I see some people have given up on the show after one episode. I think the presence of Steve Martin and Martin Short with their unique quirkiness is enough to keep me enthralled. I don't know a lot about Selena Gomez but like what she is doing. This first step involves lonely people who don't seem to have a tomorrow, finding each other and deciding to become a crime solving group. Then to do a true crime podcast. We get to know a bit about each and it works because these people are stars.
26 Reviews
Yes, it was Midnight Cowboy!
Galtwotwenty22 September 2021
To reviewer Bevo-13678, I noticed it too! That was Dustin Hoffman's Ratso Rizzo character walking across the street and almost getting hit and yelling "I'm WALKING Here! I'm WALKING Here"
The movie was the 1969 Oscar Winner for Best Picture and first ever X rated movie to win an Oscar.
I have seen the first 4 episodes of this show and am marveling at all the cultural references for people of a certain age. If you are in your 60's you are in for a treat as you pick up these little gems.
To people who are complaining about Martin's acting or character, IDK what you are expecting... some wild and crazy guy? King Tut? This is a guy who has written books like "The Shop Girl", screenplays, does serious theater, is married to Victoria Tenant and his acting is pitch perfect for the character he plays. I will cut you some slack since you are reviewing him based on one episode.
The movie was the 1969 Oscar Winner for Best Picture and first ever X rated movie to win an Oscar.
I have seen the first 4 episodes of this show and am marveling at all the cultural references for people of a certain age. If you are in your 60's you are in for a treat as you pick up these little gems.
To people who are complaining about Martin's acting or character, IDK what you are expecting... some wild and crazy guy? King Tut? This is a guy who has written books like "The Shop Girl", screenplays, does serious theater, is married to Victoria Tenant and his acting is pitch perfect for the character he plays. I will cut you some slack since you are reviewing him based on one episode.
I liked it....alot
bmiller5917 September 2021
Let's see where this goes. Signed on to 30 day HULU trial so I'm going to have to binge this to see how it shakes out. Steve Martin and Martin Short in real life are best friends...obvious by what I saw here. Can't wait to get into this show more.
10/10
esilvamarco31 August 2021
The 90s in 2021
hasan-bakhsh31 August 2021
The first episode effortlessly sets the scene for a very lighthearted who-dun-it show. Within the 30+ min timeframe, the cast of characters are given enough depth and dimension to keep us on slight edge. I'm already trying to figure which clues are red-herrings and which are not, even though it's obviously useless this early on. For me, this is a prefect pilot, especially if you're already a fan of the Steven Martin/Martin short comedic style.
True Crime
Prismark103 September 2021
With the reteaming of Steve Martin and Martin Short.
I expected Only Murders in the Building to be a comedy mystery. A little like Woody Allen's Manhattan Murder Mystery.
It does start off that way. Charles (Martin) Oliver (Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez) are mismatched neighbours in a prestigious New York apartment building who are all fans of a murder mystery podcast.
They end up investigating a real life murder.
Tim, a neighbour in their apartment building was in the elevator with them holding a garbage bag and having an angry phone call.
Later he is found dead, it is thought to be a suicide. The three band together for their own true crime podcast.
As the first episode continues. It begins to peel the layers of the three characters which points to something darker.
By the end of the first episode I realised that the series is more about the characters than the murder mystery.
I expected Only Murders in the Building to be a comedy mystery. A little like Woody Allen's Manhattan Murder Mystery.
It does start off that way. Charles (Martin) Oliver (Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez) are mismatched neighbours in a prestigious New York apartment building who are all fans of a murder mystery podcast.
They end up investigating a real life murder.
Tim, a neighbour in their apartment building was in the elevator with them holding a garbage bag and having an angry phone call.
Later he is found dead, it is thought to be a suicide. The three band together for their own true crime podcast.
As the first episode continues. It begins to peel the layers of the three characters which points to something darker.
By the end of the first episode I realised that the series is more about the characters than the murder mystery.
Steve Martin and Martin Short
pianoplayr188 September 2021
Has anyone ever seen Steve Martin play a character this serious? I'm used to goofy,slapstick.
I keep watching him thinking, this is a different side of Steve Martin.
I love the "friendly, conversationalist who is a little full of himself" character that Martin Short plays.
We love the show and look forward to each episode.
I keep watching him thinking, this is a different side of Steve Martin.
I love the "friendly, conversationalist who is a little full of himself" character that Martin Short plays.
We love the show and look forward to each episode.
Amazing start, excited to see more
cyabbxh31 August 2021
As a true crime enthousiast myself I absolutely love the plot! The chemistry between the 3 is really fun and addicting to watch. Although Selena's acting can feel a bit rusty, but she probably needs some time to grow into the role.
Can't wait to see where the story goes.
Can't wait to see where the story goes.
Good story and acting...
papailoa2 November 2021
A smart take on a whodunnit built around performers having fun
glowbrain5 September 2021
Three residents of a New York City apartment complex join forces to investigate the suspicious death of a neighbour.
