Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
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THE THEATER — I've always been a sucker for a good "whodunit." Maybe it was from playing Clue in the front room with my brother a thousand times or watching "Columbo" with my mom on our old TV, but it doesn't take much to get me on board with a murder mystery.
Add in some humor and quirky characters, and it's hard to screw it up for me. Thankfully, "See How They Run" didn't disappoint.
The under-the-radar murder mystery stars Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell as a constable and inspector trying to solve the murder of a blacklisted Hollywood director in London's West End in the 1950s.
"See How They Run" trips itself now and again, but as a whole, it's a fun caper worth the time of other whodunnit fans like myself.
Here is what makes "See How They Run" a fun escape to the theater:
The evidence
The players
"See How They Run" boasts an extensive cast of strong actors, but two stand out — the leads. Both Ronan and Rockwell command your attention and make the movie worthwhile. Ronan is a comedic natural, and Rockwell's understated inspector act is an onion consistently revealing its many layers.
In addition to the leads, I want to call out Adrien Brody, Harris Dickinson and David Oyelowo. These three add a level of charm, wit and obliviousness that makes the cast of characters vibrant and exciting.
The performances alone are reason enough to see the film.
It's funny
I don't always ask a lot of a comedy. My main criteria is, did it make me laugh? If it failed there, then it's not a successful comedy. "See How They Run" did not fail that litmus test.
I wasn't laughing nonstop through the movie, but I had a constant smile, and it got a few belly laughs from me. As mentioned earlier, Ronan delivers many of those laughs, but Dickinson also stole the scenes in which he appears.
It's a clever mystery
"See How They Run" is not just a comedy but a murder mystery. If there is no mystery, then what fun is that? Thankfully, the movie remembered its roots, and it kept me guessing.
The twists and turns threw me off the killer's tracks. Still, the entertainment and comedy kept my focus elsewhere instead of on solving the mystery. The film threw me off the killer's scent but also delivered a strong reveal.
The crime
Pacing
While I had a good time with "See How They Run," I have one complaint.
The movie is a tight 1 hour and 38 minutes, which I appreciated. The problem lies in not the length but the pacing. It started off strong and captured my attention right away. The issue came after the opening when we seemed to hit the brakes.
The pacing went from quick banter, murder and suspects to exposition and a fair amount of sitting around. This only lasted about five minutes or so and thus did not ruin the film, but it threw me off, and it took a few minutes to get back into the flow of things.
The reveal
"See How They Run" has its issues and isn't the best whodunit out there, but it is a lot of fun and makes for a fun, quick trip to the theater. Which is nice considering it's been a few months since it's felt like we had a reason to go to the movies. Or at least a reason that wasn't to see "Top Gun: Maverick" again.
"See How They Run" is rated PG-13 for some violence/bloody images and a sexual reference.
