Project Detail

The Riddle

Synopsis

An ambitious London journalist investigates a series of present-day murders that follow the discovery of an unpublished novel by Charles Dickens in the cellar of an old Thames-side-pub. Gradually the reporter becomes obsessed with also unraveling a century-old murder in the pages of the manuscript, with the help of a police press officer and a mysterious beach-combing tramp who stalks the Thames foreshore.

In a remarkable twin-role performance, Jacobi also plays the ghost of Charles Dickens, returning to read his long-lost novel.
 
Together, the tramp, journalist and press officer unlock the riddle of the manuscript to solve the modern murders. Along the way they encounter a greedy publisher, a corrupt detective and a menacing construction boss. 
 
Based on the award-winning script by writer-director Brendan Foley, The Riddle is in the vein of classic Hitchcock noir thrillers with elements of the magic realism of films such as The Sixth Sense and The Green Mile. 

Details

Year
2008
Type of project
Features
Running time
116 mins
Director
Brendan Foley
Producer
Brendan Floley, Lars Hermann, Chris Chrisafis, Peter Burrell, Mark Moriarty, Joe Condren
Screenwriter
Brendan Foley
Director of Photography
Mark Moriarty
Principal cast
Vinnie Jones, Derek Jacobi, Vanessa Redgrave, Jason Flemyng, Julie Cox

Genre

Categories

Production Status

Production Company

Manuscript Productions Ltd

www.hollywoodclassics.com

Sales Company

Hollywood Classics

www.hollywoodclassics.com

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Elenya, the self-proclaimed Elvish Princess, sitting at Hackney Marshes. The Lost Princess of Hackney

Director: Fenton Dyer

Year: 2026

A self-proclaimed Elvish Princess finds herself stranded on our world in the Hackney Marshes. Without any magic to return home, she searches for purpose but develops an unlikely friendship with a sceptical student filmmaker.

Production still Stop the boats

Director: Aneel Ahmad

Year: 2026

Overwhelmed by grief and anger, a distraught parent arrives at a mosque with a makeshift firebomb, intent on seeking revenge against those believed to be responsible. But as they confront the imam outside the mosque, an unexpected conversation challenges the hatred and begins to unravel the lies fed.

The Weir cast and director The Weir

Director: Conor McPherson

Year: 2026

Set in a remote pub in rural Ireland, four local men - Jack, Brendan, Jim, and Finbar - gather for their nightly pints. Their routine is disrupted when Finbar introduces Valerie, a newcomer from Dublin. To impress her, the men trade eerie local folklore and ghost stories. However, the mood shifts profoundly when Valerie reveals the tragic, personal reason for her arrival. Far from a simple thriller, the play is a tender, intimate exploration of deep-seated loneliness, the comfort of shared storytelling, and the delicate human need for connection amidst the isolation of the countryside.