'Only Murders In The Building' Pulls Off A Heartfelt And Comedic Murder Mystery Amid Pandemic Production Challenges

Upper West Side NY

20 November, 2021

7:22 AM

Description

Columbia Daily Spectator BY ALLANAH ELSTER NOVEMBER 18, 2021 Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez are an unlikely but instantly iconic trio who serve as the centerpiece of Hulu's newly released crime comedy, "Only Murders in the Building." This 10-episode murder mystery maintains a balance of whimsy and drama thanks to the creative efforts of a team that includes directors Jamie Babbit, BC '93, and Cherien Dabis, SoA '04, as well as cinematographer Chris Teague, SoA '06. This charming whodunnit unfolds in a luxurious Upper West Side apartment building, the Arconia, which those who have wandered down Broadway may recognize as the real-life Belnord. The three main protagonists are all tenants of the Arconia who initially each have fairly monotonous, isolated lives and lack a sense of purpose. Short's Oliver Putnam is a washed-up Broadway director with a childlike sense of excitement and willful ignorance of his financial struggles. Martin plays Charles-Haden Savage, a former TV detective with a guarded heart from his past romantic failings. Gomez rounds out the lead cast as Mabel Mora, a mysterious and aloof young woman renovating her aunt's unit in the Arconia. The three are begrudgingly drawn together by their shared love of a crime podcast, and their bond only strengthens after they learn that a fellow Arconian resident is found dead. Amateur investigative hijinks ensue, and they begin a crime podcast of their very own. First airing in August 2021, the series was largely conceived of and produced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only did this limit locations for filming, the shooting process, and other logistical factors, it made the production of this show a truly high-stakes affair for those involved. "It was horrifying and scary. … Selena is immunocompromised, Steve [was] 75, Marty is 72 or something, so obviously I was really nervous," Babbit said. Despite the cast and crew testing for COVID-19 three times a week, wearing masks and face shields, and social distancing when possible, positive cases still halted production toward the beginning of shooting. When a cast member was unable to be on set, the creative team leaned on inventive workarounds to keep production moving. Shooting schedules were altered or body doubles were utilized when possible. Teague explains that in one situation, a supporting actor had recovered fully from COVID-19, but in order to take extra precautions in scenes with high-risk cast members, more technical visual effects were used. "We had one shot where they were both in the same frame where we just … did a sort of invisible split screen," he said. The pandemic forced the creative team to adapt on the fly during production and spend extra time and effort on shots that could have been achieved far more easily in a pre-pandemic world. Despite these challenges, the pandemic actually presented an advantage for the "Only Murders in the Building" team. Since travel was limited in the United States during the period of time when the show was filming, numerous New York-based performers were available for roles as supporting characters. Jane Lynch, Sting, and Tina Fey are just a few celebrities who appear throughout the core trio's murder investigation. The creators behind "Only Murders in the Building" position the Upper West Side not only as the show's setting but as a core element of its tone and plot. The contrast of the extravagance and bustle of this Upper West Side apartment building with the rather lonely reality of the residents behind the expensive Arconia gates is in line with the emotional struggles many individuals have faced throughout the pandemic. Babbit had this contrast in mind and continuously fought to include complicated, meticulously coordinated camera shots that would capture both the exterior of New York City as well as the interior lives of the residents simultaneously by using windows as a framing device. "[These shots] were the thing that created the leitmotif of [loneliness for] … these lonely New Yorkers who were reaching for connection," she said. "It was through making this podcast that they found each other, and this building was their connection." The team behind "Only Murders in the Building" not only overcame pandemic-related challenges but also created a series that particularly speaks to the intrinsic need for connection that the pandemic amplified for so many people. The series pinpoints the experience of feeling isolated even in a city as vast and populated as New York. Ultimately, the residents of the Arconia connect through storytelling—perhaps a meta illustration of the impact a television series such as this may have on its viewers. Staff writer Allanah Elster can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow Spectator on Twitter @ColumbiaSpec. Founded in 1877, the Columbia Daily Spectator is the independent undergraduate newspaper of Columbia University, serving thousands of readers in Morningside Heights, West Harlem, and beyond. Read more at columbiaspectator.com and donate here.