Parents' Guide to

Manhattan Murder Mystery

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Witty Woody Allen film about marriage and maybe murder.

Movie PG 1993 107 minutes
Manhattan Murder Mystery Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 4+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Joseph M Wolf
Joseph M Wolf Parent of 10-year-old
April 10, 2019
age 2+

THE BEST MOVIE EVER!!!!!!

I don't know why people say:6 and up! Any child can watch this!!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
colten97
colten97 Parent of 13-year-old
October 10, 2012
age 6+

Allen is a comic genius!

This is the sort of movie I can watch over and over. In one word I would say it is clever. A combination of mystery, suspense, drama, and Allen's ingenious humor, Manhattan Murder Mystery is my favorite Woody Allen movie. Perhaps my favorite movie - period. The plot was fresh, and having such humor with suspense is just too good. Another quality I enjoy in this movie is how Allen avoids an "over-polished" look. For instance, the scene where a neighbor in the hallway asks Paul about a rent increase. The actor appears to stumble for the right word, but Allen let the scene go that way giving it a very natural look. The restaurant scenes also portray realism with multiple conversations at one time; a quality I love in all of his movies. This makes reviewing the movies interesting- you pick up something new each time you watch it! Woody Allen's style is definitely an intelligent humor.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Carol Lipton (Diane Keaton) is convinced there's something amiss about her genial neighbor, a recent widower who perhaps isn't as upset as he should be about his wife's passing. As she snoops for clues, dragging her reluctant husband Larry (Woody Allen) along for the ride, she slowly comes to the realization that her neighbor just might be a killer. Their pals Ted and Marcia (Alan Alda and Angelica Huston) join in the caper that starts off as a fun lark, but soon becomes deadly serious.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2):
Kids say: Not yet rated

MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY is one of director Allen's better films in a long career filled with hits and misses. The mystery at the center is fun, satisfying, and surprising, and the audience will enjoy uncovering the truth nearly as much as the four characters.

But that's only part of the story. Like many of Allen's movies, the story is a partly a vehicle to show off the characters, and to see how they relate to each other. And there's no more delightful Woody Allen movie pairing than him and Keaton to take on the roles of the long-married Liptons, who love each other and are comfortable with each other, but a little bored, too. The murder investigation is just the thing to infuse some needed zing into their relationship. And we, as viewers, are lucky to come along for the ride.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the messages in this movie. Is this a movie about honesty? About relationships?

  • How does this film compare to other Woody Allen comedies?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate