A ventriloquist who also works as a private detective is hired by a mysterious woman struggling to deal with a stalker. As they begin their investigation, the PI and his dummy find themselves marooned, along with their client, at a creepy hotel in an isolated village. But when guests start dying, the duo realise they've got more than just a stalker to deal with.
Usually when watching a murder mystery, the ventriloquist is the suspect. It's just a question of who's in charge; the dummy or the guy running them. But in an amusing twist, The Dummy Detective flips that on its head by having the dummy and his right hand man - so to speak - do the investigating. The whole thing kind of feels like a get together at Agatha Christie's house. Well, a puppet convention, anyway. The result is a crazy mash-up of genres and styles. Set in the modern day, but inspired by classic noir movies. It's And Then There Were None with puppets. All of which gives the mystery a decidedly comedic edge. Only there are times when it feels like the movie is messing with you. Making it hard to know exactly what kind of movie you’re watching.
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Needless to say, there is some strange stuff going on in this hotel, and I’m not just talking about the neck and shoulder rubs or the grisly deaths. Dead pets. Strange doctors and former gang members running around. Some of the murder weapons are a little unique too! As with all dramas like this, however, it’s more than a little convenient that all these people happen to end up in the same remote hotel at the same time. Quite the coincidence. And you do have to wonder why all the non-killers - ‘innocent’ might be a bit of a stretch - don’t simply barricade themselves in their rooms after the first death occurs. Certainly the second. But I guess it wouldn’t be much of a murder mystery if they did. And you can always rely on people to be stupid when in dangerous situations.
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Thankfully one of the guests is a bit more level-headed. Jonathan Geffner not only makes his feature film debut with a convincing performance as Detective Van Trillo - a man struggling with a few too many strong personalities - he displays his impressive talents as a ventriloquist with a varied selection of puppets - I particularly liked Mrs Levinsky. Trillo's ability to put the people he's interrogating on edge by having Sam (the dummy detective) ask the questions provides seemingly endless fun. Seeing them all question why they're talking to a dummy, then get angry at the line of questioning and try to get in the dummy's face, before realising they're arguing with a dummy, is not only funny, it's believable. Let's face it, the likelihood is we'd all do the same.
All of the performances have a slightly hammy vibe. They’re a little over the top - sometimes maybe a little too OTT - but for the most part it actually compliments those classic noir stylings. And what a rogues' gallery of suspects Trillo and his puppet team have to deal with! Everyone seems to have something to hide. As the creepy hotel owner/mystery novel writer, Sean Young is like a more intense and sinister 'Hyacinth Bucket' - I wonder what Patricia Routledge would think about that. While Deborah Twiss brings a sense of mystery to Chloe Lake, the almost enigmatic woman who hires Trillo. Also caught out in this murderous storm are Ed Altman, Kristin Samuelson, Hari Bhaskar and David Lambert. Each plays a decidedly unlikeable character, which really pays off when the puppets come out to interrogate.
Another interesting aspect of The Dummy Detective is the glimpse it offers into the psychology of ventriloquism. Trillo interacts with several other ventriloquists and their dummies, but it's only when he encounters Altman’s ‘Elliot Black’ that things get really interesting. A former ventriloquist, Black is convinced his dummy took something from him. His conversation with Trillo brings an intriguing perspective on the connection between performer and puppet. The idea of merging personalities, and the dummy taking on the dominant role. It definitely adds to the mystery, and it has a clear effect on the detective - at the time, anyway - and could have added a gripping psychological element to this murder mystery with puppets. Unfortunately, the movie only dips its toe into this seemingly juicy subject. With Trillo almost unaffected as he goes back to his investigation. That said, it does add a little tension to the impromptu case conferences he has with his team of dummies.
An intriguing murder mystery featuring an odd detective duo. The Dummy Detective is a curious blend of genres and styles. In other words it'll make you laugh while keeping you guessing. It's just a shame it doesn't dive deeper into that puppet/performer relationship.
7/10
The Dummy Detective is currently streaming on Prime Video, Plex and Tubi.
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