The Singing Detective (2003)

39% of critics liked it
(106 reviews)
41% of users liked it
(7,293 ratings)

From director Keith Gordon (Mother Night, A Midnight Clear) comes this American feature adaptation of the 1986 BBC miniseries, The Singing Detective. Robert Downey Jr. returns to the big-screen for the first time since 2000's Wonder Boys as Dan Dark, a novelist who is hospitalized with a severe case… More From director Keith Gordon (Mother Night, A Midnight Clear) comes this American feature adaptation of the 1986 BBC miniseries, The Singing Detective. Robert Downey Jr. returns to the big-screen for the first time since 2000's Wonder Boys as Dan Dark, a novelist who is hospitalized with a severe case of psoriasis. As he lays in bed, Dark hallucinates that he is actually a World War II-era private dick embroiled in an oddball web of mystery, intrigue, and musical numbers. Written by the late Dennis Potter (Pennies From Heaven, Gorky Park) and co-starring Mel Gibson, Robin Wright Penn, Katie Holmes, and Adrien Brody, The Singing Detective premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 49 min.
Directed By: Keith Gordon
Written By: Dennis Potter
Genres: Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Comedy

In Theaters: Oct 24, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Mar 23, 2004
Studio: Paramount Classics

Critic Reviews

Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Catch it to see a major performance by a magnetic actor, but go in with patience and with the realization that the film is something of an interesting failure.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
... it is just a little bit too much of a disjointed mess.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
When I saw it at Sundance, my attention was divided because I was trying to process the meaning of the jagged structure. Seeing it again a week ago, knowing what to expect, I found it a more moving experience.
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
The Singing Detective has to settle for a hung jury.
Tom Long, Detroit News
It stands completely on Downey's tragi-comic performance, although the rest of the cast -- particularly Penn and Gibson -- do good work as well.
Bill Muller, Arizona Republic
Although the miniseries spent time developing the strands of the interwoven stories, the movie flits from idea to idea and plays like a chaotic, failed experiment.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
The film's colorful song-and-dance set pieces rely on lip-synced '50s songs that are the weakest link in a bumbling but gregarious movie.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Inventive mess, filled with pock marks.
Ryan Cracknell, Apollo Guide
Director Keith Gordon lends his observations and interesting insights to a good commentary track.
Ryan Cracknell, Apollo Guide
The first two thirds are a lot of fun and a showcase for Robert Downey Jr.'s immense talents.
Forrest Hartman, Reno Gazette-Journal
The concept is clever, but the film's parts don't fit well and the main character is one of the least likable you'll find.
Jeff Otto, IGN Movies
The Singing Detective is like a dream that you are still a little confused by when you wake up. It's not for everyone, but it's a fun ride if you dive in face first.
Staci Layne Wilson, Fantastica Daily
This neurotic noir actually has something to say and a story to tell.

Read all 13 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Conner R

This could have been amazing, but it fell short of an interesting story. The cast was good, but didn't really get to show off their talent due to the script. Mel Gibson's psychotherapist character was by far the best part. If it would've just been an actual noir homage… More
This could have been amazing, but it fell short of an interesting story. The cast was good, but didn't really get to show off their talent due to the script. Mel Gibson's psychotherapist character was by far the best part. If it would've just been an actual noir homage then it would've been great.
Leigh R

Complete madness...
Curtis L

Um...Robert Jr is creepy, and has katie holmes do creepy things to his creepy body.
Dean M

This film adaptation of Dennis Potter's acerbic TV drama-comedy-musical sucks.
Cameron J

The film is with the broad supports that are an exhilarating Robert Downey, Jr. and the solid lines he's given. However, the film unfortunately collapses under the pressure of little development, forced and poorly done musical numbers, repetition, inconsistancy and, of course,… More
The film is with the broad supports that are an exhilarating Robert Downey, Jr. and the solid lines he's given. However, the film unfortunately collapses under the pressure of little development, forced and poorly done musical numbers, repetition, inconsistancy and, of course, extreme underwhelmingness. In conclusion, the superb man of the hour doesn't quite keep the notes of "The Singing Detective" from falling flat.
Lauren D

I had two reasons, one mainly for watching it... they were good reasons. If I take away the enjoyment of those, the movie was pretty lame. I haven't seen the original TV thing of it so I can't compare. It seemed to be pretty pointless and nothing much happened. Yeah...… More
I had two reasons, one mainly for watching it... they were good reasons. If I take away the enjoyment of those, the movie was pretty lame. I haven't seen the original TV thing of it so I can't compare. It seemed to be pretty pointless and nothing much happened. Yeah... also, I didn't recognize Mel Gibson at all, which was strange because I can usually recognize anyone...
Jessica v

A very interesting dip into the tortured, sick mind of a mystery author. Downey Jr. was brilliant, as usual, giving Dark more bite than a bottle of Tabasco and more suppressed rage than a caged tiger. And that he is, caged in his own body - which is a nice contrast to the… More
A very interesting dip into the tortured, sick mind of a mystery author. Downey Jr. was brilliant, as usual, giving Dark more bite than a bottle of Tabasco and more suppressed rage than a caged tiger. And that he is, caged in his own body - which is a nice contrast to the mesmorizingly charming, self-controlled detective-Dark. That being said, the direction is wonderfully weird and the songs completely inappropriate, adding to the mayhem. The flashbacks and digressions into the novel are treated in the same fasion, leading to the blurring of lines between pulp fiction and reality. The pacing is a bit off and I feel that some of the "detective" scenes aren't as revealing as they could be, but you can't help but forgive that for the stunning cast work, both individually and as an ensemble. Great work here!
Barry L

This was good but the original tv version was far superior.
Ina S

I have never left a cinema during a movie, not even during The Avengers - but this made me run as fast as I could. The 20 or 30 minutes that I DID see were bad enough.