See How They Run
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan, David Oyelowo, Ruth Wilson, Adrien Brody
Directed By: Tom George
Rated: PG-13
On London’s West End, a popular Agatha Christie stage production is on the cusp of becoming a glitzy film adaptation. Just as filming is about to begin, brash movie director Leo Kopernick (Adrien Brody) ends up dead. It turns out the loud mouth director had a target on his back. He made several enemies in his short time in London. Someone in the theater killed him, but who was it? That’s for Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan) to figure out. The two are immediately on the case to track down the killer in this meta take on the murder mystery genre.
From it’s cast to its stylistic flair, you would think See How They Run is a Wes Anderson murder mystery. The sets, score, and style feel extremely reminiscent of the quirky director. I was surprised to find out that this wasn’t Wes Anderson and he wasn’t tied to it at all. It’s clear that director Tom George got a lot of inspiration from Anderson. Tom George and screenwriter Mark Chappell turn See How They Run into a meta murder mystery. The characters make jokes at their own expense, and events we see on their West End stage show play out later in the film. It’s cleverly crafted in a way that winks at the audience.
With all of that being said, there are aspects of this film that just don’t work. Maybe I compare too many murder mysteries to Knives Out and that movie spoiled me for being funny, suspenseful, and stylish. That being said, the suspense here is lacking majorly. The big reveal of the killer is given away too early, so the audience doesn’t feel the tension that could be held out until the very end of the film. That is so key to a good murder mystery and it felt like the mark was missed there. The humor falls flat in so many places with little “bits” that are meant to be funny but don’t work.
The cast is a bright spot of See How They Run with each actor bringing life to their zany characters.
It’s no surprise that four-time Oscar nominee Saorise Ronan is the standout here as Constable Stalker. She’s new to the police force, eager to learn the ropes from the jaded Inspector Stoppard. However, she’s unsure who to trust in the twisty murder investigation. Ronan toes the line of humor and sincerity wonderfully throughout the film.
Sam Rockwell’s Inspector Stoppard is the complete opposite of the eager Constable Stalker. He’s seen too much in his field and has sunken into apathetic malaise on the job. Stoppard may be depressed, but he’s good at what he does. Despite their differences, he and Stalker make for an entertaining inspecting duo.
Other standouts in the cast include David Oyelowo as eccentric writer Melvyn Cocker-Norris, Ruth Wilson as Petula Spencer, and Harris Dickinson as actor Richard Attenborough.
The set design of See How They Run is particularly impressive as it recreates 1950s London in each frame of the film. It’s dazzling and stylish, particularly when it comes to the theater scenes.
See How They Run is a stylish meta murder mystery with an impressive cast. Unfortunately it gets bogged down by a lack of tension and flat humor.
My Rating: 6/10