SLEEPING DOGS (HBO MAX) (2024)

SYNOPSIS: An ex-homicide detective (Russell Crowe) with memory loss is forced to solve a brutal murder he can't recall. But as evidence uncovers secrets tied to his forgotten past, he is led to a chilling truth - sometimes, it's best to let sleeping dogs lie.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Russell Crowe’s star power has, for lack of a better word, waned since his days of churning out acclaimed hits like Gladiator, Cinderella Man, and Master and Commander. Nowadays, he finds himself relegated to dad or forgettable roles in Man of Steel and Thor: Love and Thunder, respectively.

In writer-turned-director Adam Cooper’s debut feature, Crowe plays Roy Freeman, a dementia-stricken ex-detective who has just undergone a trial operation meant to reverse his condition. Don’t ask why or how, as Sleeping Dogs is not the movie to offer any convincing explanation. Perhaps Romanian author E.O. Chirovici’s 2017 crime novel The Book of Mirrors, on which the film is based, might serve you better in that regard.

Anyway, while still in recovery, Freeman is approached by a human rights volunteer to look into an old murder case once handled by him and his partner, Jimmy (Tommy Flanagan). Apparently, a young man is about to be sent to the gallows for a murder he didn’t commit. Again, don’t ask why or how it took so long to track down Freeman. The point is, Freeman is intrigued by the crime. He seeks out his former partner, who tells him to forget about the case. Undeterred, Freeman revisits old case files, doing his best to uncover new clues and leads—assuming his memory cooperates.

More potential suspects emerge along the way, including Dr. Westlake (Karen Gillan), an assistant researcher to the murdered professor, Dr. Joseph Wieder (Marton Csokas), as well as his circle of patients.

Sleeping Dogs plays out as a serviceable noir detective affair, displaying many familiar traits of a typical crime mystery. In fact, Cooper’s film brings to mind one of Christopher Nolan’s early masterpieces, Memento—minus the confusing, non-linear structure. Despite its predictability and slow burn, the crime drama remains engaging throughout, with plenty of red herrings thrown in for good measure.

Those expecting Crowe to deliver a Maximus Decimus Meridius-style comeback will be sorely disappointed, as Sleeping Dogs is not an action outing—nor does it need to be. Crowe delivers a nuanced, layered performance as a tortured detective struggling to connect the dots with his fractured memory. Gillan is solid as well, portraying a crafty scientist so adept at manipulating the men around her that true evil never quite shows its face.

Admittedly, Crowe has slowly drifted into B-movie territory with recent outings like Unhinged and The Exorcism. Still, whatever one might say about the Australian star, he remains a magnetic onscreen presence, and this whodunit soars higher as a result of his contribution.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee