REVIEW: ‘7 Women And A Murder’ Delivers A Mystery And Not Much Else

It’s Christmas Eve, and a family comes together to celebrate the holidays. But when the family’s patriarch turns up dead, everyone in the house is a suspect. With the clues pointing every which way, it will be hard for the recently deceased’s survivors to unravel the mystery of who mourns and who is the villain in 7 Women And A Murder.

When we talk about movies, we like to compare the great ones to gems. This description conjures an image of gorgeous, pristine elegance. A flawless jewel to be marveled at and admired. But jewels can also have flaws. And while these flaws disturb the otherwise beautiful presentation, there is still much to be found in it. Such is my experience with 7 Women And A Murder.

This movie’s biggest triumph is in the presentation of the mystery itself. The film does a great job of keeping the viewer wondering about who the killer is. Every character has motives and opportunities. As they each accuse and suspect each other in turn, the movie never tips its hand at what the final explanation is until the very end. When it finally comes, the reveal is well done and left me satisfied with the final outcome.

However, while the story manages to consistently deliver, the acting will prove a mixed bag for many. Thinking of the best adjective to describe the cast’s performances throughout 7 Women And A Murder leaves me torn between campy and ham-fisted. Every reaction to each new reveal is filled with audible gasps and frequent fainting. Every accusation leaves the accused spurting for their breath, unable to believe they would have a finger pointed at them, even after a clear and fair motive has been established. These moments bounce back and forth between laugh-inducing and purely cringe-worthy. While this uneven delivery left me with mixed feelings about this comedic mystery, the just under hour and a half runtime makes it so if you think the frantic over-the-top personalities may entertain you, it’s not a huge investment to give it a chance.

To surround 7 Women And A Murder’s larger-than-life personalities is a setting that feels perfectly apt for the unfolding mystery. The old house, with its high ceilings and ornate decorations at first glance, gives off the sense of charm and class the cast also displays initially. But, as the movie plays out, just like its cast, the house soon comes to feel fake. Like it is merely a duck blind to all the cracks in the family that inhabit it.

7 Women And A Murder leaves me in a strange spot as a reviewer. While I would say that I largely enjoyed my experience watching it, I don’t know how strongly I would recommend it. It is a fun movie, while often failing to be what I would generally call “good.” It delivers on its mystery, even while the cast only sometimes lands their performances. The movie manages to shine at times, even while its cracks are showing.

7 Women And A Murder is streaming now on Netflix.