Murder on the Set: A weird little British crime flick from 1935

Is it worth your time?

Look, if you have a thing for 1930s British crime stuff that feels like it was transferred from a piece of tape someone found in a bin, maybe. If you want a smooth, polished thriller, keep walking. This is for the people who actually like the grit of old film stock.

It’s a weird premise. The director kills his double and then just... carries on as if nothing happened? It’s bold, I guess. Henry Kendall is all over the place here, playing both parts with that frantic energy you only really see in movies from this era.

Notes from the couch

• The 16mm print is rough. Like, really rough. Sometimes you can barely see the faces, which actually adds to the mystery if you want to be generous about it.
• The dialogue is fast. Sometimes too fast. It feels like they were trying to save on film stock by cramming as many words into one shot as possible.
• There is a scene near the middle where the framing of the actress feels so sudden it's almost funny. Like, did she even do anything? Doesn't matter, apparently.

It’s not as polished as A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate, which is to be expected given the budget here. But there's something about the way Wally Patch looms around that keeps you watching. He’s got that classic heavy look that just works.

The whole movie feels like it was made on a Tuesday afternoon. There's no fat on the bone, mostly because they probably couldn't afford any. It doesn't drag, which is a blessing. It just kind of happens to you.

I wouldn't compare it to the big sweeping stuff like Michael Strogoff. This is a small, claustrophobic story. It stays in its lane. The lane is dark, a bit smoky, and slightly confusing. 🕵️‍♂️

Maybe it’s the quality of the source, but I found myself squinting at the screen a lot. Was that a shadow or a plot twist? Who knows. I kind of liked not being sure.