Written by Luke Barnes
Summary
The set of a production of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap turns into a crime scene.
For those looking for a serious straight laced murder mystery film look elsewhere. Though I am not saying this film is inherently a comedy, I do think there is a degree of metaness to the film and a commentary on the Whodunit genre more broadly, which worked well for me. Many scenes of this film almost serve as a parody of the genre’s tropes and seeks to subvert and deconstruct. I think these aspects of the film really enhance it and add a sense of quirky charm that will endear this film to a lot of people. I also think the film is very funny and frequently made me laugh as I was watching it.
The performances across the board are great but the main duo of Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan are by far the best, they play off each other well and both become your favourite character at different parts of the film. If I had to edge it out I would say that Ronan gives the best performance of the two as her plucky spirit feels infectious throughout.
Overall, a fun whodunit that proves there is still life in the genre, and to a lesser extent in British cinema.
Pros.
Ronan
Rockwell
The charm
The mystery
Cons.
The pacing is a little off, it could have been shortened
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