Death and Other Details (2024) User Reviews

problem with the reveal

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 6 March 2024]

Imogene Scott (Violett Beane) is a guest of her rich best friend Anna Collier (Lauren Patten) on an oceanliner. As a child, Imogene lost her mother in a car bombing and celebrated private investigator Rufus Cotesworth (Mandy Patinkin) failed to solve the case. She was raised by the Collier family. While on the ocean cruise, Anna is in negotiations with the Chun family for a corporate takeover. Imogene is shocked that Chuns have hired Cotesworth. She is further annoyed by Anna's loser brother Tripp's entitled investor Keith. She plays a prank on him who later turns up murdered.

This is part Agatha Christie and part White Lotus. It is nowhere near as good as the best of either. It does have some fun with the mixture. It is pretty good for most of its run until the show gets to the season's big reveal. That reveal presents me with some problems. This really should be a limited series, but it seems to have left the closing open-ended. I hope that there is no second season.

Inept Writing Sinks An Intriguing Mystery Concept

[johnspringer-95440 · 6/10 · 7 February 2024]

The series has an affable comedic mystery tone, interesting stock characters, decent performances and an engaging pace. Direction and dialogue are generally good.

The main detective repeatedly breaks the fourth wall to exort the audience to pay attention to details and nudges us to notice things. We're apparently meant to follow along and solve the case with (or, if we're sharp enough, ahead of) the protagonists. It's a nice concept for a mystery series but the writers don't even try to pull it off. Instead whenever they paint themselves into a corner they use a flashback to add facts, information, scenes and/or backstories that retroactively alter previous events. No matter how closely you pay attention you can't notice details that won't exist until a flashback exposition dump three episodes later. The writing turns an active concept into passive viewing.

Disappointing Mystery Series Sinks Under Ridiculous Plot and Lackluster Lead

[akcenat · 6/10 · 8 March 2024]

Rating: 5.75 out of 10.

"Death and Other Details" aims to be a clever locked-room mystery set aboard a luxury cruise liner but quickly loses steam with an increasingly unbelievable plot and unsatisfying conclusion. Mandy Patinkin does his best as eccentric detective Rufus Cotesworth but is underserved by the messy writing.

The more significant issue is Violett Beane as suspect-turned-sidekick Imogene Scott. While Beane has done OK work on shows like "The Flash" and "God Friended Me", here she struggles to make Imogene either likeable or believable. For a character meant to be brilliant, her choices defy logic. And despite the show's attempts at sultry intrigue, Beane's lack of chemistry with her co-stars makes Imogene the least compelling (or sexy) young female lead in this type of glossy mystery series.

"Death and Other Details" has a polished look you'd expect from the genre, but not even the glamorous setting can make up for the lacklustre plotting and central performances.

What starts as a mildly intriguing mystery soon becomes absurd, wasting a decent supporting cast on dead-end twists. Diehard fans of TV whodunits may find it passable, but this series is ultimately dead on arrival.

Such a dissapoitment.

Slogging through it still

[danielmartinx · 6/10 · 4 April 2024]

I feel like I've been watching for months.

I can't remember anyone's name.

The business deal is odd. People at this level should have a better ability to evaluate investment.

What episode am I on. Am I supposed to care about the death of that lady's mother. Why are there so many scenes going nowhere.

The photography is perfect. Composition and montage and lighting is all done away.

The characters are opaque. It's hard to care about them.

Rahul and Hugo make the most of their scenes.

Mandy's accent needed more work.

Violett's hair makes this feel like an SNL skit.

How am I still watching this.

Good Mystery so Far

[oscarrob · 7/10 · 17 January 2024]

Whose idiotic idea was it to have Mandy Patinkin put on the world's worst English accent for no reason? That's hard to get past, but otherwise so far this is a fun mystery with good pacing and good performances. Even Patinkin if you can get over the useless accent is good. I'm looking forward to the rest. I will say it has a very familiar vibe, so if your into Murder on the Orient express or Hercule Poirot or any of the other ensemble murder mysteries I have a feeling this will be satisfying. The modern time frame set on the vintage yacht provides a little twist on the ambience of the genre. I'm liking it. But get rid of the accent Mandy!

Entertaining !!

