‘Reunion’ Movie Review: Well-Cast Whodunit Doesn’t Quite Kill It
Photo from Republic Pictures
From Jeremy Kibler
If Rian Johnson’s Knives Out films—deliciously entertaining whodunits with all-star ensembles and rich characters to match—are the Lobster Thermidor of contemporary murder mysteries, Reunion is like Kraft macaroni and cheese. Maybe that’s too harsh, but we’ve been spoiled in that genre lately. Seemingly piggybacking on the success of Apple TV+ series The Afterparty in its two seasons, this comic whodunit based around a high school reunion is more uninspired, even with a game cast.
The graduating class of 2001 at Ridgeview High School is gathering during an incoming snowstorm at the house of hunky, wealthy asshole Mathew Danbury (Chace Crawford). There’s local cop Evan (Billy Magnussen) and best friend Ray (Lil Rel Howery), who both wish their adult lives turned out differently; journalist Jasmine (Jamie Chung), who might have unfinished business with Evan; mean girl turned politician Amanda (Nina Dobrev); peculiar outcast Vivian (Jillian Bell); and alcoholic history teacher Mr. Buckley (Michael Hitchcock). After a successful party, the guests that spend the night wake up to a dead Mathew in his bedroom. One of them has to be a killer, and they’re snowbound without any landline or cell reception.
Off the top, it just doesn’t help that Reunion constantly reminds of other, better movies, including Clue, The Hangover, Game Night, and can’t really set itself apart. Director Chris Nelson (2014’s sweet, funny, underseen Date and Switch) corrals an impressively assembled cast, but the single location in screenwriters Willie Block and Jake Emanuel’s script isn’t really used in any interesting way or shot with much style. This leaves it up to the improv-happy actors to keep this thing watchable.
Lil Rel Howery always brings an infectious energy, even as Ray who just wants to get laid. Jamie Chung remains likable, and Dobrev skates by on some decently bitchy one-liners. However, the role of a milquetoast cop doesn’t turn out to be one of the usually funny, devilishly handsome Billy Magnussen’s strengths. The one constant of reliable laughter is Jillian Bell, who always brings a weird unpredictability no matter small or large the part.
Past resentments and secrets bubble to the surface to add a little extra tension, but there’s mostly a sameness to it all, characters sitting around and pointing fingers. The whodunit itself is a bit of a shrug, conveniently explained by a character who practically takes a wild guess at how the murder went down and turns out to be right. If the law of diminishing returns were always correct, then Reunion would be Season 3 of The Afterparty. It’s diverting but forgettable as soon as we find out whodunit.
Rating: 2.5/5
Reunion is currently on VOD.
