A Talent for Murder Review

A Talent for Murder, a new not-quite/not-quite-not murder mystery thriller, opens in theaters on October 22. The film, adapted from a Joanna Murray-Smith stage play, follows a young employee of a New York literary agency who is sent to Switzerland to convince famed novelist Patricia Highsmith to write one more book starring her most famous creation, Tom Ripley.

Starring Alden Ehrenreich as Edward Ridgeway and Helen Mirren as Highsmith, the movie explores the tension between Edward's ambition and Highsmith's domineering personality. As the two meet to discuss a fictitious novel, the story transitions into a metafictional conceit, where a young man charmingly enters a woman's life to secure potential profit.

While Mirren and Ehrenreich deliver solid performances with good chemistry, and the film boasts impressive costume and production design, the "story within a story" concept ultimately robs the movie of suspense and stakes. The film's biggest drawback, not having a significant plot twist, hinders its ability to convey the tension that drives the best minimalist mystery fare.