[jennfinn · 9/10 · 5 February 2024]

I don't care what other reviewers are saying but I am really enjoying Death & Other Details so far. Also I must be oblivious to accents because I don't think Mandy Patinkin's British accent is bad at all. If I were going to complain about an accent it would be Linda Emond over the top accent but even that isn't enough to bother me.

I don't particularly like the actress playing Imogene but she works well with Mandy and I like that. The setting costumes are beautiful but it's also really fun to watch and I'm really curious where they're going with the story. I've only seen the first four episodes but so far I'm loving it.

I Quit!

[Blechtrommel · 6 February 2024]

Today is February 6, 2024, and I just finally quit watching this series in the middle of the extremely boring 5th episode. I have to admit that I really enjoyed the series in the beginning. The first two episodes are quite exciting and stylish, but that's about it. The whole concept is stillborn, the characters are uninteresting and anonymous, the acting is unremarkable, the writing is boring for such a pre-designed genre as a huis-clos whodunit. The luxury yacht setting is embarrassingly déjà vu, and all the characters look like plastic models from a home-deco ad. There is no sense of class struggle, which ultimately seems to be the theme of the story, as everyone looks like they could be having mai-tais on Wall Street during lunch. What's interesting about shows like The White Lotus or movies like Triangle of Sadness and Saltburn is how the creators are aware that everyone looks good as a statement, and because it's either that or the highway in such deluxe hangouts. This murder mystery seems to be ambivalent about a recognizable way to present the characters and totally unaware of a better way to do it. In the end, the whole story development is substandard and very unambitious. Kudos to the lovely Violett Beane as Imogene, witty and perpetually well-coiffed.

Only Murders On The Boat

[nayz-98-418924 · 7/10 · 16 January 2024]

It is quite obvious that this is meant to be a highbred of white lotus and only murders. And that is completely fine with me. Because in the two episodes I've seen it all seems to be paying off.

The visual style goes along way in helping this voyage be a pleasure cruise. Our story seems to take place in present day, Although the costume design and art direction say otherwise. The acting is top notch and the writing is so far good enough to keep the viewer engaged.

The story as it goes is about an unlikeable person being murdered. So we are never really meant to care about the victim. We are just here for the ride.

Classic Locked Room Mystery

[limerickgoblin · 9/10 · 17 January 2024]

I'm a sucker for detective fiction and entertainment, and therefore a victim of the perpetually flailing genre as more and more tripe saturates the pool.

However, Death and Other Details is an utter relief for me. It's a classic locked room/sequestered murder mystery in series format, with a tight cast, clean direction and some semblance of a budget. I've been aching for one of these.

The series has all the flavour of Knives Out with a Poirot styled detective lead. Patinkin is excellent at portraying the deductive/inductive genius we expect from Holmesian/Poirot fiction without coming across as an infallible super hero, which is the trap these sorts of narratives often fall into.

Contemporary writers are so terrified of their audience being able to solve a mystery ahead of their protagonist that they will elevate their detective's abilities to supernatural capacity. In the first episodes Patinkin expertly incorporates desperation, vulnerability, and sadness into the role. The mystery is captivating thus far, the cinematography tense and atmospheric, and the casting seems flawless.

Can't wait for more.

Mystery was fun until it was solved.

[xvvyzxxgym · 6/10 · 14 April 2024]

If the show was 8 episodes and cut some of the spiraling ending I think it would have been better. The ending just took a lot of turns that weren't needed that made the show feel kind of stupid. The first 6 episodes are really solid and made me want to stay around to see the ending. The only reason I think I kept watching is because of the beauty of the main actress. There is a lot of jumping point to point that got old fast plus a lot of inconsistency in how the show issues out justice the end of the last episode feels dumb. If this show or first season is a one-off storyline I would rate it 7 but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Death and Disappointment

[Popcorn_Punch · 5/10 · 1 March 2024]

I wanted to like this show. I love murder mysteries and I wanted something to fill the between-seasons void of Only Murders in the Building. Unfortunately, Death and Other Details is not it. For starters, the protagonist is a selfish, self-centred, privileged brat who you find yourself rooting against. It's so blatant that even the other characters call her out on it. The amateur writing is evident in the dialogue that often contradicts that of the characters. What also destroys the potential of this series is the constant repetition of scenes. Flashbacks are one thing, but they often show you large chunks of the same scene two or three times and sometimes in the same episode. At eight episodes in, I find myself hoping the villain just murders them all and calls it a day. It is clear that they tried to make this show clever, but it's poorly executed and sloppy. There are some great actors in the series (Mandy Patinkin, Rahul Kohli, Linda Emond, Karoline), it's just a shame that their talent is wasted on this sinking ship.

