See How They Run

See How They Run

In the West End of 1950s London, plans for a movie version of a smash-hit play come to an abrupt halt after a pivotal member of the crew is murdered. When world-weary Inspector Stoppard and eager rookie Constable Stalker take on the case, the two find themselves thrown into a puzzling whodunit within the glamorously sordid theater underground, investigating the mysterious homicide at their own peril.

  • Released:
  • Runtime: 120 minutes
  • Genre: Comedy, Crime, Mystery
  • Stars: Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan, Adrien Brody, Ruth Wilson, Reece Shearsmith, Harris Dickinson, Charlie Cooper, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Pearl Chanda, Sian Clifford, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, David Oyelowo, Shirley Henderson, Paul Chahidi, Lucian Msamati, Angus Wright, Tim Key
  • Director: Tom George
 Comments
  • ginagee61 - 10 April 2024
    I thoroughly enjoyed it
    This film really ticked all of my boxes.

    Murder mystery = yes Humourous. = yes Stylish. = yes Gentle. = yes I just loved everything about it. It's gentle humour enveloped me like a warm hug. The stylish fashions were a beautiful nod to the period in which the film takes place, 1953, and you get a selection of the full range of English day and evening wear. This really helps to set the time, and that's important.

    I absolutely loved the performances by all of the cast but Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell. Around them, the other actors sparkle like jewels and when, as you do, you recognise a face, you welcome them, as if they've come to a party that you're hosting. Oh, it's all so lovely and comforting, like a huge embrace from your favourite person.
  • alexflourenco - 6 September 2023
    Such an wasted oportunity
    The movie had a huge potential so It really hurts me how bad this movie was directed and ruined by Tom George.

    The best aspect of this movie is by far the photography. If it wasn't for the photography team I would rate this movie as a 0/10. All the visual elements of the movie really take you to the epoque. The colors, the sceneries, the camera angles, everything makes you feel like you are one of the characters, living in the 60s and watching an Agatha Christie piece.

    The casting is decent but clearly Tom George doesn't know how to take the potential out of an actor. Apart from Adrien Brody (who never fails to perform) all the other actors were at 10% of their potential which is really sad.

    The ideas of the script are good but it needed more time and creativity to compose a good movie. "A murder during an Agatha Christie piece", "A murder movie narrated by the victim", "Deconstructing the formula of all murder mystery movies'', all of these are great ideas but unfortunately all of them were terribly developed and executed.

    Now to what bothers me the most about this movie. The Rhythm. It's the movie with the worst rhythm I've ever watched. The flashbacks completely cut your immersion, the going from suspect to suspect in a completely random order makes the movie have no sense of continuity. You don't feel the thrill of wanting to know what happens next, to know more about the character or to know who the murderer is. The rhythm of this movie is the equivalent of a toddler playing drums at a rock concert.

    The lack of talent of Tom George is astonishing.
  • eddie_baggins - 21 May 2023
    A mid-tier whodunit that fails to make best use of its cast
    A mild hit upon release with acceptable box office performance and equally so reviews, the star-studded self-aware whodunit See How They Run is a perfect example of a mid-tier film that is neither great nor terrible but must be judged slightly harder than one may have otherwise done when you consider the star wattage at its disposal and the potential for it to be a modern day comedic murder mystery up there with the Knives Out of the world.

    Set in 1950's London where Agatha Christie's work Mouse Trap is lighting up the stage world on the West End, Tom George's feature length debut follows the mismatched duo of Sam Rockwell's Inspector Stoppard and Saoirse Ronan's kindly Constable Stalker as the two very different operators investigate the murder of Adrien Brody's Hollywood director on the set of the play, with someone involved in the production likely to be the perpetrator responsible the offing that lays at the heart of this comically minded outing.

    Gifting Rockwell a rare leading role alongside the scene stealing Saoirse Ronan, who is nothing short of a revelation in what acts as her first real major comedic turn outside of some minor roles in Wes Anderson outings, George had significant talent and skillsets available for him to utilise in this well-shot but pedestrian feeling experience that sometimes appears set to break free from its sluggish chains only to find itself constantly battling to be anything more than passably amusing.

