How does one go about creating a perfectly nostalgic murder mystery? Good question.
Here’s your checklist:
- Start with a diverse but spatially confined setting. Why not try an apartment building in New York City?
- Next, you’re going to need a simple but intriguing murder. Nothing too complex but its gotta leave some questions. Maybe… guy is found dead in his apartment.
- OK so there’s a rough plot, now let’s add some dope art direction. If you really want it to pop, you’re gonna want colors and themes that look like they’re straight out of the early 1990s.
- Now this is starting to sound like every other murder mystery. We need a shtick. True crime podcasts are pretty popular, why not have your characters make a podcast about the mystery? That could be an interesting narrative trope.
- And then there’s the last ingredient: you’ll want some emotionally complex characters. Oh! And the casting has to be spot on. I’m thinking comedic stylings from movies like “Cheaper by the Dozen” or “The Santa Clause.” Then maybe cast that actress from “Wizards of Waverly Place” for some youthful wit, and you’re looking golden.
If you have any interest in pop musical artists or possibly banjo musical artists, you may have already figured out that what we just listed is actually the new Hulu show “Only Murders in the Building,” starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez. (Well, if you like their music or you really enjoy watching all the annoying Hulu ads, one of the two.)
I don’t know how big of a murder mystery movie fan you are, but if you’ve watched a few of them you’ll probably know what I’m talking about here. (If you’ve never watched a murder mystery, you should rethink your priorities). But there’s a feeling you get when you watch a good murder mystery — something like intrigue or suspense. It’s what propels the plots of movies in that genre forward. For me there’s also a third feeling: nostalgia.
Why is that? When is the last time a good murder mystery film came out? I mean there have probably been a few in the past decade, but they’re certainly not detonating the box offices. I’ll share my opinion: there have been few to no good murder mysteries made since the mid-2000s. But that’s just one man’s opinion.
There have been one or two exceptions to that rule: “The Nice Guys” is a phenomenal buddy detective film, and “Knives Out” makes you feel like you’re watching a game of clue. (These are good places to start if you’re that guy that’s never watched a murder mystery). But what do they both have in common? They’re shooting for that nostalgia factor. The one that makes you feel like you’re back in time, watching a Hitchcock film. (To the guy who’s never watched a murder mystery, check out Hitchcock’s 1959 film “North by Northwest.” Also a great place to start.)
So this is what makes “Only Murders in the Building” such a breath of fresh air, or perhaps more accurately, fresh musty New York City apartment air. It has that nostalgia, and it has it in droves:
The costume and set design place the show in current times while simultaneously allowing the viewer to remove the show from any specific time at all. This effect is only furthered by the setting, an actual New York City apartment building built in 1908.
The casting is fantastic, as each actor is almost type-cast for the role they play. And no matter your age you can probably remember watching one of those three actors in your childhood. A good directing choice if you wanna make someone nostalgic.
And the plot is so beautifully simple with so many great twists. Guy found dead, but why? And who did he know? And who knows him? Who in this story is telling the truth? Are the protagonists really just fans of a good murder mystery, or is there more here than meets the eye? Can I trust the ancillary characters? Can I trust the protagonists? Remember those questions — they’re important.
Greatness can’t come from nostalgia alone, so where’s the fresh part of that musty New York City apartment air? This is where “Only Murders in the Building” proves it knows its audience to a T, and in so many ways this is narrative genius. Remember that shtick from our checklist? There may not have been too many amazing murder mystery movies in the past 10 years, but true crime podcasts have absolutely blown up. (If you haven’t heard a true crime podcast, you’re doing a little better than the movie guy, but still… priorities.)
So how does the show draw that massive audience the podcasts have amassed? Well, they make the protagonists just like the audience. They’re true crime podcast fans; it’s what brings the trio together in the start of the show. Throw them into a real murder mystery, and what’s the next logical step? They record their own.
The show lets the podcast be its narration, which is an element of genius. Because the characters are recording the podcast as they uncover the mysteries of the case, they’re learning many of the twists and turns at the same pace as the audience. When Steve Martin narrates the podcast, and hence also the TV show itself, he is revealing the progression of the plot and pacing of the show while also revealing little the audience does not already know. This allows for a complex story structure: the narrative serves its purpose as a comedy TV show while also emulating the podcasts from which it draws inspiration.
Perfect. Well maybe not, but in one man’s opinion, pretty close. “Only Murders in the Building” succeeds in following multiple inspirations brilliantly. It holds its own against some of the best films from a genre we see far too little of in today’s cinema, while also bringing new inspirations to the world of television streaming from the platform that has carried the genre foreword. Through its use of nostalgia, it appeals to many different individuals from across media platforms and from generations young and old.
“Only Murders in the Building” uses all of these things to encourage the viewer to engage with the drama and the comedy, and once engaged, it forces the viewer to question what they’re hearing or watching. Remember I told you those questions from earlier were important? Here we are full circle.
They’re important because they lead you to ask three central questions, questions asked by all good murder mysteries from “North by Northwest” to “Knives Out”: Who can I trust? What can I trust? And can I really trust anything at all?
“Only Murders in the Building” is available to stream on Hulu.