Literature loves a good detective – from the earliest days of penny dreadfuls, to the low-quality pulp fiction novels sold at the corner store, to the modern era where everyone has some degree of interest in solving mysteries, we see so many stories of detectives, whether professional private investigators or those that treat it like a hobby, and most of them are captivating in their own way. Cinema has staked its claim, having produced countless examples of great detectives that set out to investigate some peculiar problem, coming across many different twists and turns as they establish anything, from the motive to the killer, to even the victim themselves in some scenarios. In this regard, these films are almost a dime a dozen, and it’s difficult to do anything new with such stories, since just about anything that can be done has been attempted numerous times. This doesn’t make them any less fascinating, with nothing being quite as entertaining as a mystery film with strong ideas and memorable characters. Zero Effect is an oddity of a film – written and directed by Jake Kasdan in his directorial debut, and based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic “A Scandal in Bohemia”, the film has many intriguing ideas, some of them absolutely brilliant, others slightly half-baked as a result of too much emphasis being put on modernizing this story. It’s one of the many attempts to launch a new character that will be more relatable to contemporary audiences than the classic Victorian anti-hero that was so popular, and while this may not have happened in the way Kasdan and his collaborators may have hoped (this being the only story featuring this new, reconfigured character to be produced, with other attempts being abandoned almost immediately), it doesn’t change the fact that Zero Effect is a terrific film all on its own, a tremendous riff on detective conventions, and a great entry into a genre that is sometimes needlessly criticized for being predictable – and while it is true to an extent, it doesn’t mean that we can’t be thoroughly entertained by these stories, which is seemingly what propelled Kasdan to choose this as his first venture into filmmaking, a smart and intriguing decision.

Taking a classic work and adapting it from a modern perspective is relatively risky, since it entails not only retaining the spirit of the original text, but doing so in a way that doesn’t use the legacy of the existing characters as a crutch. Zero Effect sees Kasdan doing relatively well in terms of establishing a clear tone and approach, while never being too dependent on the legacy of the source material. The setting is changed from London to Portland, Oregon (a peculiar but interesting choice, especially since most modern American detective stories tend to situate themselves in either New York City or Los Angeles, with this being a welcome change that is wonderfully assimilated into the storyline), and the character of Sherlock Holmes is changed to that of Daryl Zero, who is just as brilliant of a detective, keeping many of the same traits, such as a very strong sense of intuition and a keen ability to pick up on the tiniest details, not to mention an opium addiction that somehow helps him with his work, while still being different enough to stand on his own as a character. There are many compelling details that come about through Kasdan’s efforts to modernize this story, and it is significant in that it never seems to be afraid of taking the Conan Doyle story and reconfiguring it to match the director’s own intentions, rather than approaching it like some sacrosanct text, which often proves to be the downfall for many directors that don’t realize you can show respect to existing material while still being subversive. Kasdan sets a solid foundation for his gradual exploration of a number of unique themes, and while absolutely none of them are unprecedented or new to the genre, they’re arranged in such a way that they earn value on their own, never wavering from the director’s very clear curiosity around the methods needed to make a contemporary detective story that is both entertaining and unpredictable, while not intending to revolutionize the genre.

It all starts with the performances, since they are the heart of the film. While the mysteries are intriguing, no one reads or watches a Sherlock Holmes story solely for the plot, and much like many great fictional detectives, it’s not so much the narrative as it is how the characters themselves fit into it that keep us engaged. Zero Effect is not any different, and Kasdan spends a large portion of this film (some may argue slightly too much, but that’s another discussion that is squarely based on opinion) creating this character, who is a modernized version of Holmes, albeit one that has his own quirks separate from those of many similar characters, allowing the director the chance to go his own direction with the character. Daryl Zero is certainly a very interesting individual, a misanthrope who just so happens to have a very strong grasp on the human condition, he is a walking contradiction – and he is brought to life by the terrific Bill Pullman, who gives one of his strongest performances as this mysterious detective, a man who is trying to master his craft all the while undergoing what appears to be a severe existential crisis. He is helped along by Steve Arlo, the Dr John Watson surrogate brought to life by Ben Stiller, who was at the point in his career where he was comfortably a steadily-growing name in the industry, but was still trying to do more experimental works, both as a director and an actor. It may not be on the same level as Permanent Midnight or any of his other truly exceptional performances from around this time, but its a solid and oddly dramatic work from an actor trying to shed his persona of always playing more lighthearted roles, proving that he was capable of slightly more sobering fare. It’s intriguing that Kasdan cast Pullman and Stiller against type, since one would imagine the off-the-wall detective and his dour, straight-laced partner would be more appropriate to the sensibilities of the other, rather than the person who ended up playing the roles. However, this is one of the many captivating quirks that define this film and make it so rich and evocative.

Zero Effect is also the rare kind of detective film in which the mystery isn’t actually all that important – there is a central storyline that requires investigation, with Zero having to piece together various clues, but much like early film noir such as The Big Sleep, the plot isn’t actually all that important, since there are other elements that keep us interested and engaged. This film is driven by a particular mood – it does have some slight trouble blending genres together, since it often feels cobbled together from fragments of dark comedy, bleak existential drama and psychological thriller (none of them being mutually exclusive, but it would take quite a bit of work to make them work together, as seen in other variations on these themes), but the overall atmosphere is one that works extremely well in the context of the film as a whole. There’s a level of detail contained within this film that feels very much inspired by those meandering stories of private investigators being assigned what appears to be a simple mission, but finding themselves caught up in a web of intrigue and deception, the kind that could potentially end their entire careers (and lives, if they are not careful), which adds layers of suspense to an already vague film. Kasdan obviously filters all of this through the lens of comedy, so it is never too serious about its themes, but it does take its time to reach a coherent point, which points towards the metaphysical aspects that drive such a film and make it so deeply compelling, which is a great surprise for something that is supposedly this layered with subtext. Its humour is sharp and it doesn’t waste an opportunity to both satirize the kinds of characters being represented and the entire genre as a whole, which makes a big difference when it comes to the more intricately-woven aspects of the story, which needed a seamless blend of humour and pathos to be successful.

It seems unfortunate that Zero Effect doesn’t hold too much cultural cache, despite being relatively celebrated amongst the cult collectives that have maintained that it is an excellent homage to the film noir genre, combined with classical detective mysteries, which is even more impressive considering this film was made a time when such stories tended towards being bold and ambitious, featuring convoluted storylines and elements on which the audience would immediately become intrigued. The aspects of this film that make it work so well are those that are the most straightforward – a clearly-defined set of characters (portrayed by actors dedicated to playing these roles), a strong story that does have twists and turns, but is never entirely defined by them, and a sense of impending danger that creates an atmosphere of suspense. It is bitterly funny and has a unique perspective in which absolutely everything feels entirely earned, and that there is not a single moment that is not genuinely worthwhile. The blend of dark humour and existential philosophy creates a very progressive and immersive experience, provoking as much thought as it incites laughter, which is a rare combination to be found in a film that does intend to have some degree of complexity. As a whole, Zero Effect is an underrated film that deserves some form of reappraisal, since its unique perspective, strong filmmaking and provocative tone are quite intriguing, and we are constantly being invited to step into this world, experiencing it through the eyes of someone who both implicitly understands its intricate details but can’t make sense of the broader picture – and this all sets the foundation for a truly terrific and very engaging crime comedy that is far more interesting than initially meets the eye.