By: Erica Cortes
“Only Murders Live in the Building” is every true crime-lover’s dream in a show.
This mystery-comedy is about three complete strangers who are neighbors in New York City, coming together when they find out they are all obsessed with a true crime podcast called “All Is Not OK In Oklahoma, Cinda Canning.”
The voice behind Cinda Canning, the podcast, is narrated by the talented Tina Fey. Although rarely seen, you hear her voice in each episode that shadows what is going on with the three neighbors.
They later go investigate and start a podcast themselves when another neighbor is found dead in their apartment building, the Arconia.
Although ruled out as a suicide, these three strangers believe it is a homicide and take it upon themselves to find evidence and the killer to prove it. They suspect someone that is living in the building and investigate as many tenants as possible. Their sumptuous building has many distinctive individuals living there. During each episode we begin to get to know these souls living in the complex.
All three neighbors live alone in their separate apartments and keep secrets of their own struggles to themselves.
One of the three neighbors is Charles-Haden Savage played by the funny Steve Martin. Martin shows his funny, yet quirky personality playing an old actor who wants to be known again. He struggles accepting the fact that he is no longer as popular as he once was when he played in the show “Brazzos” as Brozzos.
Oliver Putnam, played by Martin Short, is an ex-director who is having a hard financial time. In trying to keep a luxurious life, he sours many relationships, including him and his son’s.
By producing this podcast, he believes it will help him pay back all the loans and final notices from his bill before he gets evicted.
Due to working on numerous projects together, including “Father of The Bride” and “Three Amigos,” Martin and Short deliver substantial chemistry on this film. Their unique personalities complement each other with their youngest co-star bringing something different to the table as well.
The main mysterious neighbor of the three is Maybel Mora, played by Selena Gomez. Each episode we get a glimpse of her past life and how she might not be the person she portrays to be with her detective partners.
Gomez portrays in the beginning a young adult who doesn’t have interest in socializing with her fellow neighbors. However, when the building is evacuated Martin, Short and Gomez’s characters end up at the same restaurant discovering their common love for their true crime podcast show.
Each episode reveals more secrets from other tenants in their building and each episode leaves a cliffhanger. This show is full of drama, laughter and a bit of thrill. True crime fans receive a glimpse of what can happen if they investigate their own mysteries.
This comedy mystery “Only Murders Live in the Building” airs every Tuesday on Hulu and is rated TVMA.