    Most notably for the film is its inability to maximise the talented Rockwell as Stoppard who delivers one of his more forgettable recent performances as a character that may've been as interesting as a Hercule Poirot or Benoit Blanc but never manages to become the type of memorable lead character or centrepiece the film needed with Ronan stealing all the films best moments as the likeable and sincere Stalker who is eager to pinpoint the murder on various suspects on more than one occasion.

    Supported by the likes of talented performers such as Ruth Wilson, David Oyelowo, Reece Shearsmith and Harris Dickinson, you'll never be bored or utterly uninterested through Run's quick-fire 90 minute exercise but there's nothing here outside of Ronan's fun turn that you will remember or fondly recall, something that is not at all an issue with the best of these type of fun and twisting rides.

    Final Say -

    When weighted against all the talent involved and potential possible See How They Run can't be qualified as a success, even if Saoirse Ronan delivers one of last years most purely enjoyable turns in an against type role that further establishes her as one of the most talented all-rounders working in the industry.

    2 1/2 cups of tea out of 5.

    Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)
  • dalek69 - 4 January 2023
    what a wonderful film!
    As a (almost) lifelong A C & detective/whodunnit tv/film fan (i ve seen The Mousetrap!) , I absolutely loved this film. It's funny,, tongue in cheek, clever, it has great performances (on top form, Rockwell and Ronan are superb) It has a good whodunnit too, it references AC a lot and has a quirky version of the Dame herself in it , Soairse Ronan does subtle comedy well too. It has a lot of red herrings and deals witth all the cliches of the genre in a fun way.

    It is fun to see the classic A C Play recreated partially here in the film. Fond memories. And it reminds me of the humour in a Peter Ustinov A C film adaptation, only this has even more humour.

    It even has a easter egg of a famouds AC adaptation for television and it''s not a person but a location.....

    Yes, a very fine film indeed. Carry on, old man! (or, woman)

    Hats off to all involved in the making of this film.
  • BizAndMoonReviews - 19 December 2022
    The Biz and Moon Reviews
    Moon, you go first.

    MOON REVIEW

    Um... (she is staring at me now) BIIIZ. Biz. OK. SO. Very cute movie. Great main actors. Very old school style made. Reminds me a bit of Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson). Easy to watch. Unexpected murderer. Beautiful colorimatry. Good job. My rating is 9/10

    BIZ REVIEW

    A piece of art. By the end of it you will see it as a Matroshka Doll movie. Loved Adrian Brody in this. Very easy to watch, as Moon said. A Sunday night movie that you can watch with the whole family. Very quirky dialogue and exchanges between characters. Honestly, it must be the best popcorn movie I have ever seen, in the idea that all popcorn movies should be of this high standard quality.

    Plus, it had a moral theme to it and I think it's funny how it makes you ignore it and just enjoy the movie for entertainment. Pretty ironic.

    9/10 for me as well.

    OVERALL REVIEW: 9/10 SHOULD YOU WATCH IT? Yes.

    WITH WHO? A great show to watch with your mom, gf, lover, auntie, cat or by yourself. Will recommend it to friends and fam.
  • mcarter12 - 8 December 2022
    Underappreciated
    I understand people's distaste for it in that I also initially thought that this was a Wes Anderson film but was surprised to find out it wasn't. Having this thought at the back of my head that it was so close to being Anderson also made me realise how influential he really is but when you fully watch the film, you can easily George's input and personal style within.

    I really enjoyed how Agatha Christy books were interpreted into the film without it actually being based on the book. The research put into this project is exceptional in that it is completely historically correct and, for example, the constable in the film was actually an active constable during 1953. The input and the history of 'The Mousetrap' being the longest running West End show and playing that with that as an important narrative was cleverly introduced.

    The acting/cast in this film was all amazing. It was a popular and well known cast but this wasn't used to their advantage and didn't downplay any aspect of the advertisement nor narrative just because the stars were already famous and could have brought in viewers themselves.

