User reviews

This movie is a nice viewing on a popcorn and a movie kinda night. It starts off a bit slow and meandering. Cards are all laid out on the table, you're watching a decent murder investigation with no real questions because you already know what's going on. But the third act comes in hot with an OMG WTF that launches into a rather tense finale with some real stakes and a fairly satisfying ending.

I think movies like this need support. It's okay to sit through a movie that isn't force feeding you "action" all the time. It's okay to let a movie marinate. It's okay to sit through the beats rather than constant jump cuts.

The language was a bit much for me. But overall, a decent independent movie at a time when Hollywood needs to return back to decent original movies.

What a pleasant surprise. This is one of those movies I usually hesitate to see because the poster and description don't really appeal to me and then I find out I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on it. I agree with the reviews, it is a breath of fresh air with dialogues to die for and much better than it looked. It has that kind of witty humor that makes you laugh in such a fun way, you can't help but like totally enjoy it. Some mentioned it's rather a slow burner, but I've watched a lot of slow burners - and I'm talking here only about the good ones since this movie definitely doesn't belong to the bad category, and those good slow burners were much slower than this one. In my opinion the pace was quite good because not once did it make me feel bored.

Like I said, I totally enjoyed it, I mean like REALLY enjoyed it!! It's a movie you can watch twice in case you wanna share it with your friends and go with it a second time.

Sometimes I just look at the barest details of a film and instantly know I'll like it, and Maggie Moore(s) is one of those examples. I rented it on a whim and was pleased with what is essentially a quirky dark comedy done in the style of late 1990s and/or early 2000s. There's nothing specifically retro about this movie, it's just in the pattern of a certain sub-genre of comedy that i like. It makes a lot of sense then that an almost unrecognizably older Tina Fey plays one of the supporting roles.

John Hamm is decent because he never actually has to be funny. Everyone else is funny around him! He's 'the straight man." SO he can be the basic good guy cop grieving his dead wife who is afraid to move on. While this role holds none of the demands of the odious womanizer Don Draper, it also has none of the demands of being a comedic actor, which John Hamm is not. No problem here!

I found this flick legitimately enjoyable though some aspects were ridiculous it doesn't take away from the overall light mood and the reasonable progression of a cohesive story line. YMMV depending on what you consider funny, obviously.

I'm happy they make movies like Maggie Moore(s). Honestly, after seeing the Chicken Soup for the Soul logo, I expected some real twee and vanilla plot lines and humor. Then I see that Hamm and Fey are the leads. I like them both so this is a bonus. It doesn't hurt to have these two in particular doing the heavy lifting in making a decent script good, or and an amusing expression more clever simply by their expert delivery. The chemistry between the two works mainly because of the awkward banter. It is fairly lighthearted fair with a tinge of violence and blood. The hour and a half flew by, and the film held my interest throughout. Like I stated above, I am very happy that this script got made so well! 7 out of 10 stars.

Before someone thinks it is even a light Comparison to Fargo (movie or series) - it is not. But something with the small town un resolved murder cases, the friendly cops and the far-fetched motive for the killing - yes, something, before I set to write this review, was ringing the Fargo Bell (and maybe because I've just been exposed to the fact they have another season in a month from now).

It is also a comic plot with silly criminals and one thin thread which is getting thickened by the hour (or by half of it). The sleepy town and police team are getting up for two separate mornings with two murdered women with the same name. Why? This is exactly what the movie asks of his audience.

This one doesn't ask of his viewers to solve the mystery, but he seeks that they will join the ride of the main characters and just enjoy the plot getting thicker and a little bit complicated for the police team.

Short. To the target and has a great cast, which is led by John Ham, nick Mohammed (Nate the Great) and Tina Fey. All are led by John Slattery at his second movie as director; he does a solid job and probably will be interesting to see his next films, when they will happen.

Prolific Actor and Occasional Director, John Flattery Takes the Helm in this Dark Comedy that has Unmistakable "Fargo" Vibes.

Actors John Hamm and Tina Fey Lead a Quirk-Character Cast of Misfits, Losers, Low-Life-Criminals, as an Awkward Coupling of Post-Marriage 30-Somethings.

He, with His Wife Passing, and She with a Divorce from a Dominating Husband (that She can't seem to avoid meeting-up with).

