by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
As I touched on in my recent review of season two of Only Murders in the Building, murder mysteries are back, baby, and I ain’t mad about it at all. The latest such example, to hold audiences off until Glass Onion arrives in a couple months, is See How They Run.
The film follows a pair of London police officers, a rundown inspector (Sam Rockwell) and an eager young constable (Saoirse Ronan), tasked with solving a murder that puts the Hollywood adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap in jeopardy when a member of the crew is murdered in the West End at the celebration of the play’s 100th performance.
This movie had me in the palm of its hand immediately. It’s got a dry humor and wit to it that is just right up my alley. It’s a perfect sendup of not only the murder mystery genre, but film noirs as well, which fits my preferred way of consuming noirs — with tongue firmly in cheek. It creates a magical mix of a tone that feels like Knives Out and Hot Fuzz had a baby in the best way possible. The film wears its influences on its sleeves and is all the better for it. Tied very much into the Christie novel at its heart, it simultaneously pokes fun at the formula, while making a film that is worthy of standing among its peers. There are seeds planted and callbacks that feel earned. A deep cut contract stipulation about when the adaptation of the play can be made is a fun easter egg I would advise looking up. It serves as just another example of how clever the script comes off. On top of that, there are jokes and references that give me vibes of varied cinematic offerings like Jojo Rabbit and M. Despite that, it still feels very fresh and original.
Technically, too, the film just sings. There’s a split screen used throughout that I absolutely adored and haven’t seen utilized much. Like the script, the way the film’s shot both evokes a feel of the type of movie See How They Run is playing homage to and adds to the comedy when the picture is sometimes all that’s needed.
The film also gets top notch efforts from everyone, regardless of their share of screen time. It shouldn’t be shocking to anybody really, but it just continues to amaze just how spectacular Ronan is in basically everything. She’s perfect as the young female cop trying to make it in an all-male world. She’s a little overeager to catch the bad guy, but her jumping to conclusions never fails to hit comedically. Her comedic timing is utter perfection, and she gets the biggest laughs in a movie that’s not short of clever jokes. And I can’t not connect with a fellow pun aficionado. Rockwell, in playing the straight man in the well-established buddy cop duo dynamic, is the perfect foil for the precocious constable with his understated nature. The rest of the cast is a mix of familiar faces who play their roles perfectly when given their individual opportunities to shine, though Tim Key as the police commissioner is a particular standout for me. Everyone knows exactly what’s required of them, and they deliver.
This is the first major feature for director Tom George, having mostly directed British television. Writer Mark Chappell has also largely stuck to television, with his only other film credit being the BBC film Rat Pack. Their sensibilities blend so seamlessly here, the fact that this is their first collaboration is astounding.
Given this was my introduction to both of these creators, the fact that this hit me so perfectly has me buzzing about what they could possibly do next. I expect we’ll be seeing more from each of them very soon. They’ve killed their premiere performance, and I can’t believe they’re going to leave us waiting too long for the encore.
Score: 9/10
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