The Oxford Murders

Unwatchable, absurd, joyless try-hard

Good actors with a tacky plot. Fun to watch and listen to John Hurt hamming up the role of brilliant Oxford Don. Jim Carter and Burn Gorman were also perfectly cast and did their best to carry the story. If you were ever a tourist or student in Oxford enthused by the antiquity and charm, there are a lot of scenes walking through the streets and inside the colleges. There were obvious references to Colin Dexter plots. But unfortunately there were too many trite melodramatic scenes and more a feeling of who cares than who dunnit that truly killed the joy for me.

A very well done engaging who done it story with two men a student and teacher trying to discover the culprit in the string of murders while battling their own philosophies against each other.

The Oxford Murders was sufficiently entertaining for me not to write it off completely. Without trying to give too much away, the message of the film is beware of unintended consequences. Elijah Wood plays an obsessive and intelligent student who deliberately plans his way into a home of someone connected to the professor he admires. From there, a series of deaths is somehow connected by Pythagorean symbols. The plotline is somewhat contrived and convoluted, but this is also a necessity to deliver the ultimate outcome of the film. Of the multiple endings, the first was rushed and made little sense in that it would have never stood up to scrutiny had it not been for the second bus crash. I found that the ultimate ending contained at least one contradiction and was not as satisfactory as it should have been. Although there were no weaknesses in the acting, I found that the direction could have been stronger in delivering characters that felt more real. The chemistry between Martin and Lorna seemed somewhat forced, while the chemistry between Martin and Beth felt more natural. Given the ultimate relationships that were portrayed in each, perhaps the female roles should have been cast the other way. The film also feels somewhat dated looking at some of the emergency vehicles involved. Overall, a convoluted, but well paced mystery that is not what it seems.

While I enjoyed watching it, by & large, I was not pleased with the ending. It was fake, a deus ex machina that was helicoptered in to wrap things up. Plausible, yes; but fair, not by a long shot. And how is that for a string of clichés?

Films with amazing potential that are exploited in one of the worst possible ways and culminate in an ending that is pure garbage. Ultimately a waste of both time and ideas, really to be thrown away, an abnormal disappointment

Far too confusing script, waste of good actors and viewers time.

Thought it was enjoyable and made you think.

the plan it is just genious.if you understand what is happening the movie is awesome. Not for the average audience

This movie should come with a warning.