The flip side of Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is as dashing as ever, but with a little secret: Dr. Watson is the brains behind the operation. When Reginald Kincaid, the actor he has hired to play Holmes becomes insufferable, Watson fires him and tries to go out on his own, but finds that he has done too good a job building Holmes up in the public's mind.
Without a Clue (1988) is a comedy and crime film directed by Thom Eberhardt, released on May 5, 1988 with a runtime of 1h 47m. It stars Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, Jeffrey Jones and Lysette Anthony. Viewers rate it 6.7 out of 10 across 268 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Without a Clue before you stream it.
Michael Caine
as Sherlock Holmes
Ben Kingsley
as Dr. John Watson
Jeffrey Jones
as Inspector Lestrade
Lysette Anthony
as Impostor Leslie Giles
Nigel Davenport
as Lord Smithwick
Peter Cook
as Greenhough
Gregor Fisher
as Bobby at Warehouse
Paul Freeman
as Prof. James Moriarty
George Sweeney
as John Clay
John Tordoff
as Mr. Andrews
Alexandra Spencer
as Mrs. Andrews
Matthew Sim
as Real Lesley
Directed by Thom Eberhardt, written by Gary Murphy and Larry Strawther, produced by Marc Stirdivant.
Average viewer score of 6.7/10 from 268 ratings.
I’d love to have seen a Rathbone\Bruce example of role reversing! This one sees us with an entirely hopeless “Holmes” (Michael Caine) acclaimed as a sleuth by just about everyone except the true brains of the operation. That’s “Dr. Watson” (Ben Kingsley) who is the long-suffering cerebral power behind the throne. Finally exasperated by the drunken antics of “Holmes”, “Watson” determines to start writing about the…
Reviewed on August 7, 2025
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Without a Clue (1988) is currently available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store. No subscription streaming option is listed right now, so availability may change.
The main cast of Without a Clue (1988) includes Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, Jeffrey Jones, Lysette Anthony and Nigel Davenport. The film was directed by Thom Eberhardt. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Without a Clue was released on May 5, 1988 and runs for 1h 47m.
Without a Clue (1988) holds an average rating of 6.7 out of 10 from 268 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy comedy and crime films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Without a Clue trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
