DbcultAccessing Vault...
7.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Herring Murder Case remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have about ten minutes and a strange craving for black-and-white animation that feels like it was sketched during a fever dream, sure. If you’re looking for a coherent mystery, you’re gonna be annoyed. People who hate nonsense will absolutely despise this. It’s for the folks who like their cartoons to feel a little unhinged.
The whole thing kicks off with the murder of The Herring. I’m not entirely sure why we care about this fish, but Detective Bimbo is on the job. The guy is basically the definition of a 'bimbo' in name and spirit. He spends half the runtime chasing tracks that belong to a mouse with massive feet. Why? Who knows. Maybe the mouse is the mastermind. Maybe it’s just filler.
The pacing is all over the place. One second we're looking at footprints, the next the killer is back at the scene acting like they own the place. It’s not exactly Sherlock Holmes. It feels more like someone threw a bunch of ink at a wall and decided whatever stuck was the plot.
It’s weirdly fun to compare this to something like The Wine Girl or even the moodier vibes of In the Spider's Grip. It lacks that kind of gravity, obviously. It’s just a cartoon fish getting offed by a guy who probably forgot he left his fingerprints everywhere.
The killer coming back to the scene is the only part that feels like a real thriller, even if it’s played for laughs. It’s like, buddy, maybe just leave? Why are you still here? The movie doesn't care. Neither did I, eventually.
It’s not trying to be a masterpiece. It’s just trying to exist. Sometimes that’s enough. Other times, you just want to know why the mouse had such giant feet. I’m still thinking about it. 🐟🐁