See How They Run

Someone murdered a famous Hollywood director who was about to adapt a popular play based on Agatha Christie, and practically everyone had a motive. How will real detectives fare when they have to solve a crime that seems to have fallen from the pen of the queen of mystery novels? See How They Run is a playful retro crime comedy with a good cast that cleverly works with clichés from Agatha Christie's novels, but sometimes lacks the courage to be truly innovative or daring. But it will definitely please both fans of the genre and lovers of the famous writer's stories. (2022-11-05)

I like whodunits, especially those from the pen of Agatha Christie, so See How The Run was a must-see for me. They have managed to create a whodunit that stays true to Christie's style, and also pokes fun at the crime genre itself in a humorous way, without dehumanizing it. A big part of this was the cast, where Saoirse Ronan, Sam Rockwell and Adrien Brody in particular excelled, and they fit their roles like a glove. The reveal of the villain was a surprise, and the ending itself was just the icing on a parody cake made of crime, dentist visits, hasty conclusions and one Mousetrap. (2022-11-03)

This one gives off serious Wes Anderson vibes — a slightly weaker Wes, but still. While Wes has recently prioritized visuals over emotions, this film manages to balance both pretty well. Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan make a fantastic duo, and their investigation, while understated, was incredibly enjoyable. If every detective story I watched were this entertaining, I’d be thrilled. (2023-07-24)

On the slopes, or a whodunit as it should be. A rival for Rian Johnson, who playfully pokes fun at the clichés of Agatha Christie detective stories (see the opening monologue by the director Kopernick), while simultaneously showing just how boundlessly he loves them. The distinctive Rockwell, and the overly eager constable Saoirse Ronan are standout performers, but they are overshadowed by the unexpected showman Brody, who with his predictive storyboard adds the right zing to established routines. I emphasize that watching in the original language is as essential as avoiding hasty conclusions. "It's a whodunit. You've seen one, you've seen 'em all!" (2023-01-06)

See How They Run can proudly rank in style with other detective stories like Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile and Knives Out, and since these genre films are very few and more or less able to please a wide audience, I always welcome them. Best of all, it's genuinely funny and a parody of its own "Agatha Christie" genre, constantly poking fun at the clichés and serving up the jokes quite cleverly. In terms of the detective aspect, however, it can't even come close to the aforementioned films, the story is neither convoluted nor complex as we would wish for this genre, there’s no mystery and the character of the detective is by no means distinctive. Similarly, the supporting characters are "just" a number, we don't get to build a relationship with them and I guess I won't even remember them tomorrow. But herein lies the fundamental and probably the biggest problem for me, because the greatest asset of Christie's crime novels is our attempt to guess the killer and root for our favourite character. The film provides entertainment for the moment, but it is the weakest piece in the genre so far and if you has a packed movie list like I do, you can easily skip the film without regrets. (2022-11-06)