Pretty fun, but could've used a more ridiculous mustache.
What it's about
A detective investigates a murder at an elite country club, where he uncovers secrets being kept by multiple guests.
The take
Mystery films and whodunits have placed the rich and powerful in their crosshairs for generations now, and Murder Mubarak proudly follows in that tradition through a tried and tested formula. So while there isn't anything particularly surprising here, the film nails the tone it needs, smartly placing the focus away from the central crime and poking fun at the entire ecosystem of privilege and ego that gets revealed in its wake. Unfortunately, the movie also doesn't sustain this momentum till the end, as it abruptly stumbles toward its inevitable revelations without giving itself time to let the consequences breathe. When it's all over, it actually feels like we don't know many of these individual characters any better than the overall situation they're in.
What stands out
It might not seem like a big deal at first, and it's hardly the main point of the film, but from the very beginning Murder Mubarak gets you to think about how these characters use language—especially English. There's a class dimension inherent to how this more "upper-class" language tends to be deployed only in certain situations or towards certain people to whom one wants to appear more superior. To viewers who are already bilingual or multilingual, this might seem like common sense. But for those who might only be fluent in one language, noticing how words can be twisted to gain leverage in certain situations is a fun Easter egg to discover.
Comments
Add a comment
Your name
Your comment
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
More like this in
My Old Ass (2024)
A pleasant mix of comedy and coming-of-age that may or may not leave you in tears
8.0
Being Julia (2004)
A middle age crisis leads to a star finding her spark in this insightful comedy
7.1
The Substance (2024)
Demi Moore swaps bodies in this standout chaotic body dysmorphia horror
8.3
The Guilty (2018)
A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.
9.0
The Night Comes for Us (2018)
A Triad enforcer punches out a bloody escape in this spectacular, violent crime thriller
7.0
His Three Daughters (2024)
Three sisters deal with life and death in this moving family portrait
8.2
Emilia Pérez (2024)
Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez return to their roots in this multinational crime musical drama
7.5
Wind River (2017)
Sicario's screenwriter directs this story of murder in an Indigenous reserve
9.4
Short Sharp Shock (1998)
Three friends take to the streets of Hamburg in this multicultural crime drama
7.5
Wild Tales (2014)
Co-produced by Pedro Almodóvar, this tumultuous Argentine anthology film tests the limits of human sanity when pushed to the extremes – and will also test yours.