The Big Picture

• See How They Run is a 2022 noir caper film set in 1950s London during a murder investigation after the director of Agatha Christie's play, The Mousetrap, is found dead.
• The film cleverly honors Christie's legacy by making her a fictional character and includes meta commentary on theater and film production.
• See How They Run satirizes the mystery genre, referencing classic Christie stories and utilizing characters reminiscent of Hercule Poirot.

While names like Walter Mosley, Raymond Chandler, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are 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 great Agatha 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 only William Shakespeare. Although Christie died in 1976, her work is continuously introduced to new readers thanks to many great television and film adaptations. Although seeing more fleshed-out versions of her work certainly satisfies her readers, the 2022 noir caper See How They Run honored Christie’s legacy by making her a fictional character within a mystery investigation.

What Is 'See How They Run' About?

Of all of Christie’s brilliantly written stage productions, her famous murder mystery The Mousetrap easily ranks among her most influential. Upon its initial debut at London’s West End theater in 1952, The Mousetrap was 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 of The 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 Run does not attempt to directly bring the stage play to life; the film focuses on a fictional murder case that develops during the production of The Mousetrap. By combining one of her most famous projects with a case that feels directly inspired by her work, director Tom George pulls off the ultimate Christie tribute with See How They Run.

Set in 1953 London, See How They Run follows 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 for The 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 Run unpacks a Christie-like mystery from the perspective of a fan of her work, as Saoirse Ronan co-stars as the Police Inspector Stalker, a Christie obsessive who herself was looking forward to seeing The 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.

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 that See How They Run has 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 Stoppard certainly ranks among his most underrated.

'See How They Run' Pays Tribute to Agatha Christie’s Real Life

While the story that See How They Run tells is a fictional one, the insight into how a production of The Mousetrap was 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, including stage producer Petula 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 Run becomes a clever satire of both theater and film production.

Although the plot mechanics of The Mousetrap are essential in solving the film’s case, See How They Run takes its meta commentary a step further by including a fictionalized version of Christie as a character. A third act twist reveals Shirley Henderson as 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 Run does a great job at fleshing out Christie’s motivations for writing The Mousetrap in 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 alone gives See How They Run a genuinely fascinating ethical dilemma to 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 Run contains many references to classic Christie stories. Watching the cast and crew of The Mousetrap get picked off one by one evokes comparisons to And 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 obvious stand-in for Hercule Poirot.

See How They Run is unique in its approach because the 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 Run is one of the rare movies inspired by Christie that feels worthy of the great author herself.

See How They Run is available to rent on Prime Video.

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