DbcultAccessing Vault...
5.7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Super-Sleuth remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies where the protagonist has no idea what they are doing, you will probably get a kick out of this. If you need tight, logical plotting or gritty realism, look elsewhere. Stay far away if you find old-fashioned, slapstick-adjacent mystery comedies annoying.
Honestly, watching an actor think he’s a genius because he knows how to hold a magnifying glass is pretty funny. It’s a bit like watching Sweetie if everyone involved was constantly trying to solve a burglary instead of dealing with family drama.
The whole thing feels like it was put together on a rainy Tuesday afternoon. The pacing is weirdly stop-and-go. One minute we’re in a tense setup, and the next, everyone is running around in circles for no reason.
There is this one scene in the middle where our lead is just pacing back and forth in a room, and the camera lingers on him for like twenty seconds too long. It stops feeling like a movie and starts feeling like watching a neighbor pace on his porch. It’s kind of great, actually.
It reminds me a little bit of the energy in The Hill Billy—just people being loud and confused and hoping it all works out. It doesn’t always land, but there is a certain charm to the chaos.
The mystery itself? Don’t worry about it. It’s just a clothesline to hang jokes on. Some of the jokes land with a thud, but when the physical comedy hits, it really hits. The way they handle the reveal is so rushed you can almost hear the editor screaming to get it finished before lunch.
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely a movie, really. But it’s got heart, or at least it’s got enough energy to keep you from falling asleep. Sometimes that’s enough. 🕵️♂️