Overview
A chaotic household filled with secrets and misunderstandings leads to a series of comical murders.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- irreverent
- chaotic
- lazy sunday
- classic comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Peter Sellers’s energetic Clouseau performance and abundant visual gags, while some found the repeated slapstick crude or excessive.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jacques Clouseau’s investigation is defined by unskillful deductions, pratfalls, and the contrast between official dignity and slapstick failure.
The Ballon household’s affairs, accusations, killings, and blackmail create overlapping motives for Clouseau to untangle.
Masters and servants alike pursue secret affairs while maintaining the appearance of domestic order.
The film emphasizes imaginative sight gags, falls, collisions, and recurring mishaps within the household and investigation.
Films like A Shot in the Dark, and why
The Pink Panther
shares bumbling detective comedy, elaborate physical gags, and escalating murder confusion
The Party
combines farcical crime investigation, visual slapstick, and an inept authority figure
The Trouble with Harry
offers sophisticated ensemble farce built around mistaken identities, infidelity, and escalating social chaos
The Great Race
shares broad physical comedy, crime-adjacent plotting, and a virtuoso comic performance
Movie Details
- Director
- Blake Edwards
- Release Date
- 1964-06-23
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (685)
Cast
- Peter Sellers
- Elke Sommer
- George Sanders
- Herbert Lom
- Graham Stark
- Moira Redmond
- Tracy Reed
- Burt Kwouk
- André Maranne
- Vanda Godsell
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Artiflix
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Shot in the Dark about?
- An unskillful detective turns a scandalous household murder case into a sustained ballet of mistaken motives, pratfalls, and comic chaos.
- What is A Shot in the Dark like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Shot in the Dark as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is A Shot in the Dark violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in A Shot in the Dark as mild.
- What did critics think of A Shot in the Dark?
- Critics broadly praised Peter Sellers’s energetic Clouseau performance and abundant visual gags, while some found the repeated slapstick crude or excessive.
- Which films are like A Shot in the Dark?
- Films with a similar feel include The Pink Panther, The Party, The Trouble with Harry, and The Great Race.
- How long is A Shot in the Dark?
- A Shot in the Dark runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Shot in the Dark?
- In United States, A Shot in the Dark streams on Artiflix.
