A Murder Erased (2022)

Poor Agatha Christie Imitation

If you have read Agatha Christie's famous work, Murder on the Orient Express, then you may have an idea what this movie is about. If you haven't, then I suggest you read it anyway before watching this disappointing imitation of one of the most well-known murder mysteries in fiction.

The main complaint I have with this movie is the lack of actual investigation involved in solving the crime. We were shown that the detective in charge, Choi examining all the possible suspects by using questionable old-school interrogation like accuse he person of committing the crime straight up and then watch their reaction. This technique was repeated for all the suspects involved. Choi also solicited the help from unconventional sources in order to progress his investigation, which earned the ire of his direct superior. His subordinate was not pleased with him either. The entire film was dictated through a meeting room where Choi was questioned for his behavioural conduct during his handling of the case.

We were shown what really happened in the suspects' lives, some suspects have more screen time than others, and again, no actual investigation was actually made. There was no detailed forensic analysis, even though for a murder case that is at least 8 years old, it would require some form of advanced technology to solve. There was no verification of the testimonies provided by witnesses or suspects. Choi dismissed most of them as "straight-up liars" without providing a deeper rationale to his assumption.

This could have been a good movie, but it took a famous work and made a clown out of it. I have no other analogy for this otherwise.

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