Even though one of the film’s opening lines is “It’s a whodunit. If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all,”  “See How they Run” is a whodunit like no one has ever done it.

Set in 1950s London, “See How They Run” is a whodunit that plays with classic murder mystery tropes, both embracing and poking fun at them. Sleazy blacklisted American director Leo Kopernick (Adrien Brody) hopes to turn Agatha Christie’s play “The Mousetrap” into a major motion picture. After getting into a brawl at the play’s 100th performance after party, Kopernick is mysteriously murdered backstage. Right on cue, the rouged jaded detective (Sam Rockwell), who is soon joined by a cheery movie-referencing rookie (Saoirse Ronan), steps on the scene and the mystery begins.

“The Mousetrap” is an actual play that famed real-life mystery author Agatha Christie wrote, which acts as the backdrop of this film, adding a meta duality. This opens the opportunity for lots of in-jokes and references for those familiar with the genre and the works of Christie.

First-time film director Tom George was clearly influenced by stylistic director Wes Anderson as seen with fun split screen framing, lavish sets and costumes, quippy dialogue, and campy humor. But, George does a great job at bringing his own unique flair, and I am looking forward to the style he brings to his future films.

Working within a buddy cop formula, Rockwell and Ronan have impeccable chemistry, making their scenes together a highlight of the film. Though they may be polar opposites, they bring out the best in each other, both as characters and as actors. The rest of the ensemble cast, including rising star Harris Dickinson (who coincidentally plays a rising star in the film), manages to deliver many memorable moments as well.

The film is sure to not take itself too seriously; it might shame the use of a flashback and moments later jump to a flashback, or state how the use of a ‘three months later’ title is obscene but then proceed to show us this very thing. It’s full of genre conventions that are intentionally exaggerated for satirical purposes. This is not to the point of the classic slapstick whodunit film “Clue” (1985), but in a way that is still enticing and comedic, especially for fans of the genre.

We are living in a sort of renaissance of the murder mystery, seeing several titles in the genre released in the last few years and more to come. Films like “Murder on the Orient Express” (2017), “Death on the Nile” (2022), “Knives Out (2019), and its sequel “Glass Onion” (2022) coming to Netflix later this year have rapidly risen in popularity. Perhaps this is due to the structure of the whodunit lending itself to larger ensemble casts allowing for multiple stars to be showcased. Studios nowadays cannot easily rely on one top-tier actor to sell their movie, but packing them with many marketable celebrities is sure to sell some tickets. Another likely possibility is studios are once again leaning into the all-too-powerful nostalgia machine.

While “See How They Run” is not the most satisfying twisty mystery, it is a worthy entry into the growing genre.

Watch “See How They Run” in theaters now.