Movies like The Sleeping Cardinal (1931)
The best movies like The Sleeping Cardinal (1931) are Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943), The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975) and A Study in Terror (1965). If The Sleeping Cardinal hooked you with its mystery and crime, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSherlock: The Abominable Bride (2016)7.8/10 from 2,392 votes
- NewestThe Bunjo (2025)Released 2025
Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943)
During WWII several murders occur at a convalescent home where Dr. Watson has volunteered his services. He summons Holmes for help and the master detective proceeds to solve the crime from a long list of suspects including the owners of the home, the staff and the patients recovering there.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975)
After spending decades living in the shadow of his more famous and successful sibling, Consulting Detective Sigerson Holmes is called upon to help solve a crucial case that leads him on a hilarious trail of false identities, stolen documents, secret codes... and exposed backsides.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Study in Terror (1965)
When Watson reads from the newspaper there have been two similar murders near Whitechapel in a few days, Sherlock Holmes' sharp deductive is immediately stimulated to start its merciless method of elimination after observation of every apparently meaningless detail. He guesses right the victims must be street whores, and doesn't need long to work his way trough a pawn shop, an aristocratic family's stately home, a hospital and of course the potential suspects and (even unknowing) witnesses who are the cast of the gradually unraveled story of the murderer and his motive.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Scarlet Claw (1944)
When a woman is found dead with her throat torn out, the local villagers blame a supernatural monster. But Sherlock Holmes, who gets drawn into the case from nearby Quebec, suspects a human murderer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMurder in Three Acts (1986)
In Acapulco, Hercule Poirot attends a dinner party in which one of the guests clutches his throat and suddenly dies. The causes seem to be natural until another party with most of the same guests produces another corpse.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe House of Fear (1945)
The Good Comrades are a collection of varied gentlemen who crave one thing - solitude. They reside at Drearcliff House, ancestral home of their eldest member. All seems serene and convivial until one by one the members begin to perish in the most grisly of manners. Foul play is suspected by the Good Comrades' insurance agent, who turns to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson for guidance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSherlock: The Abominable Bride (2016)
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson find themselves in 1890s London in this holiday special.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMiss Marple: They Do It with Mirrors (1992)
At the insistence of Ruth Van Rydock, an old schoolfriend who is convinced that there is something wrong, Miss Marple agrees to visit 'Stonygates', the country house of Ruth's sister.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Mirror Crack'd (1980)
Jane Marple solves the mystery when a local woman is poisoned and a visiting movie star seems to have been the intended victim.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnother Thin Man (1939)
Nick and Nora Charles are back - and this time, they have a baby, a wealthy new client, and another murder to solve! Retired detective Nick is enjoying family life with Nora and their young son, Nick Jr., when eccentric industrialist Colonel MacFay asks for protection after receiving threatening messages. When MacFay is found dead at his isolated estate, Nick and Nora spring into action, questioning a houseful of suspicious guests and uncovering greed, blackmail, family secrets, and a dangerous inheritance plot. With their trademark wit and sophistication, the glamorous couple balances parenthood, parties, and peril as they race to expose the killer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)
Having once again avoided criminal conviction, Professor Moriarity develops a murderous plan to “finish off” his last major nemesis, Sherlock Holmes, by making him fail to prevent the perfect crime. Does it involve a family curse, the crown jewels of England, or something else…
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMurder She Said (1961)
Miss Marple believes she's seen a murder in a passing-by train, yet when the police find no evidence she decides to investigate it on her own.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMurder Most Foul (1964)
A murderer is brought to court and only Miss Marple is unconvinced of his guilt. Once again she begins her own investigation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisShadow of the Thin Man (1941)
While attending a major horse race with their young son, Nick Jr., Nick and Nora Charles witnesse a shocking murder from the crowded grandstand. What first appears to be an isolated killing soon leads to a maze of corruption, blackmail, gambling scandals, and criminal intrigue. As Nick investigates, he encounters suspicious bookmakers, dishonest officials, rival gangsters, and a mysterious killer determined to stay ahead of the law. Nora, as always, is never far from the action, bringing her quick wit and fearless curiosity to the case.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEvil Under the Sun (1982)
An opulent beach resort provides a scenic background to this amusing whodunit as Poirot attempts to uncover the nefarious evildoer behind the strangling of a notorious stage star.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Night Strangler (1973)
After being run out of Las Vegas, reporter Carl Kolchak heads for Seattle and another reporting job with the local paper. It's not long before he’s on the trail of another string of bizarre murders. It seems that every 21 years, for the past century, a killer murders a certain number of people, drains them of their blood, and then disappears into the night. Kolchak is on his trail, but can he stop him?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLady in the Lake (1946)
