Only Murders in the Building (2021) * * *

 

Streaming on Hulu

Starring:  Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Aaron Dominguez, Jayne Houdyshell, Julian Cihi

Only Murders in the Building may have been inspired by Woody Allen's Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993) in which Woody and Diane Keaton put themselves in danger investigating what appears to have been a death by natural causes because of their own suspicions.   Or maybe they read too many crime novels or were just bored.   Charles Haden-Savage (Martin), Oliver Putnam (Short), and Mabel Mora (Gomez) all live in a New York apartment complex named the Arconia.   They are at different phases of their lonely lives.  Charles is a lonely, has-been actor who is still recognized from a cop show he did twenty-plus years ago.   Oliver is a down-on-his-luck Broadway director who reeks of desperation as he attempts a comeback following a massive flop years ago.   Mabel lives in her late aunt's apartment while renovating it and has a history of her own.

In the first episode of Only Murders..., these three do not know each other.   One night, a fire drill forces an exodus from the building and the three who only met on the elevator recently find themselves with one thing in common...their love for a popular true crime podcast.   When trying to return to the building, they are told a tenant (Cihi) had committed suicide.   The detective on the case reaches the same conclusion, but Mabel, Charles, and Oliver don't believe the official story.   There has to be more to it, no?   

They investigate, snoop around, and Oliver hatches a plan to turn their investigation into their own true crime podcast.    The murder represents an opportunity for Oliver to earn some sort of income to avoid being tossed out of his apartment.   Charles can focus on something to fill his days and Mabel can exorcise demons which have haunted her since, well, you'll see.   All is not what it seems of course.  Because if it were, then we wouldn't have a ten-episode series.  

Martin and Short have impeccable comic chemistry.   These are the types of people destined to be friends, even if they fight it every step of the way.   Gomez is the more grounded and serious of the trio, which nicely counteracts Martin and Short's sometimes hysterical dealings with each other.   I also enjoyed Nathan Lane as Oliver's once and future friend who manages to come up with the cash to back Oliver's latest insane idea.   He has his own dark side which is thrown into full display.   

Some of the episodes have some sagging spots, such as the episode in which none of the characters manage to relay one single spoken word to each other.   However, Only Murders... works because of the trio of engaging actors and a murder subplot you actually find yourself caring about.