photo: press materials
The third season of Crimes Next Door told the story of a murder and the behind-the-scenes of creating a play. The fourth series departs from this and focuses on Hollywood. This time we watch a film being made based on the podcast of the main characters. However, this motif is not the foundation of the story, but only one of its elements. The creators do not take the easy way out – they do not repeat the pattern from the third series, but figure out how to introduce Hollywood chaos into the investigation. And it works brilliantly. Nothing here is accidental. The specificity of Mabel, Charles and Oliver mixes with Hollywood splendor and gives us something fresh, inventive and sometimes wildly funny.
The creators decided to poke fun at the film industry and show it in a distorting mirror. So we have a weird producer (Molly Shannon), as well as three stars who got the roles of our main characters in the film. The creators show everything that is worst in adapting a story to the silver screen. And of course, they spice it up accordingly. The fun with convention, patterns and the worst myths of Hollywood deserves praise. The weirdness of the female artists-directors is especially emphasized. The creators show the path the characters went through to deal with this project, as well as their connection to the podcasters’ case. In terms of comedy, it is much better than the theater motif in season 3. The new story is also more accessible to the viewer, for whom the backstage of creating a film production is probably closer than niche theater. The writers let their imagination run wild and present the strangest stereotypes of the industry. They try to give the viewers good entertainment. This is exactly what we expect from the series Crimes next door.
We get one episode for the premiere, but the first two are a solid introduction to the atmosphere, conventions and investigation. It’s a good start that brings all the elements together and promises a really successful season. Every plot is well thought out – the suspects change like in a kaleidoscope. And the main trio still does great! The challenges of film production thwart their plans, and the actors – who want to spend time with them to learn about their characters – add a lot of humor. This time, the investigation has a very emotional and personal character, which distinguishes this season from the previous ones. The creators are creative and know how to surprise us. The seventh episode is the best example of this, because the unexpected twist makes us eagerly await the next episodes.
Some things seem off. The creators made an irrational decision to strongly emphasize the generational differences between the characters. Sometimes Oliver and Charles behave stupidly, and the scenes with them cause embarrassment, not laughter. This is a conscious choice of the creators, but I don’t know if they wanted to achieve this effect. The second aspect is the continuation of the romantic plot of Oliver with Loretta. It is a long-distance relationship, so Meryl Streep appears in her role in two episodes. There is still great chemistry between her and Martin Short! However, when the woman is not there, Oliver’s behavior is irritating, unbearable and unfunny. This plot becomes tiresome and unnecessary, even though it fits the man’s character. As a consolation, we get a crazy scene with Meryl Streep and Melissa McCarthy, in which you will see something that the former actress probably has never done on screen. It turned out hilarious!
These mentioned shortcomings do not reduce the quality of season 4. Crime in the neighborhood. The series is still good, funny and inventive, and the investigation surprises with a twist that cannot be predicted – I appreciate it very much, because it works great in the context of the whole story. New episodes guarantee good fun, during which we can laugh at Hollywood. It is also a foretaste of the final adventure, which can delight even more.
Deputy editor-in-chief of naEKRANIE,pl. A journalist by passion. A fan of Star Wars for over 20 years, he was raised on Chinese kung fu, cartoons and movies with big monsters. He does not shy away from any genre in cinema and television. Although he is afraid to watch horror movies. He loves flashy superproductions, comedies with smart, universal humor and intelligent cinema. The most important thing in movies and series is emotions. In private, he likes to take photos and collect Star Wars gadgets.
Crimes next door
