PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I am a huge fan of theater. I am also a huge fan of murder mysteries. Not to mention, I am a horror movie fanatic. Put all three of these things together and you get Murder Made Easy, a spectacular film by David Palamaro. Let’s break it down and I’ll tell you why you should drink a fine glass of wine and enjoy a five course meal while watching the delectable film that is Murder Made Easy.
https://vimeo.com/233743660
Official Synopsis for Murder Made Easy
Best pals Joan and Michael invite their dearest friends over for a cordial dinner to discuss the passing of Joan’s husband Neil. But as each guest arrives, dark secrets are reveled and murder is definitely on the menu.
What Works
Murder Made Easy is an homage to classic murder mysteries in the realm of Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock, but with a modern day edge. The script was written by Tim Davis and is so beautifully done. Director David Palamaro executed it to perfection. Murder Made Easy may seem simplistic; however, this is very intricate film from the first frame to the ending credits. I cannot express how much I loved the stylistic approach of Murder Made Easy. It honestly spoke to me, as not only a viewer of the film but also as a writer. It was beyond clever to make a film incorporating old school murder mysteries. On top of that, the filmmakers carved it into acts as if the audience really was at a live theater showing of a play. Fans of this specific type of genre would absolutely request an encore performance.
Each member of the cast is so unique and different from the rest, it really makes the film feel fresh and fun. The characters and actors were great, from Christopher Soren Kelly’s portrayal of the reserved Michael to his partner in crime, the uppity Joan, played by the stunning Jessica Graham, to each of their dinner guests: self-absorbed Marcus (Edmund Lupinski), over-the-top vegan activist Cricket (Emilia Richeson) (side note: totally love the name Cricket), bad boy Damien (Daniel Ahearn) and scholar Angela (Sheila Cutchlow). They all create a delicious bite of cinema.
What Doesn’t Work:
I love everything about the film. It’s fun witty and clever. However, I can see that it may not be a film for everyone. If you are a blood thirsty horror fiend, then Murder Made Easy probably isn’t going to be the movie for you. There is little to no blood (which I myself am completely fine with). It is a bit on the predictable side with certain elements, but then, again not really. There’s not much to say negatively about this film. There was really only one part that was beyond the scope of being realistic for the plot twist, but I won’t go into spoilers. But that would be me being slightly picky about it.
Final Thoughts
Murder Made Easy is easily the most classy, sophisticated, demented, brilliantly put together film of this given sub-genre. The whole cast and crew certainly deserve a standing ovation. As a theater nerd, I would love to watch this being played out on stage. They all deserve to take a bow and break a leg with their future projects. Until then, I highly recommend watching Murder Made Easy!
