The Dummy Detective [Film Review]

Rob Margolies’ The Dummy Detective follows a line of movies where a cranky ventriloquist becomes possessed by his dummy. Unlike those creepy old classics, Dead of Night (1945) and Magic (1978), that followed an overwhelming horror narrative, The Dummy Detective takes a comic route.

The Ventriloquist in question here is Jonathan Geffner’s Van Trillo, who moonlights as a private detective. The twist here is that he uses his dummy, Sam Suede, to confuse suspects by doing a dual interrogation. When called upon by femme fatale Chloe Lake (Kick-Ass’s Deborah Twiss), looking suspiciously like Jessica Rabbit, to investigate the mysterious death of her mother, Trillo turns down the gig. The pair are later reunited at the World’s End guest house of an equally cranky landlady, Harriet Hubbard, in a surprise turn from Blade Runner’s Sean Young.

Miss Lake has already suffered the murder of her mother’s cat, Charlie, since arriving at the hotel and has been introduced to another bonkers ventriloquist, Elliot Black (Ed Altman), who broadcasts a Golden Oldies radio show from the top of the building.

Despite the virtually one-location setting, the plot and the ensemble of deranged characters do become convoluted very early on, as does the through line of what murder is actually being investigated. Is it the mother, the cat, the taxi driver who was murdered last week or Old Mr. Grimsley who died on his first night after an attack with a frozen pie? Confused? You will be.

The movie rapidly turns into a by-numbers whodunnit with Trillo and his dummy repeatedly gathering everyone in the parlour for a grilling. The humour falls mainly on the quirky characteristics of each suspect, from the sultry nature of Miss Lake to the sleazy Doctor Andre Cox, with an actual twinkle in his eye for all he meets. The acting is suitably hammy, particularly from Trillo, which kind of adds to the charm.

The Dummy Detective Poster

Sean Young comes out winning as Hubbard, who also moonlights as a crime writer. As the murders accumulate, she takes notes for her next book. Her convincing Old English charm works well and is a far cry from Blade Runner’s Rachael.

The limited space in which the characters have to play does become a little tiring as they continually run up and down stairs and in and out of each other’s rooms as the body count builds, and the final reveal is a little predictable. That said, this is a quirky idea that plays for laughs rather than chills. The best moments are between the two ventriloquists who, despite not particularly liking each other, find a bond in the dying art that they pursue.

A shout-out for Clifford J Tasner, who provides the score, is called for here, as it really is the incidental music that glues the film together and creates a suitably mysterious atmosphere, grounding the screwball comedy when needed.

It’s a relief when the real-life police eventually appear and take the pressure off the bumbling detective work of Trillo, and the conclusion is as satisfying as you could wish for.

This is a low-budget Agatha Christie spoof that riffs on a talking dummy theme, so you pretty much get what you pay for. It is not a film that will please those used to the high production values of the Knives Out franchise, but if you are in search of an easy watch with a few giggles along the way, there are worse ways to spend 90 minutes.

The Dummy Detective is available on Amazon Prime and other Worldwide streaming platforms

Director: Rob Margolies
Writer: Jonathan Geffner
Starring: Jonathan Geffner, Deborah Twiss, Sean Young
Produced by: Rob Margolies
Distributed by: Film Hub
Release Date: 2 November 2025
Run Time:52 mins