Only Murders in the Building: A Hilarious Whodunit with a Side of Elderly Shenanigans
Picture this: three strangers, all with their quirks and eccentricities, decide to bond over their shared obsession with true crime podcasts, and what do they do? They go and find a murder in their own fancy-schmancy apartment building! I mean, who needs Netflix when you have a real-life murder mystery unfolding right outside your door?
Meet Charles (Steve Martin), a washed-up actor who can’t seem to let go of his glory days. He’s the type who would sign up for a reunion tour of a show nobody remembers. Then there’s Oliver (Martin Short), a wannabe Broadway director whose career is about as alive as a doornail. And let’s not forget Mabel (Selena Gomez), the young, artsy type who probably thinks “adulting” is a crime in itself. Together, they form the most unlikely trio since that time your Aunt Mildred tried to teach your dog to fetch.
In true podcast fashion, they decide to investigate a murder that happens in their building, which is as relatable as a cat video on the internet. The victim? Tim Kono, a seemingly harmless dude who just wanted to live his life in peace until someone decided to play “Who Wants to Be a Corpse?” Now, their apartment building is practically a crime scene, and our trio is ready to don their detective hats—well, metaphorically, because who needs actual hats when you have iPhones to record everything?
As they dive into the mystery, we learn that Tim wasn’t exactly Mr. Popular. He had enough enemies to fill a high school yearbook. There’s the snooty neighbor, the mysterious ex, and even a potential cat burglar who may or may not be a part-time magician. Spoiler alert: it’s not the cat burglar. It’s never the cat burglar. But it’s always fun to watch the trio bumble through suspects like they’re in a game of Clue, where every room is just their living room and every weapon is a sarcastic comment.
Now, as they peel back the layers of Tim’s life, they uncover secrets and lies that would make even the most dramatic soap opera look like a Sunday School class. Turns out, Tim had a few skeletons in his closet—no, not literally (that would be a different show), but metaphorically speaking, he was the kind of guy who had a “to-do” list that included “make enemies” and “be generally unlikable.”
As our three amateur sleuths stumble through the investigation, we get to see their lives unfold in parallel. Charles is still trying to find his footing in the world of acting and love—yes, he even tries to date! Oliver is desperately clinging to his past glory while Mabel tries to figure out if she’s a millennial or a Gen Z-er, which, let’s be honest, is the real mystery. And just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, plot twists start flying like confetti at a New Year’s Eve party!
In the end, we find out that the murderer is someone nobody expected—because how predictable would that be? Spoiler alert: it was literally the last person you’d suspect, making the reveal as shocking as finding out that the avocado toast you ordered isn’t gluten-free. It’s a classic twist that will have you saying, “Wait, what?” and then immediately wanting to re-watch the series from the start, just to catch all the clues you missed.
So, if you’re looking for a delightful mix of humor, mystery, and the kind of banter that only comes from three misfits who should probably be knitting instead of solving crimes, then “Only Murders in the Building” is your jam. It’s like “The Golden Girls” meets “Sherlock Holmes”—if Sherlock had a podcast and a sense of humor, that is. Who knew old folks could have this much fun?