We all love a decent murder mystery – whether it is the thrill of trying to solve a case alongside the detectives using the carefully-placed clues, the often eccentric characters or bizarre scenarios that usually reflect deeper ideas surrounding social and cultural conventions, there’s something so endearing about these stories, which is the reason they’re amongst the most beloved forms of storytelling in existence, and have demonstrated a remarkable longevity. If we’re discussing the cultural imprint left by a murder mystery, there is no one more suited to represent the genre than Dame Agatha Christie, who is by far the most influential writer when it comes to telling these stories (give or take an Arthur Conan Doyle, who was cut from a similar cloth and has left his own indelible impression on the genre), and whose iconic play The Mousetrap is considered an institution onto itself, having run for over seventy years, and showing very little sign of slowing down any time soon. To celebrate its platinum jubilee, a film has been released that may not be a direct adaptation of the play (which would be far too easy to do, and perhaps even slightly inappropriate, considering how much of its legacy is intrinsically tied to the theatre), but rather a creative riff on its main themes, and an effortlessly clever subversion of not only Christie’s work, but the entire genre as a whole. Written by Mark Chappell, who worked with director Tom George, See How They Run is one of the year’s most delightful surprises, an outrageously funny and oddly thought-provoking satire on the murder mystery genre, as curated by a group of very gifted artists, each one dedicated to celebrating the legacy of the murder mystery genre, as well as crafting one that is intelligent and compelling all on its own, which is an admirable achievement, and enough to qualify this as a very special work.

Complexity is rarely automatically seen as shorthand for intelligence or artistic impact, contrary to popular belief. Often, the best works are those which take a simple but effective approach, being constructed out of a strong story with sincere principles, and featuring a range of creative decisions that help bring its main ideas to the screen in a way that is polished, effective and entertaining. These are all the central tenets that guide See How They Run, actively working on developing its ideas in conjunction with a very precise directorial vision that allows for a perfect marriage of style and substance, which is often the key to the success of these films. Between this, a few terrific television shows and Rian Johnson’s Knives Out (which is likely going to become a centrepiece franchise, and rightfully so), it’s a great moment for stylish murder mysteries, which seem to be in something of a renaissance. The reason behind this is very clear – there’s been a concerted effort to make strong films that hearken back to the genre’s golden age, with attempts to infuse them with small but impactful levels of contemporary themes, often being playfully subversive in how they reconfigure the elements that make these stories so compelling, without actually losing the simple spirit and undeniable charms that are frequently explored throughout these stories. George had a massive task in putting all of these ideas on screen in a way that is both riveting and thought-provoking, and considering he is a novice when it comes to film (having worked primarily in television prior to this, with the occasional short film peppered in between projects), and it’s undeniable that he succeeded wholeheartedly, helming this film with the confidence and precision of a seasoned veteran, indicating that he’s got a strong future ahead of him if this is the calibre of work that he is capable of producing, especially in a genre as direction-driven as the murder mystery, which is as much about the story as it is the method of telling it.

A murder mystery without memorable characters is only half-formed, since this is a genre that is notoriously meticulous when it comes to populating its stories with a diverse range of individuals, whether suspects, victims or investigators. If one looks at the construction of these stories, it’s easy to see that the development of characters is integral – considering everyone is a potential suspect, there is a need to have well-defined, unique characters that sit at the heart of the story. See How They Run is exceptionally well-cast, featuring a tremendous ensemble of talent from both sides of the Atlantic. In fact, the cast is so uniformly strong, choosing a standout is nearly impossible – the de facto leads are the fantastic Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell, who play these bumbling detectives with both humour and nuance, finding the smallest details and hinging their performances on those, rather than aiming for the low-hanging fruit, which would have likely happened had less-experienced or dedicated actors taken on the roles. Adrien Brody gives his best performance in years, playing the charismatic but dastardly victim whose death sets off the events of the film, while David Oyelowo, Harris Dickinson and Ruth Wilson play pernickety eccentrics of the theatre who are aghast at the very implication that they may be capable of murder, being joined by several other tremendous actors that work together to form the core ensemble of the film, which is responsible for bringing this story to life. Every character is well-formed and constructed with complexity, which is vital to the story – each individual role is a different pawn in the game of cat-and-mouse that defines the film (to keep with the theme of The Mousetrap), and with a cast this exceptional, its not surprising that See How They Run feels like such an enormous triumph of complex characterization, often being too interesting, giving these characters too much depth than the film perhaps knew how to utilize – but it certainly doesn’t go to waste, especially when the director keeps drawing back to individual characters as the story progresses, and we see how interwoven their lives are, particularly in relation to the central story.

Finding new ways to breathe life into a well-taut genre is not an easy task, and by this point, it seems like the traditional murder mystery has been all but sewn up, with very little chance of doing anything particularly revolutionary with the genre. However, the expectation that every entry into a genre needs to somehow reinvent it is a fallacy, especially since the best works have been those that stay within the confines of the genre, but find new ways to explore these themes. See How They Run is a film that is built very much on the legacy of previous murder mystery films, but filtered through a perspective that is based around a unique set of questions, some of which actually prove to be quite effective in elevating the film beyond just a mere pastiche. The film questions what it would look like if the detective themselves was considered a potential suspect (which is not a new idea, but one that is still quite original and surprising when done right – and it is made even better by the fact that Rockwell is just ambigious enough in the role to cast the shadow of doubt in the viewer), as well as the actual foundation from which these stories are built. It’s not the deconstruction of the murder mystery genre that we expect based on the first act and its introduction of certain ideas (the construct of satirizing the genre by riffing off its main conventions is essentially abandoned midway through, which is justifiable but slightly disappointing, since there were some keen observations made in this process), but it has a sharpness to its humour that allows it to be a very effective satire, one that is clearly formed from a place of understanding both the most intimate narrative details, as well as the broader strokes that tie them all together, which is often overlooked in more conventional versions of these stories, which the director works tirelessly to reconfigure throughout this film. 

See How They Run is a truly charming film, and one that is likely going to earn a significant amount of support when it comes to looking at modern murder mystery stories. The genre is have a tremendous re-evaluation as a result of many playful and intriguing attempts to revisit the broader genre and find new methods of utilizing it, keeping both the exciting suspense of a traditional whodunnit and the sense of profound originality that may often be subtle, but helps make these stories entertaining for modern audiences, who often have a tendency towards excessive over-analysis, which means that the directors of these films need to work doubly hard to keep the sense of surprise alive. George rises to the occasion, and there aren’t any moments in See How They Run that feel like they shouldn’t be there, or simply exist for the sake of moving the story along. It’s a hilarious and captivating attempt to challenge conventions in a way that blurs the lines between classic and modern, which is a pairing that only works when helmed by someone with a great attention to detail, and the directorial prowess to actually effectively explore these themes without lingering too long on the smaller aspects, not only because they tend to be distracting, but also since they can cause the story to drag, which is the exact opposite of what is actually being done in this film. It’s difficult to describe See How They Run without giving too much away, since a good murder mystery is always best-enjoyed with as little prior knowledge as possible. In keeping with the promise made at the end of every performance of The Mousetrap (and which is cleverly referenced throughout this film), I won’t be revealing the resolution to the story, but the element of surprise and the commitment to a bold premise is enough to justify this film’s place in a steadily growing canon of brilliant contemporary whodunnit mysteries, which only seems to be expanding tenfold as more storytellers and directors realize how, despite being a remnant of the past, these narratives are exciting and entertaining, and will always have a place amongst critically-thinking audiences and those who simply enjoy the macabre but endearing escapism of a colourful, captivating murder mystery story.