See How They Run is *convinced* that it is not like the other whodunnits. It practically brags about how unique and self-aware it is in its opening monologue. Unfortunately, calling out tropes and knowing that your film is a murder mystery isn't quite enough to make an entertaining murder mystery.

When a hotshot American director (Adrien Brody) is murdered, it's up to the unlikely duo of a drunkard inspector (Sam Rockwell) and an eager constable (Saoirse Ronan) to figure out just whodunnit. The film itself revolves around the whodunnit genre, as all of the characters are involved in some shape or form with the film production of the Agatha Christie novel "The Mouse Trap." That being said, there aren't really any characters in See How They Run. There are tropes, like the blackmailed man, the jealous husband, the coworker who hated the victim quite a bit, and the woman who got aggressively pursued by the victim. Alas, none of them are interesting. Sam Rockwell's lazy inspector was a nice subversion of the cunning detective we're used to, but he's not much more than that and is an overall unentertaining character. Saoirse Ronan as the constable is fairly delightful, but also doesn't have a lot of depth to her character. The banter between her character and Rockwell’s was a highlight, though, as they had solid chemistry. The overall underwritten nature of every character may not bother you, but as someone who watches films primarily for the characters and their dynamics, this was greatly disappointing.

The story is another fairly weak aspect of this film, as it's just not engaging in the slightest. Sure, there is absolutely a murder mystery to be solved, but none of it is remotely interesting. You have your average investigation scenes and flashbacks and what have you, and the film makes a point to make sure the audience is aware that these things happen in ordinary, boring murder mysteries. But no, not this one! This whodunnit is great because it calls all these tropes out! The movie wraps up in a way unlike an average whodunnit would, but it still manages to make the ending feel stale and predictable with very pointed dialogue choices.

Now, this review has been quite negative up until this point, but this film definitely has praise-worthy aspects. For one, the cinematography by Jamie Ramsey and the direction by Tom George work wonderfully together to create a really nice-looking film that captures a 50s-era aesthetic. While I wasn’t always invested in the plot, the sheer visual creativity onscreen kept me watching. It feels very Wes Anderson-y, and I mean that in the very best way. The editing by Gary Dollner and Peter Lambert was, for the most part, also quite well-done. The film absolutely has pacing issues, but I am a fan of the way they edited it together aside from that. The split screen was utilized really well and kept the film feeling fresh from an optical standpoint.

Overall, I don’t dislike See How They Run. It's just rather disappointing, since the trailer got me quite excited for it and I do love murder mysteries. While it may have lacked a captivating plot and any sort of characterization, it was still somewhat fun. Plus, the film’s visual elements are stunning. Sadly, its self-aware schtick got old quickly, and the mystery was never intriguing. If you’re looking for a good whodunnit, just watch Bodies Bodies Bodies instead.

5.5/10