I don’t know if anyone else has been keeping track of what’s hit screens in 2023, but we’ll just count down a few extraordinary or otherwise noteworthy releases. We got Barbie, The Flash, a new Ninja Turtles, the next Mission: Impossible, the last Indiana Jones, and before the end of the year, we’ll get a Dune sequel, a Willly Wonka prequel and a…wait for it…a David Fincher film, a Ridley Scott film, a Martin Scorsese film, annnd a Hayao Miyazaki film. Let that sink in as this is just a hint of the callbacks to a year that really and truly had it all.
But one kind of film that doesn’t come along all too often is a whodunnit. Well, leave it to 2023 to give us a pair of well-styled and expertly acted mysteries. Sir Kenneth Branagh is back as “Hercule Poirot” and then there’s this charming kids film from Julio Soto Gúrpide. Technically, it’s a 2022 release but U.S. audiences will get it this calendar year (featuring a perfectly cast Ronny Chieng) adding it to the cinematic cornucopia we’re certain people will be writing about years from now.
Anyway, this silky tale about an arachnid ace (and aloof) detective is a throwback to ’30s era private eyes. It’s unassuming, seemingly made for really little kids, but under the colorful facade is a dense and layered plot which will keep adults interested (and scratching their heads).
While Gúrpide spins writer Rocco Pucillo‘s yarn (or web?), master composer Fernando Velázquez adds layers of fun, adventure and intrigue with big band, guitars and kazoos. Velázquez’s approach was simple yet effective. It delivered the same level of sophistication as in titles like Crimson Peak and The Impossible. So, enjoy our time with Fernando and check out Inspector Sun!
In INSPECTOR SUN, after being fired from his detective job after a mission gone awry, Inspector Sun boards a seemingly normal plane for a much-needed vacation. When Dr. Spindlethorp receives a threat on his life, Sun is back on the case. Trapped in a web of lies, Sun must find his suspect before it’s too late.
INSPECTOR SUN will be released Only In Theaters on October 27th, 2023.
