Maggie Moore(s) aims to please with a mixture of mystery, buddy cop humor and a sprinkle of romance. While most of the comedy never lands and is often half-baked, the film, directed by John Slattery from a screenplay by Paul Bernbaum, has a winning cast and a serviceable true crime premise that will at least keep you interested the whole way through, even if the ending rushes to tie up loose ends.
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The film opens with Chief Jordan Sanders (Jon Hamm) and his deputy (Ted Lasso’s Nick Mohammed) investigating the murder of Maggie Moore (Mary Holland). They feel like they’re missing something from the case, since the other, seemingly unrelated, murder of Maggie Moore (Louisa Krause) happened ten days prior. We then go back to the beginning when Jay Moore (Micah Stock), an unintelligent franchise owner, who is buying spoiled products from an unapproved source, asks a deaf hitman, Kosco (Happy Anderson), to scare his wife Maggie after she finds a misplaced envelope with pictures of kidnapped children and threatens to report it to the police. Kosco winds up killing Maggie and burning her body, leaving Jay to ask for another Maggie Moore to be killed to make it look like the first death was an accident. In the midst of the investigation, Jordan, a widower, meets Rita (Tina Fey), Jay and Maggie’s neighbor who overheard them arguing, and they hit it off.

Maggie Moore(s) is far from a perfect film, but it has a few nuggets, and plenty to like from a storytelling standpoint. For one, the crime plot at the center of the film is easy to follow and everything that it entails gets a nice payoff. There are a lot of players and the plot can be overstuffed at times, but it’s never overwhelming. The film trudges along at a good pace, though it does get tiresome near the end. And while the story won’t wow you, it’s put together and cohesive, though it does cut a few corners to get to its ending, throwing in some sentimentality where it previously had none. It’s a bit jarring, but if you’re willing to go with the flow, then this film definitely has its moments.

Maggie Moore(s) is largely held up by its winning cast. Jon Hamm and Tina Fey are excellent together, grounding the film as Jay’s storyline gets more ridiculous. The film takes the time to establish them as individuals, exploring a bit of their histories without derailing the main plot. Nick Mohammed is also great, with his dry humor and quips. Over time, these characters become the best part of the film, and their scenes are something to look forward to amidst the absurdity.

As a comedy, however, the film underwhelms. Although the premise itself is wild, the humor never rises to the occasion. The comedy is flat, only occasionally eliciting a half-hearted chuckle or two. There was potential for Maggie Moore(s) to lean fully into its zany moments, but it doesn’t allow itself to go there. It’s more of a crime thriller, but even then it’s more of a crime dramedy at best. Despite the lack of humor and the somewhat haphazardly put together ending, Maggie Moore(s) is a breezy watch that delivers mediocre entertainment. The stakes are low, and the last third begins to drag a bit, but the cast is charming together, and the plot will hold your attention long enough to prove satisfying.

Maggie Moore(s) screened at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. The film is now playing in theaters and is available on demand. It’s 99 minutes long and rated R for language throughout, violence, some sexual material, brief nudity and drug use.