Jay Rohr
Murder can lead to happiness, or so it seems in Maggie Moore(s). Death frees some, while bringing others together in this tale of killers and a lonely lawman. The film strives to mine true crime for comedy. However, despite some absurdity, situations rarely rise to more than a chuckle. Still, that isn’t a fatal blow.
The story revolves around the murders of two women both named Maggie Moore, portrayed by Louisa Krause and Mary Holland. Investigating this bizarre coincidence is Jon Hamm as Sheriff Jordan Sanders. A lonesome widower, he’s already trying to figure out the mystery of how to be happy again. Searching for answers leads through a tangle of adulterous affairs, failing franchise owners, and hired fiends. Along the way, Sheriff Sanders encounters a nosy neighbor played by Tina Fey, who may hold the clue to his lost happiness. And the killer.
Calling Maggie Moore(s) a mystery would be a bit of a misnomer. The audience is aware from the start who’s behind the crime. Instead of a whodunit, director John Slattery and screenwriter Paul Bernbaum are more interested in the lives of these characters, their motivations and such. It’s a good intention, but strangely, the murders soon take a backseat. Despite the title, these dead ladies aren’t the real focus of the film.
Maggie Moore(s) is about what people are willing to do to achieve happiness. On the upside, this results in some genuinely human moments. Besides everyone feeling alone in various ways, each main character is uniquely flawed. Husband to murdered Maggie one, Jay Moore, portrayed by Micah Stock, is a person spiraling under when he thinks he’s treading water. Tina Fey as Rita Grace is someone without enough self-worth to stop belittling herself. So on and so forth. It’s a cavalcade of people powerwalking into brick walls.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t always make the movie compelling. These displays of relatable humanity aren’t enough to overcome a predictable, dull storyline. Maggie Moore(s) walks an obvious trail devoid of intriguing scenery.
For instance, since the audience knows the killers from the beginning, the investigation doesn’t really matter. In fact, like most police procedurals, interviewing suspects is just an excuse for exposition dumps. These might not be so bad if they offered any character depth, but they don’t. The result is a big budget true crime reenactment with a tacked-on romantic subplot. One featuring two sad sacks Eeyore would roll his eyes at.
Every now and again there seems to be an attempt to inject comedy into the movie. Perhaps filmmakers felt that would provide some saving grace. Certain scenes imply a joke may have been written, either for dialogue or action, but whatever worked on paper is typically D.O.A.
Honestly, the lack of humor might not be a problem if Maggie Moore(s) wasn’t advertised as a comedy. Without that expectation, the drama is fine with absurdity inducing occasional smirks. The cast does an excellent job of bringing to life these flawed characters, and except for one or two glaring spots, the script offers dialogue that isn’t simply emotional exposition. Viewers mostly get to know these people by the way they behave, the choices they make, rather than being told their feelings flat out.
The problem is that there are so many plates spinning filmmakers are focused on keeping them going without noticing they’re losing the audience. Maggie Moore(s) wants to explore romance, but when that dull interaction clearly fizzles out, a convenient news broadcast brings a fresh clue to reignite the murder investigation. However, it’s less of a shocking reveal as it is a formulaic steppingstone. The murders then become an excuse to escape a boring exchange headed nowhere interesting.
The overall plot is derived from the unsolved murders of two women, both named Mary Morris. Yet, this loose affiliation with actual events doesn’t help much. Maggie Moore(s) isn’t interested in telling that story. Instead, it focuses on plotlines from the TV detective scrap barrel. In a way, the movie seems to be trying to leech some authenticity off the real murders it can’t produce on its own. As if the fact this really happened (to some extent) makes the movie more interesting by association.
There’s reason to suspect Maggie Moore(s) is following in the footsteps of other films. Possibly one set somewhere like Minnesota. And there’s potential in the plot as well as the cast to take such inspiration to entertaining heights. The frustrating part is that little if any of that potential comes together. It’s like mixing a bunch of chemicals which seem reactive yet producing no discernible result.
It isn’t all bad. Jon Hamm is charming as ever. Waiting to see the consequences for the criminals is worthwhile, especially given a character twist I won’t spoil. There’s also a clever subplot hidden throughout about an opportunistic employee taking advantage of Jay Moore’s situation. It moves along subtly in the background for most of the movie, and has a witty, implicative payoff.
Though it feels like a film that could’ve easily been better, Maggie Moore(s) passes the time. True crime fans will probably enjoy this lukewarm murder account most of all. Meanwhile, anyone giving it a chance should expect more light drama and less comedy. One day Maggie Moore(s) may be a crown jewel of the Hallmark Mystery Channel, but for now, it’s filler featuring familiar faces when nothing else new is streaming Saturday night.
