AFF 2020: ‘Murder Bury Win’ Is A Wonderful Love Letter To Board Games And Murder

There aren’t altogether a lot of great comedy crime capers centered on games—Game Night is a wonderful exception and Clue is excellent and based on a game, so sure… but as a whole one would think it’s a ripe concept for writers and filmmakers to run with, and there aren’t that many. Consider Michael Lovan’s Murder Bury Win, at this year’s Austin Film Festival, one of the good ones.

Three friends have created a board game where the goal (surprise!) is to successfully get away with murder. Unfortunately, they can’t get any crowdfunding traction and so their game sits unfunded, their hopes dashed against the rocks of digital fate… until a mysterious benefactor arranges a meet with the trio at his isolated, secret cabin. Turns out it’s someone who, it seems, can make their dreams come true—he’ll buy the rights to their game, if he gets sole credit for the game’s invention. It’s a strange and novel devil’s bargain, until things go awry and the three are left with a body on their hands. What to do? If only they had the guidance of a game whose goal is to get away with murder…

Lovan’s assured direction provides strong pacing, a well executed black comedy tone, and a great balance of tension and comedy that make Murder Bury Win a standout comedy this year. The performances overall are all excellent in their respective roles. Mikelen Walker’s ‘Chris’ is played with a likable everyman quality, walking the tightrope between the endless drive for advancement of Adam (Erich Lane) and the fun-loving affability of Henry Alexander Kelly’s ‘Barrett’. For that matter, Lane’s performance has great range for a black comedy, with a comic veneer covering a man who won’t think twice about… certain actions you’d love to see at least a little hesitation over. And Kelly’s performance as Barrett is a lovely, warm, funny one, adeptly trying to pull the trio towards goodness, a game-loving rhetorical angel on the metaphorical shoulder.

The script (by John Hart and Lovan) is a smart and suspenseful one, full of just the right amount of twists, turns, and gags to pull the audience along and keep them engaged, with solid arcs for the respective characters. It isn’t entirely perfect—some scenes and moments drag, with the occasional small lull that stalls the action somewhat, but overall the film is an engaging, charming black comedy that’s definitely worth a watch or three. It’s funny, at times surprising, and at others quite tense—a great time overall, and it makes me wonder what Lovan will have in store next.

Murder Bury Win had its Texas premiere at the Austin Film Festival.