This is an enjoyable and smart take on a whodunnit. It is built around performers having fun with their roles, and peppered with commentary about genre storytelling and about the media industry.
The first episode opens with the three leads introducing themselves via voiceovers showing their points of view on life in the city. Then we see their unknowingly shared ritual of consuming a particular podcast presenting true crime investigations. This was an efficient and entertaining way to set up their motivations, as well as foreshadowing their probable roles in the investigation to follow.
Martin Short gets the showiest role as an out-of-work producer. He seizes on the death in their building as an opportunity to get his name on something - namely their own home-studio true-crime podcast. His self-absorbed manner includes carelessly casting shade in the guise of directorial commentary.
Selena Gomez defaults to restraint in her performance. That contrasts effectively with the delight she shows in the moments when the trail heats up. When she shares such delighted moments with her fellow snoops, that makes the trio feel like insiders sharing a secret adventure. Note this effect is part of the appeal of true-crime stories, such as the podcast the trio are obsessed with, and is a hook for the audiences for this show.
The episode's production showed some cinematic flourishes throughout, but near the close of the episode it goes all out. Elegant special-effects fantasies are used to represent the characters' subjective reactions to breakthroughs. For example, free-falling joyously from the top of a stair, then bouncing weightlessly all the way back up. Such moments mean that the filmmakers have greater stylistic ambitions than your typical crime procedural potboiler assembled from static dialogue scenes.
The only real shortfall for me was Steve Martin's character. He is a semi-retired celebrity who has mixed feelings about losing both his A-list status and his anonymity. Such feelings are not too different to Steve Martin's reported ambivalence about his own career. Martin co-wrote this show, and I wonder if the joke is there for Martin more than for the audience. The bulk of the show is pending so there is plenty of time to reverse that impression.
This is an enjoyable and smart take on a whodunnit. It is built around performers having fun with their roles, and peppered with commentary about genre storytelling and about the media industry.
The first episode opens with the three leads introducing themselves via voiceovers showing their points of view on life in the city. Then we see their unknowingly shared ritual of consuming a particular podcast presenting true crime investigations. This was an efficient and entertaining way to set up their motivations, as well as foreshadowing their probable roles in the investigation to follow.
Martin Short gets the showiest role as an out-of-work producer. He seizes on the death in their building as an opportunity to get his name on something - namely their own home-studio true-crime podcast. His self-absorbed manner includes carelessly casting shade in the guise of directorial commentary.
Selena Gomez defaults to restraint in her performance. That contrasts effectively with the delight she shows in the moments when the trail heats up. When she shares such delighted moments with her fellow snoops, that makes the trio feel like insiders sharing a secret adventure. Note this effect is part of the appeal of true-crime stories, such as the podcast the trio are obsessed with, and is a hook for the audiences for this show.
The episode's production showed some cinematic flourishes throughout, but near the close of the episode it goes all out. Elegant special-effects fantasies are used to represent the characters' subjective reactions to breakthroughs. For example, free-falling joyously from the top of a stair, then bouncing weightlessly all the way back up. Such moments mean that the filmmakers have greater stylistic ambitions than your typical crime procedural potboiler assembled from static dialogue scenes.
The only real shortfall for me was Steve Martin's character. He is a semi-retired celebrity who has mixed feelings about losing both his A-list status and his anonymity. Such feelings are not too different to Steve Martin's reported ambivalence about his own career. Martin co-wrote this show, and I wonder if the joke is there for Martin more than for the audience. The bulk of the show is pending so there is plenty of time to reverse that impression.
I've only watched this episode so far.
sellmyaccount4916 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
It wasn't bad by any means, i was enjoying the narrative. That is until the end of the episode where it shows Mabel in a picture next to the now dead man. Unless I have this wrong they're implying that Tim had intended on proposing to Mabel with the ring they found in the package and I had to call BS. When he entered the elevator at the beginning of the episode with the 3 main characters already in it, he paid no notice to Mabel and if she was his intended or even if they were just "The Hardy Boys" then he wouldn't have completely ignored her as he did.
Tried to like it
rdbass1 September 2021
10/10
dumitrescustefi31 August 2021
I'm in...
MaddysGrammy19 May 2022
Steve Martin and Martin Short - count me in. Before this show, I had only seen Selena Gomez interviewed by the late night TV hosts. She did a decent job in the first two episodes I've watched so far. And, as always, Martin and Short work so well together. I read a few negative reviews here and have to say, lighten up folks! ...it's entertainment, not Shakespeare. I'll be watching and enjoying the remaining ten episodes.