    Overall, I understand how this film was solely for entertainment purposes but the detail placed within can make anyone appreciate it just that bit more. Whether you know a lot about history or have just read one Agatha Christy novel.
  • sceaxus - 25 November 2022
    A downgraded version of Knives Out.
    Sure you got some Oscar winners in it. The set is beautifully and meticulously made. Occasionally, the dialogue is witty and funny. They even packed one or two moving moments...

    But all of that just couldn't make up to lazy plots and cardboard characters... and the ending? Characters were killed off because the movie needs your attention. But we also made them unlikable so you feel sorry for them and ruin the mood to continue... other main characters have more or less minor flaws in them, but never explained how these obstacles affected them to shape them into who they are, when they seem to resolve those difficulties later in the film, you also can't cheer for them or feel happy for them. It's just another "ok, they move past that now" moment. Here's a little challenge: try connect with any character. It won't be easy.

    My advice: Leave it on while you need to do the dishes like one of the characters did. Don't worry too much if you might miss something. Because you won't.

    It's hard to do a whodunnit. But it's not impossible. When it's done right, it's definitely worth repeated viewing. Sadly, this isn't one.
  • dromasca - 17 November 2022
    a mousetrap in a mousetrap
    Viewers who had the opportunity to see Agatha Christie's famous play 'The Mousetrap' will have a great advantage and probably will enjoy more watching the film 'See How They Run' directed by Tom George, one among the several promising premieres of cinema autumn 2022. It is a whodunit detective mystery that begins with a murder that takes place in 1953 in the theater where the 100th performance of the play that borrows the title of the play in the third act of 'Hamlet' was just performed. This is the same theater where the play has been performed for the last 70 years, until today. (The war did not interrupt the performances, the pandemic did). The film is a detective story that envelops the play of the master of detective novels and theater, who also appears as a character. So here we have theater within theater and mystery within mystery, presented in a period farce approach that promises much. However, not all promises are fulfilled.

    The off-screen voice is used a lot in this film, with the interesting twist that off-screen also means off-life. The film begins with the cinematic parallel of the characters list attached to classic detective novels. In movies this enumeration can be as boring as possible, and this is one of the first pretexts for comedy with literary allusions. There will be more. The celebration of the hundredth performance is spoiled by the discovery of the body of the American film director brought from Hollywood to London to adapt to screen the play, in a version 'something less boring than the play'. The characters that could be involved are the actors who play in the play and the theatrical crew that had participated in the production and staging. A pair of policemen appear - an alcoholic, disillusioned and war-invalid commissioner and a policewoman who is attached to him to learn the trade. In a short time they will discover that each of the characters would have had a reason or more to have committed the crime. Everyone is therefore a suspect.

    The script is meant to be very smart. Each character is related to the role in the play or production. The problem is that most viewers have little or no familiarity with Agatha Christie's play. Tom George has experience in television, but for the big screen he is a newcomer. And here, the keys to success are different. I am convinced that those who are well acquainted with detective literature in general and with the play in particular have many reasons to be satisfied and will enjoy the play. Speaking for myself, I've seen the play and read a few of Agatha Christie's novels, but that was many decades ago, so I felt like I've lost about three-quarters of the jokes. Worse, the detectives' suspicions and the solution of the mystery are also quite tied into the play, so that even the detective part may be obscure to the less initiated viewers. And yet there are plenty of reasons for interest in 'See How They Run' even for viewers without a Ph. D. in Agatha Christie. First of all, I found the recreation of London in 1953, with its streets and theaters, its people and their clothing, delicious. The allusions to the film world of the '50s are interesting. The two actors cast in the detectives roles - Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan are delicious, have great chemistry and achieve beautiful comic moments with romantic tension and with minimal means. There are some bizarre casting decisions, but I also enjoyed the presence of Adrien Brody, with a small role but which he plays with visible pleasure. Agatha Christie fans and those who have recently seen 'The Mousetrap' will enjoy this film. The rest of us are more likely to leave the screening with a smile on our faces.