The Plot has the Mystery of 2 Murders, only Days Apart, Both Victims with the Name Maggie Moore.

Everyone in this Fictional Small Town is a Character Worthy of Sensationalized Paper-Back Fiction.

Exaggerated, Full of Colorful Quirks, Mostly a Step Slow with the Characters Designed to Entertain and Propel the Lurid Plot, Filled with Violence and Charmless Charm.

All of it is Designed a Step-Above Reality and that Design is What Could Place it in a Sub-Genre of Crime-Fiction, You Could Call...

"Cartoon-Crime-Fiction"

With its Tongue-In-Cheek Display of some Ultra-Violence by Dumb-as-Dirt Criminals who Take Turns Providing Outrageous, Surprising Laughs.

It's that Counterpart to the "Normal" or Usual Mystery, Drama, Romance, and Crime, Story that Sets the Type Apart.

Over-Reaching, as if On-Cue, to the Events that Causes these Folks to Over-React in a what at Times Seems Like Something Out of a Cartoon.

Coloring (outside the lines) and Can't Help but be Noticed by Everyone but Themselves.

A Style that is Not for Everyone, but Dark-Comedy, sometimes Called Black-Comedy, has a Legion of Fans.

They Love the Cult-Status that Makes these Movies a Different Experience from the Straight-Laced, Familiar, and Safe Movie Offerings that "Stays Within the Lines".

For those Fans, it's...

Worth a Watch

For Fans of the Traditional Take...

Not so Much.

My guess is that John Slattery is a BIG fan of the Josh Hawley TV series Fargo. This movie feels a LOT like a seasons story line. This is not a criticism of a cheap copycat attempt, I thought this an extraordinarily well cast movie with interesting characters, and all of the key players had well balanced story arch's. My only real complaint is that this was a Fargo like season compressed into just two hours. I significant clues just fell into the police chiefs lap just a little too offten, and the last 10 minutes felt like a big "hurry up and finish this!" ending. It was so close to being a really memorable movie... just not close enough.

If you enjoy basic movies, with a run of the mill plot, mediocre acting, little to no chemistry and a blended storyline that makes sure to include romance, basic humor, murder and cops then this movie is for you!!!

Really not much here that I can say was remarkable or even really enjoyable. John ham and Fey are okay I guess, but every scene just seems flat with little chemistry. I doubt there were many takes and they just moved thru the script during filming.

I just don't really see the point of this. Bad guys, good cops, damsel in distress, unsolved murder. There's literally hundreds of better versions of this type of story. Bland 5.2/10.

I'm really starting to like Jon Hamm in his recent movies. He plays a calm mature and sweet man very well. This time as a policeman. If you are tired of CGI films without a story, of Hollywood pap that just wants kids through the doors, try this film.

So it's a murder mystery (for the policeman, the viewer knows who did it, but its nice watching them go through the process). Also, there are novel and interesting characters that interact beautifully. To be honest all the characters were acted well, and half the film really is about the dilemmas of the 4 or 5 key characters. Although there are some deaths, its not excessively gory and it isn't an action film. Reminds me a bit of the murder mysteries we'd see in the late 80s, but in this story is much better, characters are 3d, and filming very polished. Yep, the story is a little quirky, but pretty believable. There is a romantic sub-plot, which is complicated by one being a widower, and the other being divorced, but it takes on some modern themes very well.

For me a good film requires a good and well told story, with good characters. This is what this film is. No high drama (except may a little toward end, and a bit of a surprise), but I loved the way it was presented and paced. Made it feel like real life without being dull at any time. Maybe the film is an 8, but I gave it a 9 just because it was laid out so well and skillfully.

Maybe people under 25 will find it slow or no dramatic enough, but I think most older people (male and female) will find this a fulfilling film covering a few interesting themes and with an interesting murder mystery aspect. Comedy? Not really, though some light touches which are sweet/funnyish. Go on, give it a go.

This might just be the toughest type of film to get right. The mixing of two drastically different tones is such a hard mix to get right. A lot of people consider the Coen brothers to be some of the best to ever do it - and even they didn't always get it right.

The main problem with 'Maggie Moore(s)' is that it does really work in either mode. When it is trying to be light and funny it just comes across painfully dull. And when it shifts into serious mode, it offers nothing that a thousand other similar films haven't done before. There is no point of difference in this movie.

