Written by Mark Chappell
Directed by Tom George
Starring Saoirse Ronan, Sam Rockwell, Harris Dickinson and Adrien Brody
Running time 1 hour and 38 minutes
MPAA Rating PG-13 for a sexual reference, some violence and bloody images
In theaters Friday

by Rosalie Kicks, Editor in Chief and Old Sport

“Do not jump to conclusions…”

Every so often a flick comes along that makes me wonder how the filmmaker slipped it by the Hollywood moguls (like this one for example). Was it a work of hypnosis? Maybe a possession of sorts? Or just some good old fashioned blackmail? What I am saying here, old sport, is that See How They Run is an absolute delight and I am utterly shocked the Tinseltown suits permitted this to be released into the universe.

Set in 1953 in London’s west end, an Agatha Christie whodunit play has just performed for the hundredth time. The film does not waste any time introducing a gaggle of characters including our narrator, Leo Kopernick (Adrien Brody), a blacklisted film director that has been hired to direct a screen adaptation of the stage performance. (Un)fortunately Leo is not upright for too long and instead finds himself the pièce de résistance in terms of murder victims. It is hard to feel bad for the chap as he pointed out early on in the film that the best motion pictures have a violent death occur to the most unlikable character within the first few frames. Bravo, Leo for a heck of a death.

With a departed body brings the fuzz, who descend on the playhouse for a murder mystery soiree. Typically, I would not be celebrating “dem boys” in blue, but in this case they get a pass as they are being portrayed by the illustrious Saoirse Ronan and notable Sam Rockwell. Ronan plays rookie officer, Constable Stalker whom has been assigned her first case which, much to her satisfaction, is a homicide investigation. Where as her persistently hungover counterpart Inspector Stoppard (Rockwell) finds himself with a new reason for his headaches. Stoppard gives off a lone wolf, lax persona. Therefore, to say he is irked by Stalker’s presence and work ethics is very much an understatement.

A known cinephile and Agatha Christie fan, Stalker does not want to miss a single detail as she does not know what will in turn be important. The moments within the film are few and far between in which Stalker is not seen scribing. Unfortunately, she also can’t keep herself from jumping to conclusions despite the warnings from her aloof partner, Inspector Stoppard. Writer, Mark Chappell manages to spin an amusing mystery yarn that will give viewers the vibes of Clue (1985) or unsurprisingly the 1974 Agatha Christie adaptation, Murder On The Orient Express (1975).

I enjoyed spending time in this picturesque world with these characters. See How They Run allows one to forget all their troubles and cares and simply, escape in the magic of the movies. It comes across that the director was meticulous about what is presented in the frame. The production design detail, costuming, locations immerse the viewer into the world and encourage one to get lost in the story. There is one scene in particular that sticks out to me in which Inspector Stoppard is knocked unconscious and in turn finds himself stumbling through a forest where he happens across a departed Leo, tending bar reminiscent of The Shining.

Overall See How They Run is a satisfying watch and the perfect way to start a weekend. It is a reminder that movies can provide escapism and at the same time be fun to watch too.