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TV movies are something of a lost art. At one point in time, major networks would invest substantial advertising dollars to promote the movie of the week. However, since the advent of streaming, the television movie has started to go the way of the buffalo. Though it is all but extinct in the current entertainment landscape, there are still a number of standout TV movies from years past that I regard fondly. I’ve previously covered several noteworthy efforts here, such as Bad Ronald and Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. Today, I am back with another essential TV movie: Bill Condon’s Murder 101.
When people think about Academy Award-winning filmmaker Bill Condon’s cinematic oeuvre, they are likely to call to mind celebrated efforts like Gods and Monsters or Dream Girls. He’s a talented creator with a rather impressive track record. So, one can be forgiven for overlooking some of his early career efforts. Murder 101 is only Condon’s second directorial credit but it shows a level of promise that would manifest in a big way in the years to come.
Murder 101 premiered on the USA network in 1991. It came after Pierce Brosnan’s time on Remington Steele and before his tenure as James Bond, a perfect window for the up-and-coming actor to slum it for a TV movie.
The setup for Murder 101 goes like this:
Brosnan plays Charles Lattimore, a college instructor and author. He has just returned from a sabbatical following the release of a book he wrote about a high-profile murder. Upon his homecoming, Professor Lattimore tasks his creative writing students with penning an essay outlining the perfect murder. When someone takes the assignment a little too literally, one of Lattimore’s young students turns up dead, followed by one of his colleagues. Before long, Lattimore finds himself the prime suspect in a double homicide and must work to clear his name and bring the real culprit to justice.
In addition to sitting at the helm, Condon also cowrote the picture. Roy Johansen takes the other writing credit. The pair have dreamt up an intriguing, twisty tale that functions a lot like an escapist murder mystery novel come to life. There are plenty of in-jokes and callouts that predate the post-Scream popularity of meta-filmmaking. Similar to the beloved Wes Craven slasher, Murder 101 calls out overused tropes in the thriller genre, often before leaning into them. The film even ends with a wink and nod to the camera that breaks the fourth wall. If you enjoy that type of self-referential comedy, there’s plenty to be found in Murder 101.
The teleplay for this murder mystery is smarter and more polished than a lot of made-for-TV fare. Pieces of the narrative that you might not expect to connect often surprise the viewer by doing exactly that. The film also delivers ample red herrings to keep most audience members guessing right up until the end. Just as the viewer thinks they have everything figured out, something completely unexpected transpires.
The film cleverly disguises contextual clues to give the viewer the information to put the pieces together without giving away the twist.
I’ve seen people complain that the twist doesn’t give the viewer any of the requisite information to put the pieces together. However, the contextual clues are just very well disguised. I won’t go into too much detail, so as not to spoil anything. But I can tell you that Murder 101 effectively sets up its twist ending. There is a plot point involving a certain accessory item that offers up a cryptic clue to the killer’s true identity. It’s not something everyone will catch on their first viewing because a seemingly innocuous explanation gives the viewer reason to cast aside the details as non-essential. Yet, the writers explicitly included that element to justify the final twist.
There are a couple of other key indicators you’ll likely notice upon a second visit. For instance, there’s a fast-paced sequence in the third act where a particular character arrives on the scene at a crucial moment. It’s not something the average viewer will be particularly prone to question, as this piece presents very much like an organic development. However, the sequence to which I make reference is actually a crucial piece of the puzzle that makes complete sense in hindsight.
Brosnan brings Lattimore to life with aplomb.
Twists and turns aside, Brosnan’s Charles Lattimore makes for a rather well-written lead. He’s a surprisingly dynamic character for a TV movie, a bit of a lovable scoundrel. Lattimore is the kind of college professor students idolize. The cool, relatable instructor that remembers what it’s like to be a student. He makes his fair share of questionable decisions, but Brosnan makes the character so charming that you can’t help but forgive him.
Brosnan is the real star of the show here, but the supporting cast members nonetheless make a lasting impression. There are several memorable players that show up in smaller roles. Even the tertiary characters are notable in one way or another. For instance, a pair of identical twins with Coke bottle glasses in Lattimore’s class has precious few lines in the film. Yet even characters like these two, who are essentially glorified extras, make a lasting impression when they appear.
The final verdict:
All in all, Murder 101 is a fast-paced whodunnit with quirky, memorable characters and a hefty helping of meta-humor. The flick is likely to surprise you with a series of unexpected developments along the way to a surprising conclusion. If you’d like to check Murder 101 out, you can find it relatively inexpensively on physical media via eBay. The film is also available on YouTube.
That’s all for this installment of The Overlooked Motel. If you would like to chat more about under-seen and underrated films, feel free to hit me up with your thoughts on Twitter, Threads, or Instagram.
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