I am so happy I dont let bad reviews stop me from watching a show. This one had me glued to the screen and in tears of excitement.

[sveinerik-28307 · 9/10 · 14 March 2024]

I have seen a lot of mystery series lately from the big movies like glass onion and death on the nile to only murders in the building and the white lotus. The list goes on, but none of them felt like a good mystery. Death and other details on the other hand had me crying. Not due to sadness, but because the mystery is so good. At a certain point you start feeling like the show is about to wrap up, and then the mystery just kicks in so hard it left me in tears. This before the truth was even revealed. I dont get how people are saying this is bad compared to the long list of other mystery series. Clearly people are fangirling over Selena Gomez. I like her too, but Only murders is so boring to me. This show "Death and other details" was anything but.

If you are looking for a good mystery and a good time, then I personally recommend you give this one a go. I now need a second season. I did like The white lotus. Not so much for it's mystery but for it's commentary and silly characters/over the top comedy.

This show however had me hooked, and the ending is crazy! The characters are awesome, and who they all truly are unfolds beautifully. I'm trying really hard not to give shows a 10/10, but if I did, then this would get it! Dont let Only murders fans stop you from watching this, cuz to me this one is so much better.

I was planning on ending my review here, but I need to give credit to the cast (Picking out favourites is impossible as they all nail their roles), the writers, costume department, not to mention the special effects team (especially towards the ending) and pretty much everyone involved. I really hope people give this a go like I did, even tho the reviews had me a bit nervous. Wich is also why I decided to write my own. Something I dont do very often. This was finally a win for me when it comes to the mystery genre. This one truly felt well thought out.

Mandy Patinkin is brilliant, in this actress sexploitation sludge.

[dean-202 · 6/10 · 20 January 2024]

While I have a plethora of praise for Mandy Patinkin, there is one thing that I found lacking, that being his accent which I cannot place. Rather than letting my praise for Mandy Patinkin give more credit than deserved to this flick, I'll stop there. For some bizarre reason director and executive producer Marc Webb runs this project into the ground by exploiting actresses (I use this rather than actor on this occasion only to specify female actors) Lauren Patten and Pardis Saremi, having them do unnecessary, distracting, disjointed sex scenes in a project that pretends to be an Agatha Christie genre piece. Even if it was essential to the plot to see Lauren Patten nude, the extreme lack of chemistry and unbelievability of the scenes appear to be injected either to deliberately harm the careers of these actors, or because he simply isn't very good at what he does, "awards" aside. My guess is he has an axe to grind and is taking it out on his cast.

As for plot, there isn't much here. A locked room mystery that is forced, has lots of irrelevant interviews that are supposed to make the viewer believe that the main character is "brilliant", when in reality, the director instead chooses to over explain everything in hopes that the massive holes in the story will be hidden among all of the trashy, unnecessary and unwanted dialog. I give Mr. Patinkin a 9 for performance, the rest of the cast a 4, the writing a 5, and the directing a 2 for an overall score of 6, all riding on the coattails of Mandy Patinkin.

Mehrder and dumb details

[xdeschuyter-01410 · 3/10 · 15 March 2024]

Typical modern show where everyone is an annoyingly over the top +and yet boring- caricature. It is agonizingly slow, with stretches that consist of people just walking about and flashbacks being repeated and nauseum. The setting and style are nice for the first episode, but then stops adding anything of value. The mystery is convoluted with far too many ridiculous red herrings, making it unfocused instead of complex. By the time the fourth episode comes around, you already know that it isn't going anywhere and that it probably shouldn't, because the reveal will be poor. And... it is. Disappointing.

Eh has potential but not great

[athenaoboe · 6/10 · 17 January 2024]

I've only had access to the first two episodes, but so far it's like a weak interpretation of an Agatha Christie-type story, with a splash of Only Murders in the Building. Mandy Patinkin piqued my interest, because I usually enjoy his work, but this accent he's doing - I think it's meant to be British? - isn't working for me. I do love the sets. Although the story is set in present day, the ship has an elegant Art Deco decor. I'm hoping the story will get more interesting as it delves deeper into each character. A genuine Agatha Christie locked-room mystery could make the reader (or viewer, in the case of a screen adaptation) feel like they know each character, even with, say, ten suspects.

