Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Ineffective book-based murder mystery has sex, language.
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Intrigo: Death of an Author
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In INTRIGO: DEATH OF AN AUTHOR, a man named Harry (Benno Furmann) visits the remote island retreat of successful author Henderson (Ben Kingsley). Harry is working on a book and wants Henderson's advice. He begins his story about Daniel (Furmann), whose wife, Eva (Tuva Novotny), suddenly leaves him for another man. Daniel arranges to kill her, making it look like an auto accident. She disappears, and her body is never found. Meanwhile, he gets a job translating the final work of a famous author, Rein, who might have died via suicide. On the radio, during a concert, Daniel hears a cough and becomes convinced that his wife is alive. He starts searching for her -- and, at the same time, discovers odd clues in Rein's manuscript, which could bring everything full circle.
Is It Any Good?
Slow-moving, convoluted, and chilly, this mystery (based on a novel by Swedish author Hakan Nesser) has the right ingredients, but it frequently feels disconnected, and it doesn't completely click. Intrigo: Death of an Author is the first part of a trilogy, all based on works by Nesser, all murder stories of a kind, and all with at least one scene set at the "Intrigo" cafe. Some mysteries are written backward, with the conclusion in place, and then move through the solution to the setup. Certainly this movie had its ending figured out, but it can't work out a beginning that seems logical.
For a long time, very little the characters do makes any sense, from Harry's reason for visiting Henderson to Daniel and Eva's remaining on vacation together even after they break up. The actors also seem a little lost when it comes to expressing how much they know -- or are supposed to know -- and they all seem a little blank (except Kingsley, who chews some pretty good scenery). Director Daniel Alfredson, who also made the second and third parts of the original smash hit Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy, provides plenty of exotic backdrops, from sun-dappled verandas to gorgeous hotel rooms. But the characters move through them at such a sleepy pace that Intrigo: Death of an Author feels more like postcards than a movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Intrigo: Death of an Author's violence. What's shown, and what's merely suggested or talked about? Are there consequences for committing acts of violence?
How is drinking depicted? Is it glamorized? What does the main character do when he realizes he's drinking too much (and taking too many pills)?
How is sex depicted? What values are imparted?
What's appealing about murder stories? Why do you think so many good mysteries revolve around acts of violence?
How does this movie compare to the other two in the trilogy? How do they differ? How do they complement each other?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 17, 2020
- On DVD or streaming : March 17, 2020
- Cast : Ben Kingsley , Benno Furmann , Tuva Novotny
- Director : Daniel Alfredson
- Inclusion Information : Indian/South Asian Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Thriller
- Topics : Book Characters
- Run time : 106 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language and some sexual content
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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