The Great Hotel Murder is a messy, charming relic

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for 1930s mystery fluff where everyone talks fast and wears a hat, you'll probably enjoy this. It’s light, breezy, and completely forgettable in the best possible way. If you need grit or deep character arcs, stay far, far away. You will likely hate how easily the plot gets wrapped up.

The whole thing feels like a stage play that barely escaped the theater. Our lead, Roger Blackwood, thinks he’s smarter than the actual house detective, Andy McCabe. It’s a classic trope, but it works fine here because the actors clearly aren't trying to win an Oscar. They’re just having fun.

There's this one moment in the lobby where the pacing just completely falls apart. Everyone is standing around, looking very serious about a medical convention murder, and you can tell they were just waiting for the cue to walk through the door. It’s oddly charming how unpolished it feels.

Speaking of feeling unpolished, the supporting cast is huge. It’s like they invited everyone in the studio to play a doctor or a guest. Some of them clearly have no idea what to do with their hands when they aren't speaking. It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in The Burglar, where the background action is just as distracting as the main plot.

Small things I noticed:

• The lighting in the hotel suite changes drastically between two shots that are supposed to be seconds apart.
• I’m pretty sure one of the extras in the background of the dining room scene is just reading a newspaper upside down.
• The lead actor has this weird habit of adjusting his tie every time he says something clever.

The mystery itself is fine, I guess. It’s not exactly a brain-buster. You’ll figure out who did it about halfway through, mostly because the movie stops trying to hide it. That didn't bother me much, though.

Sometimes, I’d rather watch something that doesn't take itself too seriously than a modern slog that thinks it’s reinventing the wheel. It’s a bit like watching The Holdup Man in terms of its simple, punchy delivery. It knows what it is, and it doesn't try to be anything else. 🕵️‍♂️

I left the movie feeling like I’d just had a cup of lukewarm coffee—not great, but it did the job. If you’re looking for something to watch while doing laundry, this is it.