The Plot Thickens: A Perfectly Fine Way to Kill an Hour

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, it depends on how much you like watching Zasu Pitts flutter about. If you’re a fan of those breezy, low-stakes mysteries from the 30s, you’ll have a good time. If you want a film that changes your life or keeps you guessing until the very last frame, you’re gonna be bored stiff.

The whole thing feels like a stage play that someone accidentally filmed. It’s got that stuffy, indoor energy where everyone is just walking into rooms, saying a few lines, and then walking back out. Sometimes they move a prop just to prove they’re busy.

The Good, The Weird, and The Quick

• Zasu Pitts is doing her usual thing, which is great if you like it. She’s got this nervous energy that makes the other actors look like they’re standing in wet cement.
• The museum setting is… well, it’s a room with some glass cases. Don’t expect any The Underwater Tyrant-level production value here.
• James Gleason is basically shouting his lines at the wall. It’s honestly kind of charming.

There’s a moment near the middle where a character leans against a display case and it wobbles so hard I thought it was gonna tip over. Nobody reacted. They just kept talking about the silver cup. Classic.

If you’ve seen The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes, you’ll notice this doesn’t have that same gravity. It’s not trying to be smart. It’s just trying to be finished by dinner time.

Also, the lighting in the hallway scenes is super flat. It looks like they forgot to turn on half the lamps. Maybe it adds to the mystery? Probably not.

I found myself wondering if they ever actually found that cup or if they just forgot about it to go get coffee. It’s that kind of movie. You stop caring about the plot and start caring about which actor is sweating the most. Spoiler: it’s the guy in the tweed suit.

It’s not bad, though. It’s just… there. Like a coaster on a table you’ve already cleared. Watch it if you’re folding laundry or something.