Private eye Phillip Marlowe wants to get out of the detective racket and into crime writing. But when he's called to the office of editor Adrienne Fromsett, it's not to talk about his story ideas — she wants him to locate the missing wife of her boss, Mr. Kingsby. The assignment quickly becomes complicated when bodies start turning up.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMr. Holmes (2015)
In 1947, long-retired and near the end of his life, Sherlock Holmes grapples with an unreliable memory and must rely on his housekeeper's son as he revisits the still-unsolved case that led to his retirement.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)
When a nobleman is threatened by a family curse on his newly inherited estate, detective Sherlock Holmes is hired to investigate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYoung Sherlock Holmes (1985)
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson meet as boys in an English Boarding school. Holmes is known for his deductive ability even as a youth, amazing his classmates with his abilities. When they discover a plot to murder a series of British business men by an Egyptian cult, they move to stop it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDolores Claiborne (1995)
Dolores Claiborne was accused of killing her abusive husband twenty years ago, but the court's findings were inconclusive and she was allowed to walk free. Now she has been accused of killing her employer, Vera Donovan, and this time there is a witness who can place her at the scene of the crime. Things look bad for Dolores when her daughter Selena, a successful Manhattan magazine writer, returns to cover the story.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDetective (2007)
Reshmi, the wife of a young political leader, Mohan Kumar, commits suicide just when he is gearing up for a by-election. An inquiry team led by Shyam Prasad is tasked to find out the reason behind it.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery & crime
Gone Baby Gone (2007)
When 4 year old Amanda McCready disappears from her home and the police make little headway in solving the case, the girl's aunt, Beatrice McCready hires two private detectives, Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro. The detectives freely admit that they have little experience with this type of case, but the family wants them for two reasons—they're not cops and they know the tough neighborhood in which they all live.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFreeway (1996)
Following the arrest of her mother, Ramona, young Vanessa Lutz decides to go in search of her estranged grandmother. On the way, she is given a ride by school counselor Bob Wolverton. During the journey, Lutz begins to realize that Bob is the notorious I-5 Killer and manages to escape by shooting him several times. Wounded but still very much alive, Bob pursues Lutz across the state in this modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMurder by Numbers (2002)
Tenacious homicide detective Cassie Mayweather and her still-green partner are working a murder case, attempting to profile two malevolently brilliant young men: cold, calculating killers whose dark secrets might explain their crimes.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Thousand Little Cuts (2022)
Anne Bennett wakes up in a hospital, convinced she is recovering from minor surgery only to find herself in a battle of wits with a psychiatrist who can't let her leave until she remembers "what happened that night." Events turn a darker corner as doctor and patient try to unlock not only what traumatic event Anne is suppressing, but also who was there, why it happened, and why Anne's subconscious is fighting so hard to prevent her from talking about it.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
That Beautiful Somewhere (2007)
A detective teams up with a young female archaeologist to unravel the mysterious death of a 'bog body' found in a native swamp rumoured to have curative powers. It is the story of two wounded souls searching for healing and redemption
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Class of 1984 (1982)
Andy is a new teacher at an inner city high school that is unlike any he has seen before. There are metal detectors at the front door and the place is basically run by a tough kid named Peter Stegman. Soon, Andy and Stegman become enemies and Stegman will stop at nothing to protect his turf and drug dealing business.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Bunjo (2025)
The Bunjo, by Grady Behrhorst, is an 8 minute proof of concept film and simply a masterpiece. The film leaves you questioning your religion, your sexuality, reality and the role of the commonwealth in your life. No film that I’ve ever seen has held such philosophical commentary.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Lesbionage (1988)
In this romantic thriller, blackmail, kidnapping, and fraud combine to give two lesbian private detectives (and lovers) their toughest case. Will their relationship survive? Produced by women for women.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Like The Sleeping Cardinal and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Sleeping Cardinal?
The closest matches to The Sleeping Cardinal are Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943), The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975) and A Study in Terror (1965). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Sleeping Cardinal?
Start with Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943), the closest match to The Sleeping Cardinal.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Sleeping Cardinal?
Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (2016), rated 7.8/10 by 2,392 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Sleeping Cardinal?
The Bunjo (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Sleeping Cardinal?
Yes: Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943), The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975) and A Study in Terror (1965).
How are movies similar to The Sleeping Cardinal chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Sleeping Cardinal, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.