Nice job steve
Finn_646 September 2021
i think it was the best first episode
camm951 September 2021
Yaassss More Please!
chrizonk31 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
What a refreshing "Crimedy" (Crime/comedy) series. A nice break from Drama series, Shoot them up bang-bang series, Sci-fi series, and High School series were EVERYONE has sex including teens as if they are adults (well they are 25-30's year old adults playing as teenagers) no matter what the HS series theme is Jocks, mystery solving, the supernatural...etc.... ENOUGH! Hulu gives us a show with the well-oiled comedy LEGENDS of Steve Martin and Martin Short. Combined with the Multi-talented Selena Gomez was genius. The pilot definitely sucks you in wanting to know about the mystery, the background of each characters, and how the relationship between the 3 main characters (Charles, Mabel and Oliver) are going to play out/build. But wait, I cannot leave out the other main character of the series, the building-Arconia and its residence. Most are known comedic actors who left an imprint in Hollywood or on Broadway... again genius. I will not give away tooooo much ( I hate that) cause this is a must see. I am on the 3rd episode wanting more. 4th Episode? Yes please... NEXT! (smiles)
Good start
bevo-136787 September 2021
Not funny, not interesting
IWasKnownAsThe1SentenceReviewer15 March 2023
Not funny, not interesting: I had a first attempt at watching this pilot several months ago but could not go past the animated opening credits.
Not interesting: the plot resolves around three characters living in the same building, who, how shocking!, listen to the same podcast...
Not funny: it is supposed to be a comedy series but the corners of my mouth did not once raise the slightest...
Selena Gomez's monotone voice is rather disturbing, the Martins usually work better together.
In a nutshell and in six hundred characters: I don't know when I will find the courage to try episode two...
Not interesting: the plot resolves around three characters living in the same building, who, how shocking!, listen to the same podcast...
Not funny: it is supposed to be a comedy series but the corners of my mouth did not once raise the slightest...
Selena Gomez's monotone voice is rather disturbing, the Martins usually work better together.
In a nutshell and in six hundred characters: I don't know when I will find the courage to try episode two...
Only muders in the tv show
AvionPrince163 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
An interesting first episode with a murder who happened in the building of our three main characters . That was a good introduction to see them and to know them better and a mysterious man who get killed . A man that get helped by our new team who join their force to resovle the crime and make some podcasts wlth it . And at the end , we know that Tim Kono could be the brother of Mabel . I enjoyed that revelation at the end and that was clearly unexpected and make it pretty interesting for the next episodes . Need to see more.
Steve and Martin are back
moviesfilmsreviewsinc12 August 2022
It's amazing how quickly a murder mystery can hook you. Only Murders In the Building Season 1 Episode 1 sets up its characters and premise with breezy charm and dark humor. Episode 1 is mostly set up, introducing the characters with all their quirks and foibles. The main trio is all creative in some way -- Charles (Steve Martin) is an actor, Oliver (Martin Short) is a director, and Mabel (popstar sensation Selena Gomez) is an artist. Steve Martin and Martin Short play off each other with their signature chemistry. Selena Gomez makes a charmingly deadpan foil to the two old men. Together, they are an unlikely trio. Obsessed with true crime, they start making their own podcast after a neighbor dies under mysterious circumstances. Steve Martin plays the dour, pensive curmudgeon with quiet eccentricities -- lining up bell peppers in a pattern, making omelets he never eats, monologuing about his father, playing the concertina. The end of Episode 1 gives us a hint at his past -- who is Lucy? Why is she gone, and why did she leave? Martin Short is so lively and energetic as Oliver I would happily watch a spinoff chronicling his failed theatre exploits. Oliver's messes are all his own making, but damn if he's not always trying to hustle his way out of them. He has a gift for being simultaneously annoying and endearing, and he gets most of the best lines. As for Mabel, we learn much of her backstory on Only Murders In the Building Season 1 Episode 2, but she remains reserved and restrained around Charles and Oliver. Gomez must have had a helluva time keeping a straight face around Short and Martin. Mabel's interest in Tim Kono's death is obviously very personal, but how much? Were they just good friends, or was there more? Was there some sort of love-square amongst the "Hardy Boys" gang?
Oscar clearly found Mabel attractive, but it's heavily implied that he was with Zoe. Could this be what they were arguing about at the party? Mabel is concerned that whoever came after Tim (and possibly Zoe) might be after her. What did the "Hardy Boys" do that was so horrible? Is jewelry theft enough motive for murder? Is there a connection between the jewelry and Tim's mysterious packages? The diamond ring seems to suggest this.
The supporting cast in this show is delightful. Is there really any more perfect casting than Nathan Lane as a failed Broadway producer?
Oscar clearly found Mabel attractive, but it's heavily implied that he was with Zoe. Could this be what they were arguing about at the party? Mabel is concerned that whoever came after Tim (and possibly Zoe) might be after her. What did the "Hardy Boys" do that was so horrible? Is jewelry theft enough motive for murder? Is there a connection between the jewelry and Tim's mysterious packages? The diamond ring seems to suggest this.
The supporting cast in this show is delightful. Is there really any more perfect casting than Nathan Lane as a failed Broadway producer?
LOVE IT!!!!!
neiphia1 September 2021
Selena is much more relatable now
ygrabovskiy12 December 2021
Disclaimer: i'm drunk. I really like Selena's acting now when she is 7 not 9 like before. Also she said something along the lines: "You white guys should afraid only a colon cancer". First: I consider Selena white too, is she not white enough for US viewers? Second: My sister had a colon cancer, she's a girl not a guy... I'm crying now.
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