They try to make up for a painfully flat script with some big names in the cast, but even that isn't close to enough to save it. It just makes some very bad dialogue be delivered slightly better. It's still bad dialogue. This was a misfire on all levels. A generous 4/10.

Police Chief Jordan Sanders (Jon Hamm) investigates the murders of two women both named Maggie Moore. Rita Grace (Tina Fey) is the nosy neighbor of the first Maggie.

This is a howcatchem murder caper. It's a little quirky with a hint of a lighter tone, but it's not quirky enough to be funny. Actor John Slattery is trying his hand at directing and has called upon his Mad Men bestie Jon Hamm to lead the charge. Tina Fey is doing Tina Fey with a twist. My initial impression is that this is trying to be Fargo. By the end of the movie, I have concluded that Slattery is no Coen brothers. That does not make it a bad movie. It's not a great movie. It's just good enough for a quirky interesting watch.

I've found in recent years that, by far, the most desirable aspect of my entertaining content needs to be comedic in nature - I know.. I know.. I KNOW! But it seems that's all I can handle these days - so when I see a film that features Ms. Fey and Jon Hamm and 'Nate the Great' fabled wunderkind from Ted lasso Nick Mohammed, well I'm sold! And long story short (cause this is neither) I enjoyed the past time albeit didn't LAUGH laugh per se but found it amusing nonetheless - so anyway I do in fact recommend this for viewing if your looking for a fun little combination of comedy and idk.. Thriller? Yes sure.

At the library saw this recent movie with Tina Fey and Jon Hamm, so thought it would be worth a shot at something my wife and I could enjoy together. Early on it starts out with some of the crime action, that many others have pointed out is a tricky pairing with comedy.

It jettisoned my wife for sure. But I stuck around...

The problem is not just that it's a crime/comedy, but the comedy is often pretty dry and well the crime is not embezzling, but let's say much wetter. Another problem is some of the absolutely stupid behavior by the "crooks" contrasted with the more sharp-witted dialog.

Tina Fey leans hard into her ugly ducking role, but her attractive personality plus kind of belies that. Well, then there is her ex-husband with benefits, that was sort of part of the dry humor. I noticed another review thought it was John Goodman as the assassin who has some tricks up his extra-large sleeves. But no, I think it was his stunt double.

The subtle work just gets murdered by the heavier overriding plot points. It's like admiring your kids chalk work on pavement drawing well within the police chalked body outline. Hard to shake that off-feeling.

Maybe instead of trying to go Fargo, John Slattery (Hamm's old pal from Mad Men, in his 2nd full length each time with a star from that successful show)....maybe Slattery could have gone further into David Lynch territory. Even that might not have worked, here in the US with our requisite patriotic level of fear of some random act of violence, I think it's hard to laugh at mistaken identity womanslaughter.

Bottom line the film ends up being less than the sum of its parts. Damn shame as the cast and ideas I do feel like could have been forged into something uniquely successful.

"Maggie Moore(s)" is one of those movies where you sit down trying to join the dots to add up all the positives you have on screen into the cohesive whole the movie should have been. It's like a jigsaw puzzle with beautiful pieces that don't quite fit together.

The movie is so much like something the Coen brothers would have made that you realise they also should have made it. That really could have worked. It's set in a small town in which everyone has a distinct personality you can immediately make out, and they're all played by great character actors. It's mostly like "Fargo" out of all their movies, though you can also see a bit of "The Man Who Wasn't There". We have a desperate, pathetic, bumbling man whose transgression onto the wrong side of the law spirals totally out of control and leads to bloodshed.

Jon Hamm plays the foil for the imbecile, I guess, another small town guy who is also in romantic straits, having just lost his wife, but he shows how you can handle that without going off the deep end. It reminded me of that last scene in "Fargo" where Margie is back home with her husband, and all the carnage is over, and you're just thinking, these are good people, and thank god for that.

"Maggie Moore(s)" just left me wondering why a movie with so many decent aspects didn't deliver. The ending, for my last example, feels totally rushed and even bungled. It keeps you waiting for some kind of surprise so long that when it comes it's too late and it just felt like a cop-out. And I also didn't even really care.

