The topic of genre is inseparable from the discussion of film. Every film has a genre and, with it, a set of expectations that it can either deliver or subvert. Some can even fall into multiple categories and tackle the challenge of balancing them, and this is especially true for the dark comedy Maggie Moore(s), written by Paul Bernbaum and directed by John Slattery. 

This dark comedy investigates the murder of two women, hence the title, both by the name of Maggie Moore (Our primary Maggie, portrayed by Louisa Krause), and how Police Chief Jordan Sanders (Jon Hamm) balances his dive into this mystery with his love life with the curious neighbor named Rita (Tina Fey). The deeper he delves into the case, the more these worlds begin to intertwine and unravel.

Already within the premise, multiple genres can be found within this single film. To begin, the dark comedy aspects begin to appear from the bizarreness of two murders having the same name, a quality which also brings mystery to the table, but then there is also romance and the elements of a meet-cute. With so many aspects of different genres being present within this film, this film had quite the palette to pick from, so much so that I feel that its choice of working mainly in dark comedy offered more cons than pros. This introduces the question: can a film work within the wrong genre?

The idea that a film has an optimal genre to tell itself through can best be explored when questioning the appeal of a genre. In the case of a dark comedy, it is a subgenre that can have varying approaches to its craft. It can utilize juxtaposition to find humor in the darkness, blend the two different tones to unease the audience, or split itself entirely into separate halves, with each aiming to convey polar opposite emotions. This can be done because, to let Screenwriter and Actress Pheobe Waller-Bridge explain it, sometimes the best way to get through to an audience is to “disarm the audience with comedy, then punch them in the gut with drama when they least expect it.” But whether you are bending or blending the two polar opposites into such a unique genre, both are intertwined in the idea of delivering truth. Maybe a truth that is tough to confront and needs disarming to hear, or maybe one that is best exposed through contradictions that are as drastic as comedy and tragedy. No matter the case, a dark comedy, in all of its possible forms, must be connected to the idea of unveiling the hard truths in our lives. So, when the truth is absent from Maggie Moore(s), what is there left to offer?

Unfortunately, what is left is more edgy humor and gags that rarely deliver. And its dedication to a genre that it does not belong in seems to hinder its potential within other subcategories of genre. As for mystery, the film has a strong concept that seems it could have offered more tension and reveals. However, the film did not find value in hiding its secrets and rather offers an omniscient perspective, allowing the audience in on every side’s story. Then as for the romance between Chief Sanders and Rita, their subplot relationship soon becomes a vital connection to the conclusion of the film. There are, additionally, multiple scenes that dive deeper into Sanders’s characterization through the romance subplot than the actual dark comedy, where the film could have enhanced itself by making this the driving topic and genre. Overall, the film spreads itself too thin by putting the aspects with the most potential substance in the backdrop and focusing on its dark comedy aspects, which proves to have little to offer past its premise.

The biggest issue with the dark comedy aspects of this film is that it is a basket that the film puts all of its eggs into without asking if the basket will hold. The film introduces early murder, child pornography, and criminal cover-ups, but the humor employed to juxtapose these heavy subjects is not enough to make you laugh uncomfortably, or laugh at all, for that matter. Its comedic attempts through the instigating antagonist’s bumbling and apathetic qualities felt more like shallow attempts at creating a juxtaposing emotion between light and dark.

The best way to compare it is to bring into the conversation a film that could have had an impact and inspiration on this project: Fargo (1996), directed by Ethan and Joel Coen. This film follows the story of a deal gone wrong when another bumbling instigating antagonist named Jerry (William H. Macy) hires two hitmen to kidnap his wife and hold her ransom for money that he is trying to steal from his father-in-law.

The way this film earns its selection of dark comedy is through the gray area of Jerry, who is pathetic and seemingly couldn’t hurt a fly, yet still causes. The story that follows becomes a chase between the two hitmen, representing the evil of this world, and Officer Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand), representing the good of this world. All the while, as the case progresses and more blood is shed, Jerry is at the center of all of it, and despite his innocent aura and awkward North Dakotan charm, he is to blame for the bloodshed. The film reveals a harsh truth of how even the seemingly nice guy who means no wrong can be driven to compliance in villainy and that the path of complacency to the evil in our world is a downward slope that the good must constantly fight uphill.

Contrasting this with Maggie Moore(s), there is no heavy truth that the dark comedy reveals. Evil is just simple evil without a strong intent of irony. The good is just good without a question of a gray area. Nothing is revealed in the middle of these two forces, and the only takeaway from the film is towards the end. However, this takeaway is one that was more explored within their romance subplot than anything within the main plot, yet another reason this film works within the wrong focus.

Would all of Maggie Moore(s)’ issues be solved by making it centered around a more sharpened romance with the dark and twisted murder mystery in the backdrop? Not entirely, due to some clunky dialogue and multiple narratives struggling to have a strong connection outside of the literal. But a refocusing and analysis of what this film’s core was could have served it better in the long run. 

Review Courtesy of Eugene Rocco Utley

Feature Image via Screen Media