The Landline Detective

I was enthralled by the Tom Hardy movie Locke (2013) and fascinated how they pulled off a whole film with a single actor on screen. When I saw that The Landline Detective had a similar premise, I thought I'd give it a look, and I'm glad I did. There is nothing flashy about the film - no special effects, no big stars. It's a low budget production with all its strength in its idea: an ordinary man stumbles upon something related to the murder of his sister-in-law 30 years ago and, armed only with his landline telephone, sets out to investigate further. There is humour, tension and a plot twist, and yes, it keeps your interest till the end. Sure, you could find faults with the film, but giving it a chance might pay dividends. Just as a huge budget doesn't guarantee a good film, a small budget doesn't preclude it.

This was very enjoyable, it was like an audio book with visuals. A good little mystery about an older man who is not into cell phones, iPads or computers.

...but the production values and the dialogue are strictly amateur hour. If it weren't for the likeability factor of the sole on screen performer, this would be one of the worst films ever made. If you can get past the first 15 or 20 minutes, it might grow on you. But the technical drawbacks...the pauses...the overly loud voices on the phone and the incredibly childish dialogue all have to be overlooked.

Cleverly written mystery. Cleverly presented.

Clearly low-budget. Some of the voice acting is amateurish. But this movie is well-worth the watch.

The simplicity of the action and of the set would make this a great stage play.

If you appreciate excellent acting, imagine an entire movie with only one actor. A movie that holds your attention because of that 1 actor's ability and well-written dialogue. Oh sure, there are other voice actors, but the one on-screen actor holds this story together. You are forced to imagine the scenes, just like reading a good book. I was so impressed!