The revival of the murder mystery gains further momentum with See How They Run, a quintessentially British whodunnit which follows an investigation into the death of a renowned American film director in London’s West End.
★★★★✰
There was a time not so long ago when it seemed as if the whodunnit had died a death on the big screen. The genre had become as lifeless as the victims at the centre of their narratives, filled to the brim with tired tropes and stale conventions—an isolated stately home, a world-weary detective, an ensemble of deceitful suspects, and a twist that even the least-engaged audience members could see coming a mile away. It’s a gripe that’s not lost on the narcissistic American movie director Leo Köpernick (Adrien Brody), whose murder prompts the events of See How They Run: “it’s a whodunnit” he exclaims, just minutes before his own brutal demise. “You’ve seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all!”
Fast forward to 2022 however, and the murder mystery has once again found popularity in the mainstream. Kenneth Branagh’s big-budget remakes of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile have reintroduced cinemagoers to Agatha Christie’s classic works, but it was the release of Rian Johnson’s exquisitely electrifying Knives Out that truly kickstarted a renaissance of the genre. By subverting almost every assumption that viewers have come to expect in the whodunnit, Johnson effectively reinvented it for a 21st Century audience, a feat which has brought it back from the brink.
Debut feature director Tom George, of BBC hit-comedy series This Country fame, takes a leaf out of Rian Johnson’s playbook to deliver a rip-roaring case that playfully pokes fun at the expectations set forth by whodunnits which have come before. Set in London’s dazzling West End, Leo Köpernick is brutally murdered by a shadowy assailant at the 100th performance of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap to prevent his controversial cinematic adaptation of said play from becoming a reality. With a company of would-be killers under suspicion, all with their own motive for murder, it’s down to the grizzled Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell), and his inexperienced but eager associate Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan), to figure out the truth behind the homicide.
The duo waste no time getting their investigation underway, while their line-up of potential murderers all vie to prove their innocence. There’s Petula Spencer (Ruth Wilson), a respected theatre owner; John Woolf (Reece Shearsmith), the esteemed movie producer behind Köpernick’s film adaptation; Dickie Attenborough (Harris Dickinson), the ostentatious lead actor of the play, and his wife and co-star Sheila Sim (Pearl Chanda); the peculiar Edana Romney (Sian Clifford); reserved usher Dennis (Charlie Cooper), and the extravagant screenwriter, Mervyn Cocker-Norris (David Oyelowo).
This magnificent cast of suspects bounce off each other with a chaotic frenzy, each brashly announcing their own compelling reasons for their dislike of Köpernick, while providing little in the way of concrete evidence that could pin them to his murder. No defendant is more compelling than Oyelowo’s Cocker-Norris, a character of camp grandiose who revels in an air of self-important gravitas, which is never more apparent than in a series of flashbacks that expose his bitter to-and-fros with Brody’s Köpernick as he seeks to protect his screenplay from the director’s action-packed alterations. Further attention might have been granted to some of the other supporting cast members though—it seems almost a crime in itself that an actor as talented as Ruth Wilson is given such little screen time.
The star of the show, undoubtedly, is Saoirse Ronan, whose talent for whimsical comedic timing and delivery comes to the fore to great effect. The hilarious chemistry between Ronan’s energetic newcomer and Rockwell’s old vet is flawless, not least during the scenes where Stalker’s incessant ability to jump to conclusions and declare “case closed!” at every red herring shows her complete lack of detective experience. This self-awareness is one of the great strengths of See How They Run, as the film makes sport of the conventions that have become irreversibly entwined with the murder mystery.
It’s difficult not to get lost in the delirium of 1950s London, helped in no small part by the outstanding production design which really brings the city to life, not to mention a jazz-infused soundtrack scored by Daniel Pemberton, which aptly complements the striking sets to craft a world of intrigue and distrust.
The frantic investigation, which is full to the brim with twists and turns at every corner, does well to keep the audience guessing until the finale. Those who pay close attention to the details may well devise how the final scene will play out, but it remains a fun ride until the very end nonetheless. It would be no surprise to see the return of Stoppard and Stalker for another case in the future – after all, the whodunnit still has some life in it yet.
The Verdict
See How They Run is the latest in the revival of the murder mystery, subverting audience expectations throughout to keep this crime caper fresh and engaging. The fantastic chemistry between Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan provides laughs aplenty, while the supporting cast does its best to provide a suspenseful finale in this Wes Anderson-meets-Knives Out whodunnit.
Words by Jake Gill
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.