Only Murders in the Building review
Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin in Only Murders in the Building are the comedy trio I didn’t know I needed. Image courtesy of Hulu.
Only Murders in the Building season 1 review by Zianna Weston
Created by John Hoffman and Steve Martin
Rating: 🏆 most excellent
A washed-up actor (Steve Martin), a bankrupt theatre director (Martin Short) and a mysterious fashionista (Selena Gomez) walk into a bar (okay, restaurant) because the fire alarm in their building was going off. The three have nothing in common besides a mutual disinterest in one another, but that all changes when they discover that they are all obsessed with the same true-crime podcast. After the three try to piece together the mystery they learn that there’s an even juicier mystery in their own building.
Tim Kono has been shot. The official story is a suicide, but our three amateur sleuths decide to take a look for themselves and something about the suicide ruling just isn’t sitting right with them. They take it upon themselves to investigate Kono’s death and along the way they uncover old family secrets, underground crime rings, and learn that each of them holds secrets too. But the most amazing discovery is a deep and unexpected friendship that they all needed but never expected to find in each other. And to top it all off, they start their very own podcast, Only Murders in the Building.
This show became my obsession from the first minute of the pilot episode. We are immediately drawn into each protagonist’s unique world as we watch them walk the streets of New York City and listen to their voiceover monologues. If someone had told me that Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez would have dynamite onscreen chemistry I never would have believed them. But it’s true, this is the comedic trio that I never knew I needed but will henceforth be unable to live without. The supporting characters are all eccentric and hilarious too and include the talents of Amy Ryan, Nathan Lane, Aaron Dominguez, Michael Cyril Creighton, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and so many more! Seriously, if you had even one line in OMITB please know that I love you and think you did an amazing job bringing this murder mystery to life!
The true hero of this show is Dana Covarrubias, the costume designer. Everyone’s looks are spot on but I will spend the rest of my life drooling over Mabel’s (Selena Gomez) wardrobe! The 70s autumn color palette, the incredible use of textures and fuzzy jackets, the signature hoop earrings, the sweaters… Honestly, it’s all perfect and if you see me rocking plaid skirts and Doc Marten boots, you know why.
At its core, this is a classic whodunnit full of on-the-nose, meta jokes that always land. It’s sort of like Scream in that way except that instead of explaining all the tropes of a horror movie, the characters provide one-liners about solving a murder. This show is so well-written and it sets each character up for success onscreen. This show also did a great job of casting diverse actors including BIPOC, LGBTQ, and disabled actors. The most incredible episode of the entire season is told from the perspective of a deaf person and I refuse to spoil anything about this episode because it is one of the best episodes of a series that I’ve ever seen. This is just another example that proves that representing more diverse people onscreen can only strengthen a show. Only Murders in the Building is one of the best series of 2021 and I don’t say that lightly because I have been obsessed with a lot of the incredible shows that debuted this year. So, what are you waiting for? Check out Only Murders in the Building for yourself, the entire first season is now streaming on Hulu.
The minor characters on Only Murders in the Building, like the fans of the podcast, are all just as funny as the main characters. Image courtesy of Hulu.
