Maggie Moore(s) review: An engaging Coen brothers-inspired dark comedy crime drama

3/5

Story: Jay Moore, a sandwich store owner in a small town in New Mexico, is involved in unethical business practices. His world comes crashing down when his wife Maggie discovers a revolting secret concerning his side business. When his wife threatens to inform the police, he enlists the help of a hitman to frighten her into submission. But he ends up killing her, so Jay decides another woman named Maggie Moore was killed, in an effort to convince law enforcement that his wife’s murder was a case of mistaken identity, orchestrated by someone else. Police Chief Jordan Sanders believes that both murders are somehow connected, despite evidence contradicting his conclusions.

Review: If one doesn’t pay attention to the opening ten minutes of Maggie Moore(s), it is quite possible that one might find the narrative a touch convoluted. But the film settles into its story and delves into its characters, unravelling as an intriguing murder mystery. Mad Men star Jon Hamm slips into the role of Police Chief Jordan Sanders, a recently widowed man trying to move on with his life. His character is a sharp contrast to Jay Moore, whose greed and naivety put him in a compromising position – which results in chaos, including the murders of two innocent women.

Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed plays the role of the Police Chief’s deputy. Both Mohammed and Hamm share great chemistry as a murder-investigating duo, with a dose of dark humour on the side. Hamm’s character Jordan is depicted as a mild-mannered yet astute policeman guiding his younger deputy through the ropes of being a well-respected policeman. However, when it comes to matters of the heart, their roles are reversed as it is the younger deputy who advises his senior officer. While Mohammed does play a character very close to his portrayal of Nathan Shelley in the hit comedy series Ted Lasso, he manages to convince the audience that a British Asian man working as a policeman in New Mexico, USA does not feel out of place.

Micah Stock’s turn as the desperate Jay Moore, who sets off a chain of events that results in the murder, is well-executed. Veteran comedian and award-winning TV actress Tina Fey plays the role of Hamm’s potential love interest in the film. All the characters in the film, including the psychotic hitman, played by Happy Anderson, are straight from the playbook of the Coen brothers. In fact, much like the acclaimed crime drama series Fargo, which also pays homage to the Coen brothers, Maggie Moore(s) also informs the audience that some parts of the story are based on true events. While the murder investigation and the hitman are fictional, the film has taken the real murders of two women named Mary Morris in Texas as a source of inspiration. However, unlike the film directed by John Slattery, the Morris murders remain unsolved.

The captivating investigation and the protagonist's struggles with finding love after the death of his wife make for an intriguing film. However, the film’s third act ends abruptly, unlike the relatively slow-paced proceedings of the rest of the film.

Verdict: Maggie Moore(s) offers a throwback dark comedy crime drama much like some of the iconic films helmed by the Coen brothers. Jon Hamm and Tina Fey slip into their roles with effortless ease, while Ted Lasso's Nick Mohammed also transitions from football coach in London, England to a lawman in New Mexico, USA with relative comfort. The film might not be as compelling as one would expect but offers just the right amount of intrigue and dark humour to keep one invested in its story.