By Jonah Naplan

September 18, 2022

Here’s the ordeal: Even if a murder mystery/whodunnit is an absolutely dreadful film to sit through, I still probably won’t view it as such. I’ll find some sort of redeeming quality about it eventually. Because I love everything about murder mysteries. The third act, the suspense leading up to the third act, the characters, even the murder itself. Sure, I may be a little biased towards a new one being released in theaters, and I’m absolutely ecstatic about “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” releasing this December, but man oh man, when the killer in this movie (no spoilers as to who, of course) began revealing their carefully coordinated actions throughout the film, I still got those same chills. With a happy heart, I can report that “See How They Run” is another satisfying entry in the genre in which I so enjoy, even if it’s not perfect.

You know how it goes by now. We learn about the group of characters in the opening scenes, maybe there’s some narration, (this film has it) then a murder happens—in frame or not in frame—then the detective enters the scene, he goes on a conquest to gather clues and evidence, and finally he gets every suspect in one room together to announce his conclusion. In “See How They Run,” that “conclusion room” is none other than in the home of Agatha Christie, among other major references to the famous author.

If you’re familiar with other murder mysteries, (including, but not limited to the ones written by the author mentioned above) you’ll probably get a bigger kick out of this film than if the opposite were true. That’s not to say that viewers new to the genre can’t enjoy “See How They Run” for what it is, but the film is practically a parody of other movies before it, so much so that you can almost feel the twist coming. And then you’re wrong. At least I was. Well, kinda. A new possible revelation is revealed in the second act that confused me a little bit and threw me off. But I guess that’s what the movie was trying to do? All of that to say, the biggest reveal in the third act surprised me, and kept me enthralled.

For the most part, “See How They Run” is conventional. It follows all of the plot beats I mentioned two paragraphs ago. It’s about Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) trying to uncover who murdered a movie director, Leo Köpernick (Adrien Brody). The film takes place in London in 1953, right around the legendary play The Mousetrap’s 100th performance. Köpernick, who is planning on adapting the play into a film, leaves the celebration momentarily to put on a change of clothes, and ends up getting murdered by a shadowy figure in a black cloak and hat. Stoppard sets off to bring the murderer to justice. Then blah blah blah, murder mystery stuff happens. It may be fun to watch, but it’s so darn predictable. However, the addition of a sort of “rookie-in-training” gives “See How They Run” an independent variable. The novice is named Constable Stalker, and she’s played by Saoirse Ronan.

Most murder mysteries don’t have a partner in crime to the detective. Or at least, none that I’ve seen do. Take “Knives Out” for example. Benoit Blanc absolutely has people that he confides in and works with on his case, but they aren’t nearly as involved with one another as Stoppard and Stalker. The Inspector and Constable aren’t particularly memorable as characters, but the chemistry the two of them have together is electric. In any given scene, the two of them are undoubtedly the best part.

All of the other supporting performances are good too. I enjoyed watching David Oyelowo, Adrien Brody, Charlie Cooper, and Harris Dickinson all in their roles respectively. The film has a warm feel to it, especially in the middle scenes when interrogation begins to take its toll. “See How They Run” explores existential curiosity, especially regarding Ronan’s character, and takes flight when she appears to have a lead on the case. Constable is probably the most likable character in the whole movie, but she’s not one without her reservations. Her character, and others, sometimes feel like they’re at an arm’s length away from the viewer, and it’s hard to grasp them tightly enough so that we won’t let them go.

However, when all is said and done, “See How They Run” is an enjoyable murder mystery that feels reminiscent of others that came before, but even so, we can’t help but notice how inspired it feels by the genre anyways. It’s not trying to plagiarize those films, rather it wants to honor the murder mystery genre as a whole, instead.

Now playing in theaters.