Three Amigos! - 3/5

This movie uses primarily the comedy framework of an awkward situation that goes on so long that it becomes funny, so comedy mileage may vary among audience members. That being said, the antics of Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, and Martin Short are on point and the trio of SNL veterans are having a blast hamming it up. It’s a classic for its comedy, not its depth.

Closest comparison: It’s like a cross between The Magnificent Seven and Galaxy Quest.

Setting: Western
Plot: Fish out of Water
Tone: Screwball Comedy

Only Murders in the Building (Season 1, Hulu) - 3/5

This show is a fun, modern take on the cozy mystery genre. It takes its time and dwells more on the interpersonal drama than on the actual mystery, which will be engaging for some viewers and off-putting for others. The characters are quirky, as if they were designed to be so. But it’s a fun murder mystery with lots of fun twists and turns in the plot, and enough character motivation to keep the story trundling along. While it isn’t the ultimate mystery, the payoff is better than it needed to be.

Closest comparison: It’s like an early Poirot with the modernism of Knives Out.

Setting: Murder Mystery
Plot: Detective
Tone: Bumbling Comedy

The Spanish Prisoner (1997) - 4/5

This is one of the overlooked classics of the Heist/Con genre, and deservedly so. The acting and writing is stylized and feels almost more like a play than a film, but this is intentional and precise. Ricky Jay and David Mamet craft ingenious misdirections as what the audience knows about the story twists and turns, and for my money it’s Steve Martin’s best serious role. The flaws amount to one or two minor points that seem more unlikely than they needed to be by the end, and the saying of acting that will turn some people off. But it’s the details of plot and the poetry of the dialog that makes this movie so good and if you like heist movies but haven’t seen it, you owe it to yourself to check it out.