Holmes and Watson investigate.

Terror by Night

Terror by Night

Mystery · 1946

Holmes and Watson board a passenger train bound from London to Edinburgh, to guard the Star of Rhodesia, an enormous diamond worth a fortune belonging to an elderly woman of wealth; but within the first hour of the trip, the woman's son is murdered and the diamond stolen and any of the passengers in their car could be the killer thief.

The Pearl of Death

The Pearl of Death

Thriller · 1944

The famous Borgia Pearl, a valuable gem with a history of bringing murder and misfortune to its owner since the days of the Borgias, is brought to London, thanks in part to Sherlock Holmes. But before long the jewel is stolen, due to an error on Holmes' part, and shortly thereafter, a series of horrible murders begin, the murderer leaving his victims with their spines snapped and surrounded by a mass of smashed china.

Awake

Awake

Thriller · 2007

While undergoing heart surgery, a man experiences a phenomenon called ‘anesthetic awareness’, which leaves him awake but paralyzed throughout the operation. As various obstacles present themselves, his wife must make life-altering decisions while wrestling with her own personal drama.

Crooked House

Crooked House

Mystery · 2017

A private investigator helps a former flame solve the murder of her wealthy grandfather, who lived in a sprawling estate surrounded by his idiosyncratic family.

Murder by Decree

Murder by Decree

Crime · 1979

Sherlock Holmes is drawn into the case of Jack the Ripper, who is killing prostitutes in London's East End. Assisted by Dr. Watson, and using information provided by a renowned psychic, Robert Lees, Holmes finds that the murders may have their roots in a Royal indiscretion and that a cover-up is being managed by politicians at the highest level, all of whom happen to be Masons.

The Hound of the Baskervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Mystery · 1939

When a nobleman is threatened by a family curse on his newly inherited estate, detective Sherlock Holmes is hired to investigate.

All the Devils Are Here

All the Devils Are Here

Crime · 2025

After a heist, four criminals lay low in a remote safehouse, waiting for orders. As paranoia builds, one thing becomes clear — the real threat may not be outside, but among them.

The Pale Blue Eye

The Pale Blue Eye

Thriller · 2022

West Point, New York, 1830. When a cadet at the burgeoning military academy is found hanged with his heart cut out, the top brass summons former New York City constable Augustus Landor to investigate. While attempting to solve this grisly mystery, the reluctant detective engages the help of one of the cadets: a strange but brilliant young fellow by the name of Edgar Allan Poe.

Cleaner

Cleaner

Crime · 2007

Single father and former cop Tom Cutler has an unusual occupation: he cleans up death scenes. But when he's called in to sterilize a wealthy suburban residence after a brutal shooting, Cutler is shocked to learn he may have unknowingly erased crucial evidence, entangling himself in a dirty criminal cover-up.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Roy William Neill

Written by

Bertram Millhauser · Lynn Riggs

Basil Rathbone

Basil Rathbone

Sherlock Holmes

Nigel Bruce

Nigel Bruce

Doctor Watson

M

Marjorie Lord

Nancy Partridge

Henry Daniell

Henry Daniell

William Easter

George Zucco

George Zucco

Heinrich Hinckel aka Richard Stanley

John Archer

John Archer

Naval Lt. Pete Merriam

Gavin Muir

Gavin Muir

Mr. Lang, government agent

Court is in session

Put Sherlock Holmes in Washington on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Big-Idea Head

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.