Hulu: Only Murders In The Building
Dec 23, 2021 10:20:30 GMT -6
Post by vitugglan on Dec 23, 2021 10:20:30 GMT -6
I watched what I hope to be the first season of this show. Premise: Three people who are initially not acquainted bond over a 'true crime' podcast. When a suicide victim is found in their building, they decide to investigate and to broadcast their investigation as it goes on their own podcast. The show follows their efforts and their personal interactions.
Stars: Steve Martin, who also originated this idea, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, all of whom are executive producers. Martin plays an actor best known for a decades-old cop show role. Short is a washed-up Broadway producer or director whose last show tragically ended due to mechanical problems. Gomez is an artist who is currently renovating her aunt's apartment while she's away. The poor artist is thrown in with two theater professionals who rub each other the wrong way. The comedy stems from these interactions and a few of the situations, reference Short's character's old clunker.
I liked the interactions between the characters. They play well off one another. There is little social commentary, at least little overt social commentary that seems to be dragging most things I've seen out there to the level of a Billy Graham Ministries production. I like that the characters are not flawless and have their bad moments and their mistakes. The characters are likeable, the actors who play them are likeable. The humor when it's there isn't at a third-grade level. There is plenty of heartfelt interactions, even between bad guys.
One thing of note that I haven't seen in other things is the way the production addresses deafness. One of the secondary characters is deaf and occasionally, in one or two episodes, the viewer experiences the world without sound but with what feels like pressure in sound's place. The signing has subtitles, otherwise we experience this person's world.
Overall, good show IMO. The mystery ramps up slowly but strongly. There are hints that give the viewer suspicion before the reveals. Steve Martin and a guy surnamed Hoffman (Jon? Maybe) who co-created this do a good job of humanizing the people and events. Recommend.