See How They Run (2022)
“I sense that death is close at hand.” – Carl.
See How They Run (2022)
Directed by: Tom George
Written by: Mark Chappell
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Sam Rockwell, Ruth Wilson, Harris Dickinson, Adrien Brody
Sometimes it’s all about chemistry.
Tom George’s playful whodunnit See How They Run toes the line between parody and farce, with a murder occurring at a 1953 stage performance of Agatha Christie’s famed play The Mousetrap. A murder-mystery on the set of a murder-mystery play? A bit on the nose, maybe, but that’s just part of the game, with George and writer Mark Chappell gleefully deconstructing and reconstructing the genre. Akin to the meta-textual Scream franchise, whodunnit ‘rules’ are directly referenced by the colourful cast of characters, only to be broken scenes later. In this way Chappell looks to shake up a stale genre and challenge any self-proclaimed supersleuths in the audience. Or as the narrator so cheekily teases when the opening murder occurs, “but you already knew that…because every whodunnit is exactly the same.”
Assigned to crack the case are Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan). Stalker is young, bright-eyed, and vows to jot everything down in her notepad “in case it’s important.” Stoppard is weary, dismissive, but good at his job. Spending time with these two is tremendously fun, with Ronan and Rockwell’s adorable chemistry making up for any shortcomings in the actual mystery. In fact, their repartee is so enjoyable that you’ll forget that they’re trying to solve a grisly murder. It’s a charming take on the veteran-inspector-with-bumbling-yet-friendly-assistant trope, leading to some laugh-out-loud moments.
As they begin the investigation, Stoppard tells his companion “to avoid jumping to conclusions” - a clear wink to the discerning audience. Each member of the Mousetrap cast is both a suspect and potential victim, with the web of truth, lies, and motives growing ever bigger with each interrogation. However, it never slows down, with information conveyed through some dynamic editing, well-choreographed blocking, and an ever-changing abundance of gorgeous set-pieces. In fact, the use of split-screens in combination with the geometrically meticulous sets exude the dynamic flourishes of Edgar Wright and exactness of Wes Anderson – a bizarre aesthetic hybrid that somehow works for the playful tone of the film.
With a final act reveal, the killer is inevitably unmasked and the film reaches a somewhat satisfying conclusion. However, like any great whodunnit, See How They Run is about the investigation rather than the reveal. And with two loveable investigators, a bunch of effortless jokes, and some engaging visual storytelling, it makes for a killer night at the theatre.
Rating: 8/10