From: Silver Screen
Weekend Watchlist: ‘Only Murders in the Building’ is packed with suspense, humor and the perfect mystery
Looking for a good show to watch that’s packed with adventure, sarcasm, twists and murder? Look no further than Hulu’s new original series, “Only Murders in the Building.” The series has finally aired all of its episodes for season one and is ready for you to binge this weekend.
The series follows three neighbors — grumpy ex-TV star Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin), eccentric failed theatre director Oliver Putnam (Martin Short) and moody young adult Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez) — who are complete strangers at first but slowly form friendships by solving a murder that’s been ruled a suicide by the police in their Upper West Side New York City building.
After a neighbor, Tim Kono (Julian Cihi), dies in their building, they start a true crime podcast called “Only Murders in the Building,” modeled after their favorite podcast “All’s Not Okay in Oklahoma,” hosted by Cinda Canning (Tina Fey), which resembles the real life podcast “Serial.”
The show begins with immediate action. Charles and Oliver race through the building continuously yelling as police with large guns and battering rams storm the building while climactic music pounds in the background. After panic bickering about not leaving “her” behind, they burst into a room only to find Mabel leaning over a dead body, covered with blood, and saying “It’s not what you think.” Right after that thrilling scene, a flashback transports the audience back in time two months to when the three of them were still strangers walking about New York.
“Only Murders in the Building” keeps the audience captivated from start to finish as the plot thickens and the high tension that started the series is always present.
The absurdity of this show is seen as the trio runs through their crazy theories, ranging from famous musician Sting as the culprit who both murdered the victim and poisoned Oliver’s dog, to Mabel doing it herself.
The show’s witty jokes and famous cast make it a must watch. The comedic tones, coupled with a captivating murder mystery, create a fun, unique atmosphere with a compelling plot that’s dark and mysterious, but can still make you crack a smile.
While some shows make it a little too easy to predict the ending, “Only Murders in the Building” takes you on twists and turns that constantly throw you off the scent the second you think you know who did it.
This perfect cast not only puts on a great show on the TV screen: you can also look at Gomez’s TikTok to find videos of the actors hanging out and joking around — showing how the age gap between 29-year-old Gomez and 71-year-old Short and 76-year-old Martin does not take away from their friendship.
These generational differences make it a show that is perfect for all audiences. Adults can reminisce on Short and Martin’s work, while teenagers can easily recognize actress and singer Gomez.
The three leads embody their characters perfectly and all add different, equally needed, performances. Short shapes his character into a funny, lovable one who is always pushing for more, while Martin brings out a more reserved character with layers. Meanwhile, Gomez’s performance adds in a sarcastic element, as well as a level of possible mistrust. This superb cast is able to highlight the best and worst parts in their characters and make every second magic.
If you like a light-hearted mystery that’s not too gruesome and keeps you wanting more, this is the show for you. Check out “Only Murders in the Building'' to figure out who really killed Tim Kono and what Mabel was doing over that body.
“Only Murders in the Building” is available to stream on Hulu now.
