Sometimes an older genre needs to be completely shaken up.
When you think about murder mysteries, you probably think about Agatha Christie, Murder She Wrote, or Sherlock Holmes. Your mind may wander to big, Gothic mansions in the middle of nowhere. Aristocracy, knives, butlers, Clue.
There are so many buzzwords that will pop up. This genre is old and has firm roots. People always love the element of a whodunnit. The audience is actively participating in each plot, working along with a detective to solve the crime.
It’s time to flip this genre on its head. Knives Out did a valiant job, but I was honestly wondering if anyone else could follow.
Then I sat down and watched Lord and Miller’s show, The Afterparty. This show takes all the tropes and characteristics of a murder mystery and just updates them. It moves the crusty mansion to Malibu. It revitalizes the cast of stiffs into a high school reunion. And it makes the victim a famous kid who has a backstory with each and every one of the attendees.
Author: Jason Hellerman
This article comes from No Film School and can be read on the original site.
