Kriminalreporter Holm: A dusty mystery with a weirdly quiet bar

If you have a thing for old black-and-white mysteries where everyone wears a suit even while sitting at a ski lodge, you might get a kick out of Kriminalreporter Holm. If you’re looking for fast pacing or, I don't know, a reason to care about the actual murder, you’ll probably be bored out of your mind within twenty minutes. It’s a movie for people who like to watch characters have long, pointed conversations while holding a glass of something expensive.

The murder happens in a bar so crowded that you’d think someone would have noticed a guy dropping dead. But no! It’s the classic trope where the room is full of people, yet everyone is looking the other way. The film treats this like a genuine puzzle, but let’s be real—it’s mostly just an excuse for Holm to walk around looking stern and asking questions that nobody wants to answer.

Watching the patterns

There’s a strange, stiff rhythm to the way these people interact. It reminded me a bit of the pacing in The Unwritten Law, where the drama feels more like a stage play than a movie. The actors are clearly trying to balance that 'serious investigator' look with the fact that they are just standing in a room talking. Sometimes a reaction shot lasts about five seconds too long, and you start counting the wrinkles on the lead actor's forehead. It’s kind of funny, honestly.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Kriminalreporter Holm (1932) through its definitive frames.

• The ski lodge looks remarkably cozy, even if the skiing part is basically nonexistent.
• The threats against Holm are so polite they’re almost charming. 'Leave the case, or else.' Oh, okay then!
• The bar scene has this weird, empty energy where the extras look like they’re waiting for a bus rather than drinking at a resort.

I found myself thinking about The Mummy midway through, mostly because I wished something slightly supernatural would happen to break up the monotony of all this legal talk. The movie gets a little better when it stops pretending to be a high-stakes thriller and just leans into the 'reporter on a mission' vibe. Holm isn't exactly a hero, he's just a guy who refuses to take a hint.

Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it worth watching on a rainy afternoon if you’ve already seen The Dumbwaiter twice? Sure. The ending is exactly what you expect, which is almost a relief at this point. 🏔️

Don't expect the world. Just expect a lot of talking, some very sharp hats, and a mystery that feels like it was written by someone who has only ever read about murders in the newspaper. It's perfectly fine, and sometimes, that’s enough.