Described as an untold story about true heroes,Shane Dax Taylor’s WWII actionerMurder Companyis a fairly straightforward war film. WhereThe Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfarewas a bombastic ass-kicker based on true events and infused with anarchism for entertainment purposes,Murder Companysticks with the familiar and rarely strays too far from the expected narrative choices. Of course, there is safety in this choice, as Taylor manages to deliver a remarkably serviceable film, though it casts a rather narrow net on its audience. Unless you’re already eager to spend eighty-six minutes immersed in the brutal, bloody horrors of warfare, there’s not much else to lure you in. Of course, if you’re looking for a healthy dose of Nazi-killing, in this case,Murder Companyhas the market cornered.
As with most historically-set films,Murder Companyopens with three intertitles that provide a brief overview of the impending story, including the fact that this top-secret mission has never been officially acknowledged, nor are there any records that the titular “Murder Company” ever existed. They could have spared a card and simply said: historians look away, we’re inventing history to deliver an enjoyable war movie. These intertitles do a decent job of setting up what lies ahead, as the film centers around a small band of US soldiers who are sent behind enemy lines to rescue a member of the French Resistance and assassinate an elite Nazi target.
Despite being a lower-budget action film,Murder Companydoes have excellent visual effects, and the production has put some effort into accurately capturing the aesthetics of the time period, though it would take willful ignorance to botch the costumery of WWII. The film does make one bewildering decision: the Nazis speak with broken German dialogue, not broken English dialogue. When they’re begging for their lives in English, there isn’t a mistake to be found, but when they’re speaking German, the dialogue is stilted and juvenile. As the actorsareGerman, it seems this may have been a weak spot inJesse Mittelstadt’s script.Roman Schomburgmakes it work, especially as no one expects depth or nuance from Nazi cannon fodder.
Murder Company
A World War II covert operation unfolds as a group of Allied operatives is tasked with infiltrating a Nazi stronghold to gather vital intelligence. Facing relentless enemy forces and navigating treacherous terrain, the team must overcome numerous obstacles and internal conflicts.
‘Murder Company’ Assembles a Strong Ensemble Cast
Following the trend of its action predecessors,Murder Companyhas a household name,Kelsey Grammer(Frasier), attached to deliver star-power to its roster, but the film’s true strength lies within the ensemble that fills the ranks of the “Murder Company.”Grammer’s General Haskel is an indomitable force when he’s on the screen, though he’s far from a major player in the film. His most notable scenes see himforcing information out of injured enemies, and hand-waving the loss of his own soldiers.
SinceThe Chronicles of Narnianearly two decades ago,William Moseleyhas established a decent resume for himself, including a leading role in the hit soap operaThe Royals. With the role of Southern inMurder Company, Moseley trades lions, witches, and wardrobes for taking down Nazis and stepping up to lead when the opportunity arises. Where his recentRaven’s Nestfailed to give Moseley a suitable enough script to work with,Murder Companyserves him quite well. But the script ultimately works because of the chemistry of the cast. There’s a palpable camaraderie shared between Southern (Moseley), Smith (JoeAnderson), and Coolidge (Pooch Hall). The soldiers banter about baseball, moon over the sweethearts they left behind, and butt heads over how they should pull off their mission. With a neat runtime of only eighty-six minutes,Murder Companydoesn’t have a lot of time to flesh out its characters, so it relies upon these little moments of humanity and connection to make the inevitable fallout even more tragic. Ultimately, the characters are quite paper-thin, but it’s not necessarily to the detriment of the story being told.
While one might think the band of brothers would draw the most focus, it’s actually the French Resistance officer, Daquin (Gilles Marini), who is recruited about a quarter of the way into the film, who proves to be the most compelling character in the lot. Daquin has the fewest lines, and yet, when he speaks, you listen. Marini,a French actor who has made a name for himself in American productions likeSex and the City,Daredevil, andDays of Our Lives, is undoubtedly the standout in this ensemble cast. He manages to bring a tremendous amount of depth to the role, despite being mostly relegated to sharpshooting and brooding over the tragedies in his life.
Is ‘Murder Company’ Worth Watching?
Murder Companymay not be the nextSaving Private Ryan, but it is a solid addition to the increasingly long list of WWII-set films andtelevision serieshitting our screens in recent years. The script may have weak points toward the middle and final acts, but it doesn’t lessen the enjoyment value whatsoever. Taylor set out to create a film that paid homage to the great war epics that preceded it, while playing within his own corner of fictitious history, and it works. While diehard WWII buffs might squabble over some of the choices that are made throughout the film, they will still come out the other end heartened by the story of heroism, bravery, and brotherhood that has been crafted here.
It may not reinvent the wheel or bring anything new to the landscape of WWII films, butMurder Companydoes add two wonderful performances to the resumes of Moseley and Marini, which are worth the price of admission in their own right. Moviemaking is a lot of hard work, especially filming on location in places like Bulgaria, where this was filmed. This shoot was one that required a significant portion of its production to be shot outdoors in all-terrain and all-weather, and yet, you’re able to still feel how much fun the cast had making this, as it shines through their performances. For a lower-budget actioner,Murder Companyis absolutely worth its eighty-six-minute runtime.
Murder Company is a movie that is exactly what you’d expect with a bit of a shaky story, but it delivers on all that it needs to.
Murder Companyis in select theaters, on digital, and on-demand now. Click below for showtimes near you.
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