Where Sleeping Dogs Lie (1991)

Bruce Simmons, an unemployed writer and steadfast idealist, has a penchant for refusing his agents' pleas to adapt his work for commercial appeal. In a world that values marketability over creativity, he remains defiant, choosing to struggle with his artistry rather than compromise on his principles. His only lifeline is a struggling real estate gig, which, due to his lack of financial success, leads to his eviction. His boss, in a final act of lenience, assigns him the daunting task of selling a dilapidated Hollywood mansion, notorious for an unsolved brutal murder of a seemingly perfect family years ago. The mansion, still marred by the remnants of the horrific crime, becomes Bruce's unfortunate dwelling after he finds himself homeless. Fuelled by desperation and a need to satiate his former lover turned literary agent's appetite for a more gruelling narrative, Bruce decides to pen a novel based on the gruesome murders. As he delves into the chilling case, an enigmatic stranger named Eddie Hale knocks on his door, seeking to rent a room. Spotting an opportunity to make a quick buck, Bruce agrees, oblivious to the unsettling interest his new tenant starts taking in his novel-in-progress and the unsolved murder. As Bruce's agent successfully sells his proposed manuscript under the premise that it's a narrative from the murderer's perspective, questions arise. Why is Eddie, the seemingly timid grocery store manager, so engrossed in the macabre tale of the cold case killer? Is he merely a curious tenant, or does he harbour a more sinister secret? The plot unravels, blurring the lines between fiction and reality, as Bruce delves deeper into the mystery of his peculiar tenant and the haunting history of the mansion.

Where Sleeping Dogs Lie is a mystery movie featuring Brett Cullen.

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