Welcome to the greatest murder ever staged! It is the West End of London in the 1950s, and plans for a movie version of a smash-hit play have come to an abrupt halt after a pivotal member of the crew is murdered. When world-weary Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and his eager rookie sidekick, Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan), take on the case, the two find themselves thrown into a puzzling whodunit within the glamorously sordid theatre underground. The more they investigate the mysterious homicide, the more they realize that they do so at their own peril.
For in-depth thoughts on See How They Run, please see my colleague Larry Fried’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
See How They Run has sadly not been given a physical media release as of this review, and all signs point to it not happening anytime soon, if ever. Physical media is our passion and preference in every case, but in its absence the show must go on. It is extremely rare that we evaluate the A/V quality of anything outside of a disc, so we must offer some unique caveats. Unlike a disc, the quality of a stream will vary from viewer to viewer based on a number of factors, so take this assessment as one potential outcome you could experience. While the film is available on digital platforms on 4K UHD, we were supplied with an 1080p HD code of the film in its original 1.85:1 that was viewed through the Movies Anywhere app. Despite the lack of a physical disc, this stream does a favorable job of bringing this world to life.
Shot on digital and finished in 4K, the visual brilliance of the film is immediately breathtaking. From beginning to end, viewers are treated to stable, dazzling colors within the production design and costumes which make you swoon a bit. Skin tones appear natural with healthy doses of crisp detail apparent on faces such as pores and within the makeup. The color spectrum is broad and nuanced within the world that has been constructed. Elements in the film taking place in the cover of shadows are mostly stable with only a bit of struggle when it comes to compression. The black levels by and large deliver a great amount of detail. The highlights in the film are finely delineated with whites pure and balanced with no obvious instances of blooming to be found. This HD stream is quite lovely, so we can only imagine the 4K UHD stream captures this striking world even more faithfully.
Audio Quality
This stream delivers a very involving DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that presents this world in a formidable way. From the opening moments, the soundscape is set to deliver an immersive experience with sounds of cars and theatre patrons surrounding you in abundance. Every element is appropriately rendered with precise directionality from the more frenzied scenes to interpersonal moments of dialogue. Ambient details are plentiful and quite satisfying in the surround channels. The vibrant score from Daniel Pemberton envelopes the room with a buoyancy befitting the period being recreated. Dialogue is presented perfectly clear without ever being burdened by any of the competing sonic elements. The low end delivers some great texture to moments that call for it. The mix offers up a very pleasing experience for all who check it out.
Special Features
- See How They Run Behind The Curtain: A fairly substantial 26-minute featurette which takes you behind the scenes of the production with the cast and creative team as they discuss the care that went into crafting this world, the ode to the “whodunit” genre, the challenges that were faced in bringing this film to life, and much more that is worth a watch if you enjoyed the feature presentation.
Final Thoughts
See How They Run is a bit self-satisfied at times when it comes to the deconstructing and subsequently reconstructing the mystery genre, but it admittedly delivers a great deal of fun in the process. The rich and sumptuous world that has been constructed is not just costume jewelry meant to distract as you have compelling storylines and immensely talented performers bringing them to life. The film is not quite to the level of a modern classic, but if you want to curl up on the couch with a humorous take on a cozy mystery, you are going to have a good time. Searchlight Pictures has given this film a digital release featuring a sterling A/V presentation and a decent supplemental feature. While you are holding your breath for a physical release, this is a film worth checking out any way you can in the meantime. Recommended
See How They Run is currently available to purchase on Digital platforms.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the stream.
Disclaimer: Searchlight Pictures has supplied a digital copy free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.