Overview
A brilliant detective battles his own demons while unraveling a sinister plot in Vienna.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- elegant
- playful
- classic movie night
- literary mystery marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly admired the film's stylish period craftsmanship, literate adventure, and appealing performances, though some British reviewers found its humor, pacing, and plotting sluggish.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Holmes's cocaine dependence and treatment by Freud make psychological fragility central to his characterization.
Sigmund Freud becomes a principal participant in Holmes's investigation and subconscious analysis.
Critics repeatedly praised the film as handsome, stylish, beautifully staged, and authentically period-laden.
Nicholas Meyer's adaptation offers a revisionist explanation for Holmes's behavior and relationship to Watson and Moriarty.
Films like The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, and why
Murder on the Orient Express
elegant period mystery, literary wit, and a psychologically vulnerable detective protagonist
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
stylish Victorian crime adventure combining cerebral investigation with theatrical period atmosphere
Freud: The Secret Passion
Freudian psychology, historical crime intrigue, and polished old-world suspense
Without a Clue
intellectual detective work, kidnapping intrigue, and playful revision of familiar literary figures
Movie Details
- Director
- Herbert Ross
- Release Date
- 1976-10-24
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (116)
Cast
- Alan Arkin
- Vanessa Redgrave
- Robert Duvall
- Nicol Williamson
- Laurence Olivier
- Joel Grey
- Samantha Eggar
- Jeremy Kemp
- Charles Gray
- Régine
Where to watch in United States
- 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 The Seven-Per-Cent Solution about?
- A cocaine-dependent Sherlock Holmes is taken to Freud in Vienna, where psychological treatment collides with a kidnapping investigation.
- What is The Seven-Per-Cent Solution like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Seven-Per-Cent Solution as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Seven-Per-Cent Solution violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Seven-Per-Cent Solution as mild.
- What did critics think of The Seven-Per-Cent Solution?
- Critics broadly admired the film's stylish period craftsmanship, literate adventure, and appealing performances, though some British reviewers found its humor, pacing, and plotting sluggish.
- Which films are like The Seven-Per-Cent Solution?
- Films with a similar feel include Murder on the Orient Express, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, Freud: The Secret Passion, and Without a Clue.
- How long is The Seven-Per-Cent Solution?
- The Seven-Per-Cent Solution runs 113 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Seven-Per-Cent Solution?
- In United States, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
Browse Ember's collections
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- Mr. Holmes2015
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: The Hound of the Baskervilles - Part 21981
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- Sherlock: The Abominable Bride2016
- The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes1970
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: The Treasures of Agra - Part 21983
- Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: Acquaintance1980
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