While names likeWalter Mosley, Raymond Chandler,andSir Arthur Conan Doyleare all floated around when discussing the greatest crime novelists of all-time, there isn’t another name that is as synonymous with the mystery genre as the greatAgatha Christie. With 66 detective novels, over 20 plays, countless short stories, and several books written under pseudonyms, Christie became the most highly published author in history, behind onlyWilliam Shakespeare.Although Christie died in 1976, her work is continuously introduced to new readers thanks tomany great television and film adaptations. Although seeing more fleshed-out versions of her work certainly satisfies her readers, the 2022 noir caperSee How They Runhonored Christie’s legacy by making her a fictional character within a mystery investigation.
See How They Run
In the West End of 1950s London, plans for a movie version of a smash-hit play come to an abrupt halt after a pivotal member of the crew is murdered.
What Is ‘See How They Run’ About?
Of all of Christie’s brilliantly written stage productions, her famous murder mysteryThe Mousetrapeasily ranks among her most influential. Upon its initial debut at London’s West End theater in 1952,The Mousetrapwas acclaimed as a breakthrough work within the theatrical medium that proved the stage was just as capable of telling Christie’s rich stories. Due to the high level of engagement with the audience during showings ofThe Mousetrap, as attendees were encouraged not to reveal the ending, it was a work that has long since been considered“unadaptable” as a feature film. Thankfully,See How They Rundoes not attempt to directly bring the stage play to life;the film focuses on a fictional murder case that develops during the production ofThe Mousetrap. By combining one of her most famous projects with a case that feels directly inspired by her work,directorTom Georgepulls off the ultimate Christie tributewithSee How They Run.
Set in 1953 London,See How They Runfollows an investigation into the death of the notoriously egocentric American play director Leo Kopernick (Adrien Brody), who is mysteriously killed by an unknown assailant during a rehearsal forThe Mousetrap. Given Kopernick’s fame and the anticipation surrounding the performance itself, which was intended to be the 100th ever performed, solving his murder becomes a priority for the London Police Department.See How They Rununpacks a Christie-like mystery from the perspective of a fan of her work,asSaoirse Ronanco-starsas the Police Inspector Stalker, a Christie obsessive who herself was looking forward to seeingThe Mousetrap.It’s a rarely comedic performance from Ronan, who shows the challenges that an obsessive fan faces when the lines between her favorite stories and realities begin to get blurred.
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The situation grows more complicated upon the arrival of Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell), a cynical, alcoholic detective who has little affinity for the performative arts.The excellent chemistry between Rockwell and Ronan ensures thatSee How They Runhas a balanced perspective.While Stalker is keen to pick up clues based on how the characters in a Christie story would solve a case, Stoppard puts a greater emphasis on reality, arguing that no work of fiction could possibly argue the real thing. Although Stalker’s persistent optimism and enthusiasm are quite delightful, they’re even more amusing in comparison to the more laid-back approach that Stoppard takes. Cynical, bored, and often critical of his profession, Rockwell’s performance as Stoppardcertainly ranks among his most underrated.
‘See How They Run’ Pays Tribute to Agatha Christie’s Real Life
While the story thatSee How They Runtells is a fictional one,the insight into how a production ofThe Mousetrapwas performed was drawn from real performances of the play. As Stoppard and Stalker begin to track how the production itself was pulled off, they begin interviewing its cast and crew, includingstage producerPetula Spencer (Ruth Wilson), the Hollywood representative John Woolf (Reece Shearsmith), the charismatic leading man Richard Attenborough (Harris Dickinson), the veteran playwright Mervyn Cocker-Norris (David Oyelowo), and the enigmatic co-star Shelia Sim (Pearl Chanda). Since the audience is privy to these characters’ private lives, as they’re hounded for details regarding their whereabouts during Kopernick’s murder,See How They Runbecomesa clever satire of both theater and film production.
Although the plot mechanics ofThe Mousetrapare essential in solving the film’s case,See How They Runtakes its meta commentary a step further byincluding a fictionalized version of Christie as a character. A third act twist revealsShirley Hendersonas a much older version of the fictionalized author who has retreated from public life. Although this could have amounted to little more than a fun cameo,See How They Rundoes a great job at fleshing out Christie’s motivations for writingThe Mousetrapin the first place. It’s revealed that a death in the family life of the usher Dennis Corrigan (Charlie Cooper) is what first inspired her to “bring justice” to the victims through the means of a fictional play. While it’s a broadly satirical film, this notion of whether justice can be accomplished through artistic expression alonegivesSee How They Runa genuinely fascinating ethical dilemmato wrestle with.
‘See How They Run’ Satirizes the Mystery Genre
While the cameo by Henderson is a fun way of acknowledging the late author’s real life,See How They Runcontains many references to classic Christie stories. Watching the cast and crew ofThe Mousetrapget picked off one by one evokes comparisons toAnd Then There Were None, albeit in a much cheekier, and less horrific way. Rockwell’s depiction of Stoppard as a genius investigator with almost unparalleled intelligence and quirky mannerisms make him a rather obviousstand-in for Hercule Poirot.
See How They Runis unique in its approach becausethe film combines its own alternate history with a commentary on the lasting ramifications of Christie’s work. While there have been many great adaptations of her work,See How They Runis one of the raremovies inspired by Christiethat feels worthy of the great author herself.
See How They Runis available to rent on Prime Video.
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