Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- breezy
- chaotic
- lazy sunday
- light comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as an ineffective, plot-heavy comedy lacking comic inspiration.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Phoebe and Julian become fugitives after discovering the lost dog's owner dead, while other unlucky characters are drawn into suspicion.
The plot explicitly centers on luck and judgment deserting the characters as their attempt to return the dog spirals into criminal trouble.
Multiple victims of misfortune become suspects in the murder mystery, creating an ensemble investigation rather than a single-protagonist case.
The characters travel from Rome toward Monte Carlo while navigating fugitives, a reward, and a murder investigation.
Films like Once Upon a Crime, and why
Ruthless People
farce built around mistaken identities, criminal suspicion, and escalating comic misfortune
The Big Picture
ensemble crime comedy pairing bumbling characters with a convoluted mystery and unlucky reversals
Clue
light mystery farce driven by coincidence, suspects, and broad comic performances
Movie Details
- Director
- Eugene Levy
- Release Date
- 1992-03-06
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (131)
Cast
- John Candy
- Jim Belushi
- Cybill Shepherd
- Sean Young
- Richard Lewis
- Ornella Muti
- Giancarlo Giannini
- George Hamilton
- Roberto Sbaratto
- Joss Ackland
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Once Upon a Crime about?
- A lost dog, a dead owner, and a reward-seeking pair propel an unlucky ensemble into a chaotic European murder farce.
- What is Once Upon a Crime like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Once Upon a Crime as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Once Upon a Crime violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Once Upon a Crime as mild.
- What did critics think of Once Upon a Crime?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as an ineffective, plot-heavy comedy lacking comic inspiration.
- Which films are like Once Upon a Crime?
- Films with a similar feel include Ruthless People, The Big Picture, and Clue.
- How long is Once Upon a Crime?
- Once Upon a Crime runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Once Upon a Crime?
- In United States, Once Upon a Crime is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