It's a shame, I liked Jon Hamm in his role, and Tina Fey could have been good but their relationship was undercooked so it just felt annoying. Micah Stock was also ideally cast as the bumbling loser, and I liked Nick Mohammed as the deputy. Happy Anderson as the supposedly Mute mountain-man (and man-mountain) killer seemed like a character the Coen brothers just hadn't used yet.

But it just doesn't come together, and the ending is so slapdash it almost felt like a spit in the face.

Strange thing to say with Tina and Jon in there. They were lovely, though, and I like these kinds of movies. Each of the other characters could have filled in a little more funny, quirky or darkness with lots o potential. "fargo misses the mark" but still good.

Don't know what more to write so filling up these characters. Will look for more stuff with Nick in it. I thought Jon and Nick had chemistry and jon and tina had chemistry and Nick and cashier had chemistry. Other characters needed a little more connection time. Fun set and cars, nothing too fancy, nothing too cartoony, just eclectic fun.

Great performances but I haven't seen a movie with such a telegraphed plot, with so much unnecessary exposition, in a long time.

Does this review have spoilers? No. But the movie is entirely selfspoiling, so it wouldn't matter anyway.

Really the cast behind the minor characters somewhat rescued this movie from being totally unwatchable. Guy who played jay was excellent. The villain was quite menacing.

Hamm was rather charming, and played it nice and subtle. Tina fey and nick mohammed weren't given much to work with.

Could have really done without being so blatant to the point of having contempt for the audience. Written by someone who maybe appreciates dark comedy but just can't muster it up themselves?

Don't understand the hate for this nifty little thriller. Bodies start to pile up in a small town in Albuquerque, New Mexico. John Hamm and his trusty assistant Deputy Ready are on hand to sniff out the clues and put the pieces of this tricky puzzle together.

Hamm and Tina Fey feature some nice chemistry and work well to keep the energy going. Sure there are elements of Fargo and Rear Window sewn into the plot but, they only act as pepper there's much more seasoning here to keep you interested.

The picture is lensed by John Hamm's former Mad Men co-star John Slattery. He has a nice feel for suspense, tension and utilizes the dramatic mountain ranges of New Mexico to good effect.

A fine supporting cast of memorable character actors keep you interested. There's a twist or two but, mostly it's a slow burn thriller that pays off. Give it a try.

John Hamm plays a local police chief, who along with his deputy, Nick Mohammed investigate the two seemingly unconnected murders of two women both named Maggie Moore. A nosey neighbour to the first victim played by Tina Fey, shares her thoughts with Hamm and the 2 start falling for each other.

Strange sort of sub Fargo comedy thriller that has a sometimes odd mix of comedy and romance (Hamm/Fey), a witty investigation (Hamm/Mohammed) and a quite brutal thriller, occasionally tinged with dark humour (Micah Stock/Happy Anderson). It is not entirely successful in blending these elements, particularly with the thriller sections, but Hamm, Fey and Mohammed are fun company and many of their scenes together are quite sharply written. Not great, but with some nice scenes, so worth a look.

Pros: 1. Romance between Hamm and Fey. Great Chemistry here. Their relationship seemed pitch perfect for their age and personality. I would love to see them again in a rom-com. They seemed natural vs that latest yell match of a rom-com of Julia Roberts in her daughter's wedding. 2. I loved the views of my Sandia Mountains. The Sandia mountains loom over everything in ABQ, and they did a great job including them in the background of many of the scenes.

Cons: 1. Seemed like they tried to make a murder mystery in the Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul playbook. There are Scenes of funky architecture, dialogs inside crazy diners, murder in a 1950's era concrete apartment and another crime scene located out in the desert. Most of us from Albuquerque don't go to half these places. 2. Murder mystery? ...there was no mystery here. We know who killed who from the very beginning and so did most of the protagonists. Most reviewers mentioned that they tried to make a Cohen brothers/Fargo type story focusing on character development than mystery. 3. And lastly, an indian (from India) actor? I know there are Indians in NM, but I've lived here, worked here, and taught here most of my life and never met a single one. NM has the largest population of hispanic and native Americans and they couldn't find one to play the deputy or any other character? Some TV shows/movies go crazy with diversity, but not having a single Hispanic actor in a US Southwestern locale is like not having an Italian or African American actor in a NY scene.