Hang in there... (I blame the director for what doesn't work)

[hayesmikiet · 7/10 · 27 January 2024]

There are hardly any gripping new detective shows... most, understandably, have borrowed from one or another. What is critical for watchability, though, is an otherwise captivating plot and engaging dialogue, superb acting, well-cast actors, great set and filming, etc., etc. The plot of this is very Agatha Christie or Hercule Poirot. Check. The setting is gorgeous. Check. The cast is legitimately interesting and mostly well-cast. Check. The dialogue is actually good. Check. Mandy Patinkin is, well, Mandy Patinkin - a commanding presence even in a purposely nuanced performance such as this. I think he (Cotesworth) and the Imogene character have a lovely and fun platonic chemistry - as he also has with Agent Eriksen. Enjoyable banter. However, there is no authentic chemistry between Imogene and her seemingly best friend, Anna. And even less chemistry between Anna and her wife, Leila. Anna is no Shiv Roy but believable as the competitive sister and daughter of a billionaire in line to take over. While she definitely needs more juice, it's not distracting. That said, there are two main distractions that cause you to want to give up and rewatch Death in Paradise for the fifth time. 1. The forced, dreadful, cringeworthy sexual relationship between Anna and Leila. It's just so out of place, it does not make sense. The lack of chemistry between the actors makes it that much worse. 2. and this is the biggie... Mandy Patinkin, unfathomably, cannot land on an accent, which is indistinguishably bad. Is it British? Is it Australian? Did he live between two continents? It's distracting (and I hate to say embarrassing) at first to the point where you're not sure you can watch the show at all. You just want to ask the director why he didn't suggest that Patinkin drop the accent completely. Just when you think - episode 3? - that you'll be OK with one of many not great English dialects, it mysteriously wanders into Australia. All of that said, I finally have settled into blocking it out and enjoying the acting and the plot and where it's going. I think the fact that Teddy's entire family is on the boat and reports to her is hilarious and feels like there will be a funny story payoff in the end... I could be wrong. My advice is if you like this style, stay with it. Hopefully they'll be a respectful payoff, ala this genre, in the end.

Other people reviewing this aren't looking at the bigger picture.

[Peter-Naulls · 10/10 · 12 March 2024]

When you think about about a whodunit what exactly are your expectations. If like me you've watched all the Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Murder She Wrote etc.. you will be aware that you need a few key things:

1. A range of suspects, 2. A proper timeline of events, 3. Red herings (not too many), 4. Suspenseful and atmospheric dialogue that sets the mood, 5. Active involvement from the viewers point of view, 6. Clues that are a mixture of obvious to not, 7. A tight conclusion.

This show has all these elements and together with some of the most ravishing costume and wardrobe attire I've ever seen, it's a classy piece of sexy, seductive, stylish, well thought out and acted, satisfying conundrum.

I'll admit at first the flashback scenes are a little confusing but it quickly becomes clear what it's trying to achieve.

I think at the time of writing 6.8 is way below what this deserves, so here's an 10 from me.

Too Snobby and Pretentious

[ChRiS-803 · 6/10 · 7 February 2024]

It's not a bad show but the potential is squandered by its pretentiousness and in this era of murder mysteries - it's far below the standards set by Only Murders in the Building and The Afterparty.

It looks good. Nifty cinematography and beautiful sets.

The story is fine although a little boring. There's been a few episodes where a lot of it was just padding - nothing is happening. It feels they have a 5-episode series and stretching it out to 10-episodes with a lot of filler.

Five episodes in - I am uninterested in who the murderer is because I am not invested in any character except for the inspector investigating it.

The cast are just boring. Mandy Patinkin is doing his usual performance. I do like Linda Emond - she is the only interesting one.

All the suspects are zzzzzz.... a lot of them are very uninteresting. The character development woeful.

A big issue with peak TV era - we are focusing on diversity requirements over selecting the right person for the role. This is a VERY strategically diverse cast to tick every box possible. So the stories are based on diversity really rather than any character development. We all know which ethnic groups will NOT reveal to be the murderer so those characters are pointless right now.

