Rated:

Alfred Hitchcock's penultimate film saw him return to his British roots with this thriller about a necktie murderer causing havoc in London. Jon Finch plays the chief suspect but, typically, Hitchcock is more interested in black humour than a simple whodunnit.

Lots of typical Hitchcockian touches are on show — a roving, restless camera; dark shots of fleeing footsteps at the edge of our view; a shocking corpse when least expected… Sleuth author Anthony Shaffer wrote the screenplay and there's plenty of other local talent on display, including Alec McCowen, Vivien Merchant and the excellent Billie Whitelaw.

The audience knows early on who the real culprit is - in this case, Finch's friend, Barry Foster - so the interest lies in hoping for the rescue of the hero. Hitchcock has used this basic dramatic situation before.

While some regard this as inferior fare, it remains an unsettling piece.