Bulldog Drummond at Bay: Short, fast, and kind of a mess

Is it worth the time?

Honestly, only if you have a massive soft spot for black-and-white British mysteries from the thirties. It moves fast enough that you don't get bored, but don't expect it to change your life. If you love The Gentleman Bushranger for that same scrappy, low-stakes energy, you'll be fine.

The whole thing feels like it was filmed on a weekend budget. Sometimes the shadows look great, and other times the actors are just standing around waiting for their turn to say a line. It’s charming in that clumsy way.

The vibe

Bulldog Drummond is supposed to be this suave hero, but here he feels more like a guy who just happened to be at the scene of the crime. The way he moves through rooms makes me think he’s constantly looking for the catering table.

• The dialogue is peak 1937 melodrama.
• The secret aircraft plans are basically a prop that everyone forgets about for ten minutes at a time.
• There is a scene where a guy walks out of a room and it clearly wasn't meant to be the exit, but they kept it anyway.

It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Racing Hearts, where things happen because the script says so, not because anyone actually planned it. 🧐

I found myself staring at the background furniture more than the actual actors. There is this one bookshelf that looks like it's holding up the entire wall. Maybe that’s the real lead of the movie?

Whatever. It’s not deep, it’s not smart, and it definitely isn't trying to be an Oscar winner. It’s just a movie. Sometimes that’s enough, right? Just don't ask me to explain who was working for who by the end of it, because I stopped caring around the second act. 🤷‍♂️