Review: ‘Only Murders in the Building’
Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short shine in this funny, clever and endlessly entertaining murder mystery that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
Between podcasts, documentaries, books, films and TV shows, true crime is a genre that seems to never grow old, constantly sustaining a passionate and obsessive audience that pour over every detail of the latest case on their radar and consume every new piece of media they can get their hands on. Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, the latest series from Steve Martin and John Hoffman, seeks to cleverly subvert the true crime genre by taking three true crime aficionados and placing them right in the middle of their own murder mystery to hilarious, endlessly entertaining and surprisingly clever results.
Only Murders In The Building centers on three strangers living in the same Upper West Side apartment building: former actor Charles (Steve Martin), playwright Oliver (Martin Short) and young artist Mabel (Selena Gomez), who is residing in her aunt’s apartment while she redecorates it. A chance encounter between all three of them, who share an obsession with and subsequently bond over a popular true crime podcast, leads to them stumbling upon a grisly death right in their own apartment building, which is eventually ruled a suicide. Charles, Oliver and Mabel, however, suspect murder and they attempt to employ their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth. As they record a podcast of their own to document the case, the three unravel the complex secrets of the building which stretch back years. Soon, the endangered trio comes to realize a killer might be living amongst them as they race to decipher the mounting clues before it’s too late.
The most surprising thing about Only Murders in the Building is just how genuinely gripping it is. The mystery at the heart of the show’s plot is one that constantly twists and turns, keeping viewers firmly guessing and then second-guessing their initial guesses as the show charts through its developments over the course of the season. While the show is very much a comedy first and foremost, it deeply understands what makes a murder mystery work, and the writers cleverly subvert any and all expectations the audience may have by turning tropes and expectations firmly on their heads as the story progresses. Only Murders in the Building also has style in spades thanks to fresh and inventive direction. A particular moment that highlights just how stylish the show can be is the entirety of its seventh episode, a haunting, mesmerizing and surprisingly heartfelt experience with a unique framing device that may genuinely be one of the finest hours of television to debut this year.
What is unsurprising, on the other hand, is just how hilarious Only Murders in the Building is largely thanks to the efforts of Steve Martin and Martin Short, who have wonderful chemistry that has been honed through decades of friendship and long-lasting, legendary careers. Martin is effortlessly charming as retired actor Charles, while Short is incredibly charismatic as failed playwright Oliver. Their dynamic is an absolute joy to behold as the duo trade clever quips and innocent barbs throughout the duration of the series. There’s also much more to each character than initially meets the eye, as Charles and Oliver respectively mourn an old relationship and an anticlimactic career, a dynamic that hints at if not outright explains their obsession with true crime and the supposed murder mystery they find themselves in the middle of.
Unlike her more eccentric co-stars, however, Selena Gomez is much more subdued as Mabel, the youngest of the trio, turning in a layered and nuanced performance that hints at years of baggage in the character’s rearview mirror. As Gomez successfully manages to express in everything from her facial expressions to her guarded physicality, Mabel has obviously been through a traumatic experience – and as her backstory slowly unravels, so does Gomez’s performance. As Mabel goes from jaded and cynical outsider to the heart and soul of the trio, Gomez’s icy demeanor slowly makes way for a charming, authentic performance that will undoubtedly allow for audiences to connect with the character and her journey throughout the show’s first season.
Overall, Only Murders in the Building is a funny, clever and endlessly entertaining murder mystery that will keep viewers firmly on the edge of their seats thanks to clever writing and a charming trio of performances from stars Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez.
Rating: 5/5
Only Murders in the Building debuts on Hulu on August 31, 2021.