Only Murders In The Building: A True Crime Comedy

Mabel (Selena Gomez), Oliver (Martin Short), and Charles (Steve Martin), shown, in Only Murders In The Building -- "True Crime" - Episode 101 (Photo by: Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu)

Hulu’s star-studded Only Murders In The Building focuses on a trio of apartment neighbors that bond over their love of true crime.

At long last, we finally have a reunion featuring Father of the Bride stars Steve Martin and Martin Short. They are two of the funniest people of their generation and certainly haven’t lost a step. Throw in Selena Gomez as the third star of the series and I feel that this series will draw a mixture of fans. Trust me when I say, it’s a show that never loses your interest. What I don’t know yet is whether this comedy will be a limited series or a series that gets a second season picked up. I suppose they could always discover a murder in the final minutes of the tenth episode, which press did not get a chance to see. That’s the only thing I can think of. Martin, Short, and Gomez together are absolute perfection!

The series comes from the brilliant minds of Steve Martin and John Hoffman. Our focus is on a trio of residents living at the Arconia on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. We’re introduced one by one to Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez). Even though they live in the same building, they do not know each other. And yet, all of them have an obsession over true crime. Before you know it, they’re all invested in finding out who killed Tim Kono because they do not think it’s a suicide. As such, they start an investigation of their own and record a podcast. The trio look into every potential detail, big or small. Do they know the killer or not? To borrow a line from The X Files, the truth is out there.

It certainly goes without saying that there’s a long list of spoilers that I can’t write about. Otherwise, it would ruin the series before you have a chance to enjoy it. What I can say for sure is that these first eight episodes had my attention through and through. I’ll for sure be tuning in come October to find out what happens in the remaining episodes.

On one level, it’s frustrating to binge through eight episodes at once before realizing there are two more episodes left to watch! Having binge-watched the first eight episodes, I can tell you that this series has a serial feel to it. I mean, they’re investigating a murder and never stop for one-off episodes. Every episode follows the core trio–they might not be together at the time but there’s not a case where someone is missing in action.

Whether you’ve ever listened to a true crime podcast or not, Only Murders In The Building keeps viewers on their feet.

CREATORS: Steve Martin and John Hoffman
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Steve Martin, John Hoffman, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Jamie Babbitt, Dan Fogelman, and Jess Rosenthal
CAST: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Aaron Dominguez, and Amy Ryan

Hulu launches the first three episodes of Only Murders In The Building on August 31, 2021. New episodes will premiere weekly.

Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.