‘See how they run’ is mid-tier detective fun

REVIEW

By Luther Estridge 

Student Reporter 

“See How They Run” is a 2022 murder mystery comedy directed by Tom George. This whodunnit, which is inspired by the works of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap,” takes place in the 1950s and follows a sleazy American movie director who wants to make a stage play into a film. 

However, when the director is murdered, Inspector Stoppard, who is played by Sam Rockwell, and a rookie police constable, played by Saoirse Ronan, team up to investigate who killed him.

This movie is a greater comedy than it is a murder mystery. With the mystery aspect giving the film some suspense and drama, you can tell there is humor hiding in the dialogue. 

Now, the film itself has nothing extraordinary on the table in terms of reinventing the genre, however, “See How They Run” proves to be a breath of fresh air due to its meta flair and dry humor. This is technically and intentionally a murder mystery within a murder mystery, so with that in mind, it doesn’t come as a surprise this movie shows off the absurd clichés in the genre. There is a lot of style on the directing front and George does an excellent job of using unique transitions like split screens throughout the picture and everything is beautifully shown with lighthearted colors and vibes.

“See How They Run” shines the most when Ronan and Rockwell are on screen together. They absolutely make every scene substantially better, although you have to give credit to the rest of the cast, as they had their own special moments in the film. 

As cliché as all the characters can be, the actors give an all-star performance. This is also accompanied by a dynamic score by Daniel Pemberton. A great murder mystery movie is nothing without a great soundtrack/score to go along with it.

There’s probably a lack of suspense or not enough clues throughout the film to be engaging as other whodunit movies. People approaching this film solely to find the killer, and not just tag along for the humor, may be disappointed by “See How They Run.” The film is neither as clever as the creators think it is, nor as stupid as it sometimes pretends to be.