Overview
A legendary detective faces his most chilling case yet, unraveling a web of secrets and power.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- suspenseful
- gothic
- serious
- classic mystery night
- period crime marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the distinguished cast, especially the Plummer-Mason partnership, while finding the long, ponderous script and convoluted resolution limiting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Holmes discovers that Jack the Ripper's crimes are connected to influential figures and political power.
The plot places Holmes and Watson in Whitechapel during the 1888 Jack the Ripper murders.
The film presents gruesome Whitechapel murders through a serious, dialogue-driven mystery rather than explicit gore.
Christopher Plummer's Holmes and James Mason's Watson form the central investigative and emotional partnership.
Films like Murder by Decree, and why
From Hell
period jack the ripper mystery with detective investigation and restrained horror atmosphere
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
historical sherlock holmes pastiche centered on a conspiracy-driven mystery
A Study in Terror
victorian london serial-killer mystery with gothic crime tones
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
classic detective investigation combining literary sleuthing with political conspiracy
Movie Details
- Director
- Bob Clark
- Release Date
- 1979-02-01
- Runtime
- 124 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (185)
Cast
- Christopher Plummer
- James Mason
- David Hemmings
- Susan Clark
- Anthony Quayle
- John Gielgud
- Frank Finlay
- Donald Sutherland
- Geneviève Bujold
- Chris Wiggins
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Philo, Howdy Amazon Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Murder by Decree about?
- Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson pursue Jack the Ripper through Whitechapel, uncovering a conspiracy protected by London's powerful elite.
- What is Murder by Decree like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Murder by Decree as slow, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Murder by Decree violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Murder by Decree as mild.
- What did critics think of Murder by Decree?
- Critics broadly praised the distinguished cast, especially the Plummer-Mason partnership, while finding the long, ponderous script and convoluted resolution limiting.
- Which films are like Murder by Decree?
- Films with a similar feel include From Hell, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, A Study in Terror, and The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes.
- How long is Murder by Decree?
- Murder by Decree runs 124 minutes.
- Where can I watch Murder by Decree?
- In United States, Murder by Decree streams on fuboTV, Philo, Howdy Amazon Channel.
In Ember's collections
Movies like Murder by Decree
- From Hell2001
- The Satanic Rites of Dracula1973
- Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: Acquaintance1980
- Sherlock Holmes in the 20th Century1987
- The Hound of the Baskervilles1988
- The Spider Woman1943
- The Hound of the Baskervilles1939
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: The Twentieth Century Begins - Part 11988
- Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: Bloody Inscription1980
- The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
