Just how much you love films like Clue and Knives Out may very well be a helpful guide to determine your embrace of The Dummy Detective, a lower-budgeted version of the aforementioned with Steve Martin's underappreciated Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid also coming to mind as I watched this indie release directed by Rob Margolies based off a script by ventriloquist Jonathan Geffner. 

Geffner is here in the semi-lead alongside his dummy sidekick Sam Suede and the "Boy, I sure have missed her!" Sean Young as the delightful Harriet Hubbard. The Dummy Detective, recently released via Filmhub and currently available on Prime Video, is a darkly comic murder mystery. Young is the enigmatic hostess of a similarly enigmatic inn. She's a witty and secrety (Hey, I tried to make it rhyme.) who draws into her realm Geffner's Detective Van Trillo and his splintered sidekick Sam Suede into an increasingly noirish, playful, quirky story with the usual eccentric guests turned suspects and lots of murderous mayhem. 

The Dummy Detective also features appearances by Deborah Twiss (Kick-Ass) and the always dependable Ed Altman. The entire ensemble commits to the film's noirish tones and quirky comedy, the hints of darkness amplifying the humor even if the tone is occasionally a bit uneven. 

The Dummy Detective is the kind of film you either like it or you don't. There isn't likely to be a whole lot of middle-ground here. If you're the type who needs note-for-note realism, look elsewhere. The Dummy Detective centers around a, well, dummy detective and if you can't simply go with it then you're likely to experience a miserable 89 minutes or so. If, however, you're up for something unique and creative there's quite a bit of fun to be had here. 

Deborah Twiss is an absolute blast here as Chloe Lake, a young woman out to hire Van Trillo after she becomes convinced her mother has been murdered. Young's Harriet Hubbard is a fussy and fabulous blast. Geffner, bringing his stage persona to life, makes everything work by playing it all surprisingly straight. 

The Dummy Detective isn't the kind of film you see too often in the multiplexes despite its kinship to some real winners. It's a little too weird, a little too offbeat for general audiences but those who discover this film may very well discover a new indie gem. 

Don't be a dummy. Check out The Dummy Detective. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic