A hilarious hoot of a whodunit.

Knee-deep into the 21st century as we are, it’s quite astonishing that the classic whodunit remains as popular now as it’s ever been. For decades, the murder mystery has been as bulletproof as any genre out there, and it’s oddly comforting that such films are still able to attract audiences at a time when they could easily be seen as old hat.

At their best, there are few viewing experiences quite as satisfying as a well told whodunit. Whatever the time period or setting, the thrill of a gradually unravelling murder mystery is one of those simple cinematic pleasures that wields the power to lure you in and keep you hooked, even against your better judgement.

Sure, they can be cheesy and riddled with cliché, yet that hasn’t lessened the genre’s enduring appeal. Despite, or even because of, its dated appearance, the murder mystery is a genre ripe for a modern interpretation, but how far do you push things to remain relevant?

Steadfast in its determination to push the genre into the future, Knives Out nailed the balance between past and present perfectly, setting a high benchmark for all future whodunits as it went. While it may seem unfair to immediately compare it with such a huge financial and critical success, this is nonetheless the standard See How They Run must strive for.

In the West End of 1950s London, plans for a movie adaptation of a smash-hit play come to a sudden halt after a member of the crew is brutally murdered. When jaded Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and eager rookie Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan) take on the case, the two find themselves drawn into a puzzling whodunit amidst the glitzily sordid theatre underground, investigating the mysterious death at their own peril.

From the word go, See How They Run makes no bones about what it is. From the moment Adrien Brodie’s appropriately obnoxious Leo Köpernick rattles through a list of whodunit cliches, to being thrown straight into a performance of the Agatha Christie classic, ‘The Mousetrap’, the film sets out its stall as both a full-blown pastiche and an unabashed love letter to the golden age of the murder mystery.

Throwing us into the heart of London’s West End at a time and a place still reeling from the war and looking to the murder mystery as a means of escape, See How They Run is every inch a throwback, yet, despite this, it never totally rests on its laurels. Chugging along on a wave of comfy nostalgia, the film’s greatest success is that its brand of charming, fanciful pastiche doesn’t float away on a wave of its own whimsey.

Imbedding itself into the most classic of classic murder mystery worlds, See How They Run does a fantastic job of immersing itself in its surroundings, thoroughly committing to its concept but ensuring that it becomes more than mere gimmickry. A caricature without feeling cartoonish and a homage without feeling stiff, the film treads a fine line but gets the balance just right, layering on enough twists and extra dimensions to feel fresh, while never straying too far from tradition.

Unlike Knives Out, See How They Run isn’t overly concerned with rewriting the murder mystery rulebook, opting instead to tweak and cheekily play with the format rather than overhaul it. Happy to stick within the confines of its genre, the film makes modest stabs at tackling certain topical issues, yet they’re never the story’s focus.

See How They Run’s approach to issues like trauma and institutionalised sexism is far from revolutionary, however, it never really needs to be for the film to succeed. Knives Out put its own contemporary, right-on twist on the whodunit, and was very successful at it, yet See How They Run takes a far more cosy approach. In the best possible way, the film is pure comfort viewing, and while it doesn’t shy away from risk taking altogether, the Ealing-comedy-on-a-Sunday-afternoon-with-a-nice-cup-of-tea energy it radiates is strong.

Exuding an impossibly infectious charm, See How They Run pins much of its appeal on its top-notch cast. Like any good whodunit, the film sinks or swims on its ensemble, and from front to back, it gets it just about spot on with a collection of wonderful, if somewhat two dimensional, characters.

Led by the compelling odd couple energy of Sam Rockwell and an utterly delightful Saoirse Ronan, and backed up by a strong ensemble of familiar British faces (and Adrian Brody), See How They Run leans heavily on its cast and they do not disappoint, as they charm their way through even the film’s shakier moments.

As the film’s most notable stars, Ronan and Rockwell are a masterstroke of a pairing, offering a mismatched dynamic that takes time to bed in, yet, when it does, their combined energy makes the whole thing tick. Filtering much of its humour through Rockwell’s world-weary, mumbling melancholy and Ronan’s sweet, wide-eyed innocence, the film’s wit is certainly more chucklesome than hilarious, but when it clicks, it clicks.

Frequently coming off like an unabashed tribute to Wes Anderson, See How They Run does layer on the esoteric whimsey a little too thick at times, however, through all the familiar offbeat eccentricities, director Tom George still manages to make his own voice heard in what is, remarkably, his debut feature.

Yes, the cast and script often feel transplanted directly from Wes Anderson’s idiosyncratic brain, yet this doesn’t tell the whole story, as George offers an impeccably crafted vision that’s very much his own. Letting the natural period beauty of the West End speak for itself, George throws us into the heart of opulent, ritzy 50s London while retaining a distinctive, homely charm.

And this cosy little nook is precisely where See How They Run resides. For all its glitzy good looks, the film is pure comfort viewing from start to finish, one that offers a reliable yet thoroughly enjoyable viewing experience.

Backdropped by a picture perfect post-war London and fronted by the affable pairing of Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan, See How They Run delivers reliable murder mystery thrills and whimsey to spare. Deliberately paced and decidedly safe at times, See How They Run nevertheless has a tonne of fun with its quirky whodunit-within-a-whodunit premise, offering humour and heart in droves. Go watch it. Just don’t go telling anyone who done it.