★★★★☆
It’s 1950s London. There are 10 suspects, two detectives, and one dead body. So whodunit?
It’s not always the butler.
The film See How They Run explores the classic yet compelling murder mystery plot and is reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile.
See How They Run, which came out on Sept. 16, was inspired by Christie’s novel The Mousetrap. But the movie takes a more witty and lighthearted approach as it humorously satirizes the tropes of the murder mystery genre.
A perfect watch for fans of detective stories, See How They Run provides its audience with amusing banter, clever characters, and an engaging plot line.
In the movie, a popular play in London theaters is set to be adapted into a film, but Leo Köpernick (Adrien Brody), a blacklisted director and the film’s narrator, is struck with a sewing machine and murdered.
Two police detectives—Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan)—are assigned to investigate the brutal case.
The style of the film is more of a “murder comedy” with puns and humorous remarks. Overly dramatic characters make the film engaging and entertaining to watch as they add memorable layers of cleverness and amusement to the narrative through several split-screen sequences.
Ronan, playing the role of a rookie detective, is quick to jump to conclusions under even the slightest hint of suspicion, as she attempts to arrest several of the characters throughout the film. This thoroughly annoys the experienced Inspector Stoppard.
Although it follows the typical whodunit film style, See How They Run uniquely blends comedy with mystery through a vivid aesthetic of vintage gramophones, 1950s clothing, jazz, and thick British accents.
The plotline is elegantly gilded with lavish parties and stylish costumes, uplifting the film with a sense of luxury and extravagance, while cleverly suggesting clues throughout the picturesque set. The film opens with an elegant party commemorating the impressive success of the play hosted at an elegant hotel. The extravagant scene introduces the whimsical and amusing personalities of the characters as they engage in gossip and humorous banter.
At the core of the film’s success is its perfect balance of characters, their theatrical personalities engagingly playing off one another as the audience becomes highly suspicious of their potential motives.
Inspector Stoppard represents a re-invented image of the iconic keen and highly perceptive detective character, such as the beloved Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes. His role in the film pokes fun at the brooding and mysterious demeanor of a central detective figure.
Constable Stalker embodies elements of inquisitiveness, as the fast-paced plotline is a means of her discovering how to decipher the contents of a murder case. Ronan, straying from her history of dramatic roles, provides the film with much-needed humor.
Despite the inherent suspense of the genre, the dramatic and crafty cast of suspects all begin to reveal their personal backstories. Much like Murder on the Orient Express, we watch as the accused become entangled in a web of potential motives, leading us to develop an exhilarating type of suspenseful uncertainty.
The re-invention of the classic detective narrative allows viewers to reminisce over the expertly crafted works of Agatha Christie. See How They Run is perfect for those who are devoted to the classic whodunit crime story, or perhaps even those who wish to rekindle a love for mystery.
