Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- sardonic
- irreverent
- lazy sunday
- mystery movie night
What critics said
Critics generally found the Neil Simon spoof amusing and breezy, with an exceptional comedy cast and sharp comic set pieces, though the mystery can feel static and its resolution unsatisfying.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The dinner brings together parodies of sleuths modeled on recognizable traditions, including the Belgian investigator, the hard-boiled gumshoe, and the amateur society detectives.
The film uses an unusually prominent ensemble including Peter Sellers, David Niven, Maggie Smith, James Coco, Alec Guinness, and Truman Capote.
The guests are trapped in the mansion and must identify the murderer before midnight and dawn while anticipating further attacks.
The plot explicitly stages a dinner challenge around famous detectives and turns their familiar methods and personas into comic material.
Films like Murder by Death, and why
Clue
ensemble murder mystery parody built around eccentric detectives trapped in an elaborate mansion
The Cheap Detective
stylized comic whodunit with famous sleuth archetypes, theatrical mystery plotting, and broad ensemble humor
The Private Eyes
playful spoof of classic detective fiction using caricatured investigators, verbal comedy, and genre conventions
Movie Details
- Director
- Robert Moore
- Release Date
- 1976-06-23
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (936)
Cast
- Truman Capote
- Alec Guinness
- Peter Sellers
- David Niven
- Maggie Smith
- James Coco
- Peter Falk
- Eileen Brennan
- Elsa Lanchester
- Estelle Winwood
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- 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 Murder by Death about?
- A houseful of celebrated detective caricatures turns a wealthy host’s deadly dinner challenge into a gleefully theatrical whodunit spoof.
- What is Murder by Death like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Murder by Death as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Murder by Death violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Murder by Death as mild.
- What did critics think of Murder by Death?
- Critics generally found the Neil Simon spoof amusing and breezy, with an exceptional comedy cast and sharp comic set pieces, though the mystery can feel static and its resolution unsatisfying.
- Which films are like Murder by Death?
- Films with a similar feel include Clue, The Cheap Detective, and The Private Eyes.
- How long is Murder by Death?
- Murder by Death runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Murder by Death?
- In United States, Murder by Death streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