The lead girl - Violett Beane is obnoxious and rude. Yawn.

A waste of a really good opportunity.

Absolutely entertaining!

[morganrushing · 10/10 · 7 March 2024]

I waited to leave a review until I watched the entire season as everyone should do. This show had me hooked from the first episode. The whole concept of the show intrigued me from the start but each episode just kept pulling me in making me more interested in the storyline. The actors chosen to play the characters were perfect in my opinion. The fake accents didn't bother me at all either. This show is truly entertaining, the plot twist in the last two episodes was completely unexpected. I hope they make a season 2. I feel like the people who left bad reviews didn't give the show a fair chance.

Definitely interesting hope it gets a season two

[jkb2012 · 7/10 · 17 January 2024]

As someone who doesn't watch a whole lot of murder mysteries, I have to say that this is one of the best TV series I've seen in that genre it's relevant and at the same time it's also somewhat funny and I'm definitely interested in this show, and I highly recommend it the acting's good the characters are Good and the show is very relevant and clever in the setting is interesting confined to one's space on a ship and I definitely hope the show is successful and gets renewed Also the fact that the characters are related is also interesting to me too it's also somewhat funny and it's always nice that it doesn't take itself too seriously but but still irrelevant.

By the numbers

[nigelowen2 · 4/10 · 17 January 2024]

This is so incredible reductive. Its like the writer watched a lot of vastly better in the genre then removed all the parts they didn't understand to create this.

Its very derivative work of the parts they did understand. With whatever added with the directing and writing been pretty bad.

It sort of moves like what you would expect but with no substance.

The sets and backgrounds are good. I would recommend this if you like the actors then definitely watch it though they are very miscast, but I found it painful to watch such a waste of set and actors on something so badly put together.

It gets a 4 as I thought that sets were ok, but the camera did not to much for them, which I assume was the directors fault.

Loved it!

[taraface-21948 · 10/10 · 6 March 2024]

So many of the bad reviews are from people that bailed on the show early on which in my opinion isn't fair. Why review something when you haven't seen it in its entirety. Also, who would rely on a recommendation from someone who only watched one or two episodes? I admit that it took a couple of episodes for me to get interested but it got better and better. I can usually figure out the twist way before the reveal but not this time. Twist after twist! I think it was a really impressive execution of a murder mystery. I am really hoping for a season 2!! They tied up all loose ends but ended with a setup for more seasons.

So far, so "okay"...

[jjcates · 6/10 · 16 January 2024]

Is this a side story/spinoff of the Knives Out franchise? Came to me whilst writing, I'll Google it later, but I always give a new series at least three episodes, which isn't possible at this moment since I can only view two episodes, still, Mandy shouldn't be attempting the English English accent, voice is too gruff, but so far so good in my opinion, loved those movies, and like most of these actors to this point, so my rating is subject to watching the entire season... Yikes, so a review needs at least six hundred characters? I don't do many, but most will be filler, as I mentioned prior, after the first two, it deserves at least another episode, which I'll have to wait for apparently.

Disappointed

[laurihaunjones · 3/10 · 19 January 2024]

Hard to understand what Mandy Patinkin's character is saying in this show as it's so gravelly and he also mumbles. Why oh why do TV shows think the audience wants gratuitous sex scenes? For kicks? If it doesn't add to the story, leave it out. Very unfortunate about this show. I had been looking forward to it. This could have been a better show if there was better writing and articulation by the lead actor. I have loved Mandy Patinkin in many things. You can't win them all. Do yourself a favor and watch The Artful Dodger and Only Murders in the Building instead. Thank you... and boy, this site wants you to write a lot of characters before submission!

The accents are terrible

[ashlapiwape · 6/10 · 18 February 2024]

I like Mandy and the show storyline is good but soooooo hard to listen to. Mandy either just can't do a British accent or had a terrible vocal coach. Same with the interpol woman. Actually other accents were off. A few twists. Some things wasn't figure out. Like a modern day Hercule Poirot. Whether an actual boat or built as a set, it's gorgeous. Costume design was also good, vibrant colors. Set design was gorgeous. It's a cruise and I thought we should see more sway or movement on the boat, in scenes. But again hard to watch/listen because of the poor accents.

No spoilers here. As I have indicated.