Movie Review – See How They Run (2022)

Posted on November 23, 2022 in Movie Reviews

I’m a sucker for meta movies such as Scream, The Final Girls, and Deadpool. When done correctly, these commentaries remind audiences why the genre is so great while also allowing the movie to subvert expectations. And director Tom George and writer Mark Chappell do exactly that in See How They Run.

Set in the West End of 1950s London, the cast of Mousetrap wraps their 100th show. This achievement is also celebrated by the movie studio since it means they can begin production on the movie adaptation. However, the movie’s production stops as quickly as it started when the movie director Leo Kopernick (Adrien Brody) is killed at the afterparty. Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and rookie Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan) are sent in to investigate and catch the killer before any more cast members are killed off.

I honestly can’t think of another meta movie in the murder mystery genre. Chappell and George deliver a movie with both humor and flair. The tropes are all here: the unsympathetic victim, the world-weary detective, and the cast of characters who all have a motive, etc. Yet despite the familiar ground, See How They Run treads new ground by tackling the woes of adapting a classic work of art into a movie for the masses.

Mervyn Cocker-Norris (David Oyelowo) is the energetic writer who feels confounded by the director’s demands to rewrite the script with more deaths and explosions. We get a glimpse of the challenges Mervyn deals with when Leo proposes a bombastic ending to the grounded mystery.

The quirky characters, costumes, set designs, and dry wit are all reminiscent of a Wes Anderson film in the best ways. Cinematographer Jamie Ramsay does a fantastic job framing every moment in this movie. Stoppard’s blue, mini car pops in a simple overhead shot as it drive down the dreary streets of London.

Some may find the movie’s wit and pacing bland and boring, but I wonder if they’re looking for the film Leo Kopernick wanted to make. And in some ways, See How They Run is that movie, while at the same time delivering a smarter, comedic murder mystery.

Rating: 3.5/5.