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
  • mrrcave - 25 December 2023
    Thoroughly good humoured romp
    I wasn't expecting much from this film, but sick and tired of the gun fights, super powers, explosions, prolonged fist fights and the evil menace who likes the sound of his droning monologue, I thought I would give it a go.

    What immediately drew me to this was Sam Rockwell who always gives a part his all and invariably plays it extremely well. I was not disappointed!!

    Saoirse Ronan deserves a special mention as the absolutely brilliant character of Stalker, and given her tendency to write everything down is a credit to her surname.

    I'd expected Sam's English tone to waver at some point during the film, but only slightly and he carried it out brilliantly; plus his rather slack demeanour.

    I haven't laughed so much in a long time and the plot and characters ensured I was glued to the screen for the entire length.

    I do so hope there will be a sequel - maybe a little romance between Inspector and Sargeant?!

    Give it a go - you'll not be disappointed.
  • andrewinet - 27 July 2023
    Not bad, but...
    Sam Rockwell and Saorise Ronan are two of the very best actors around. Redce Shearsmith is a big favourite of mine too, as is Ruth Wilson. They lead an excellent cast through a clever conceit but, frankly, it was all a little disappointing.

    Good performances and (several) funny lines couldn't hide a poor plot that never convinces. Pity, because the idea of a whodunnit within a whodunnit was good but, sadly, squandered in a very uneven script. Also the art direction was good with interiors but plainly struggled to convincingly recreate early 1950s London.

    Finally, the actor playing Richard Attenborough was miscast. Physically Attenborough is best remembered character from the Mousetrap cast so why they chose such a tall person?
  • benjaminwest-242 - 12 January 2023
    A whodunnit for whodunnit fanatics
    See How They Run is a suitable mystery-comedy, ultimately delivering a pleasantly entertaining watch. There is a wonderful whodunnit style attributable to each shot, from the film's set design and score to the storytelling that utilizes all the classic editing tricks. Highlighting the film, though, are the central leads in Rockwell and Ronan. Their respective characters share a great chemistry and dynamic, that while introducing nothing new to the detective genre, is executed rather well. This allows for the subtle comedy to often work, delivering the perfect amount of laughs to accompany the more laid-back murder mystery. Unfortunately, the screenplay makes for a more mediocre watch than the story's potential. While much of the dialogue nicely contributes to both the film's central investigation and its humor, there are several moments that toe the line between edgy and annoying. More disappointingly, however, is how the third act plays out. What happens is all considered satisfying enough, yet far from producing a resolution that ties everything together with a bow. After a very solid first hour, therefore, the audience is left with a decently bitter taste in its mouth upon watching the final act. Many subplots are left as complete red herrings, in addition to a lacking character development for even the aforementioned central roles. Altogether, See How They Run is worthy of a watch to only the biggest fans of the whodunnit genre.
  • unfilteredt - 29 December 2022
    Fun watch!
    A self aware whodunnit with tongue in both cheeks. Great cast that is exemplary to say the least. Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan have amazing chemistry and distract the audience well enough to hide the real killer who is, well, hiding in plain sight. Music is brilliant! A lovely score that fits very well and I would expect nothing less from Daniel Pemberton who's had me hooked to his music since quite some time now (Guy Ritchie's King Arthur and The Man From U. N. C. L. E, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse). Cinematography is top notch. I particularly liked a shot towards the end when a hand is slowly creeping into frame and that's the most I can say about that without spoiling anything. I love it when the camera is used to add humour. Set design and costume is authentic as far as I can tell, but admittedly I'm not an expert. I loved the cars they used and it's these small details that make a film memorable.

    This was a really fun watch and I wish I'd caught it in the cinema but had to watch it on Disney+. And as with most movies of this genre once the magic trick is revealed you feel a bit underwhelmed. But the journey of how they got there is fun and the way the climax plays out was really interesting. Of course, the whodunnit I'm really waiting for this year is Rian Johnson's Glass Onion and I'm hoping it has a wide cinema release.
  • ThereelscoopwithKK - 18 December 2022
    A Satire of Whodunnit's , but not a great one
    The issue I had with the movie is that it walks into the same storyline that it pretends to mock. Of course this is all part of the satire, but at the end of the day the problems the narrator states at the beginning of the film with stock average whodunit this film just literally recreates and hopes you find funny or entertaining.

    The story is fine but quite predictable throughout. Further I don't find either of the protagonists particularly interesting and the villain is even weaker. I can see how this story might be entertaining and acceptable if you took a liking to the characters but they were just not dynamic enough for me.

    I think there are much better options available for murder mystery.
  • markhoulihan5-623-209915 - 1 December 2022
    Half baked
    Has all the elements to make a really fun whodunnit but for some reason doesn't quite live up to its full potential..

    The best thing about the movie is Saoirse Ronan who seems to be having the most fun onscreen and brings a few laughs.

    The rest of the cast are very blah. The supporting characters aren't fleshed out and end up completely forgettable.

    As for the murder itself, it's hard to care about it when you don't care about the characters. The end reveal is very lackluster.

    I feel like the movie thinks it's a lot smarter than it is. You get a lot of meta "whodunnit" mystery talk, and one character even mentions how every whodunnit is the same. And unfortunately, this movie really feels just like that- it doesn't stand out at all...
  • uberholly - 21 November 2022
    Cute, but
    If Sam Rockwell's accent were less abominable, I would've really enjoyed this. So many cool actors in it! But, oy vey. And I absolutely love Sam Rockwell!

    Why hire a great actor who just so happens to be crap at doing foreign accents to play the main character who just so happens to be of a differently accented persuasion?

    I'm asking without having researched the matter.

    Saoirse Ronan twinkles playing the part of the young widow-turned-rookie cop.

    It's cool to see David Oyelowo in a light, fun part using *his* original British accent. He's good at everything (swoon!).

    Plenty of talented UK actors out there could've carried the film instead.
  • tjhpz-10010 - 14 November 2022
    OMG this movie is so boring
    See How They Run is a major snooze fest and that's the best thing I can say about it. I nearly fell asleep several times while watching it. The movie just isn't funny or intriguing. The story is simple with a basic plot twist. Only people with an extremely low humor tolerance level will find this movie funny. A messy tall stack of papers falling over or someone sinking into an old couch with saggy cushions is not funny. Some reviews say people were laughing in the theater aisles can't be true. I can appreciate dry humor, but this is an insult to dry humor. This movie is so bad, I don't understand how it got funded and green lit. Save your money and your time, this flick is a waste of both. Giving it 2 stars is generous.