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A Kind of Murder (2016) movie poster

Characters & Themes

A Kind of Murder (2016) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2016 · 95 min · English
JustWatch #10,900 2
Directed by
Andy Goddard
Starring
Patrick Wilson, Vincent Kartheiser, Haley Bennett, Jessica Biel

Walter Stackhouse, a wealthy man trapped in a stifling marriage to Clara, becomes obsessed with Kimmel, a suspect in a disturbing murder. Walter's fascination intertwines their lives, drawing him deeper into a complex and dangerous situation. A determined detective investigates the case, convinced he's uncovered the truth. As the investigation intensifies and secrets are revealed, a web of deceit emerges, leaving everyone questioning who is truly innocent and what lengths they'll go to protect themselves.

On this page (8)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (5)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (3)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Movies like A Kind of Murder
  8. 8 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch A Kind of Murder (2016)

Where can you watch A Kind of Murder? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Hulu, Philo and Hoopla: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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5 main characters · contains spoilers

A Kind of Murder Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of A Kind of Murder (2016), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Walter Stackhouse (Patrick Wilson)

    Walter is a complex character torn between his dual passions for architecture and crime fiction. His initial curiosity grows into an obsession, leading him to make reckless decisions that deeply affect his life. Stackhouse grapples with guilt and betrayal, showcasing his troubled psyche as he interacts with other key characters.

    • 🎭 Protagonist
    • 📖 Aspiring Novelist
    • 🏗️ Architect
  • Clara Stackhouse

    Clara is depicted as a victim of circumstance, caught in her husband's web of deceit and infidelity. Her character reflects the emotional strain of a crumbling marriage, ultimately leading to tragic consequences. Her untimely demise serves as a pivotal moment that accelerates the film's escalating tension.

    • 💔 Tragic Figure
    • 👩‍❤️‍👨 Wife
  • Kimmel

    played by Vincent Kartheiser

    Kimmel is a key player in the unfolding mystery, initially seeming innocent but ultimately reveals deeper ties to the crime. His interactions with Stackhouse shift from camaraderie to suspicion, embodying the theme of betrayal. His desperation culminates in a tragic act that seals his fate.

    • 🔪 Antagonist
    • 📚 Bookstore Owner
    • 🕵️‍♂️ Distrustful
  • Detective Corby

    Detective Corby is relentless in his pursuit of truth, driven by intuition and instinct. His character serves as both investigator and commentator on the chaos unfolding between Stackhouse and Kimmel. Through his perspective, the narrative raises questions about morality and justice.

    • 🕵️‍♂️ Detective
    • 🔍 Investigator
    • ⚖️ Justice Seeker
  • Ellie Briess

    played by Haley Bennett

    Ellie is a nightclub singer who becomes entangled in Stackhouse’s life and serves as a symbol of temptation and danger. Her relationship with Stackhouse is fraught with tension, highlighting the allure of infidelity. Ellie’s character adds layers to the narrative of desire and tragic ends.

    • 🎤 Singer
    • 💃 Seductive
    • 🎭 Love Interest

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:27

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Setting

Where and When Does A Kind of Murder Take Place?

The setting of A Kind of Murder (2016): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

The film unfolds in a contemporary setting, reflective of modern societal norms and relationship dynamics. This current era allows the narrative to explore themes of obsession and infidelity, resonating with today’s audience. The tension in Stackhouse's life mirrors the complexities of contemporary marriage and crime.

Location

Kimmel's Bookstore, Nightclub, City

Kimmel's bookstore serves as a central hub for the unfolding mystery, known for its eclectic selection of literature. The nightclub, where Ellie performs, adds a layer of intrigue and danger, echoing the emotional turbulence of the characters. The city backdrop provides a gritty atmosphere that heightens the overall tension of the film.

  • 📚 Bookstore
  • 🎶 Nightclub
  • 🌆 Urban

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:27

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3 major themes

A Kind of Murder Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is A Kind of Murder (2016) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Obsession

    Obsession intertwines with creativity in Stackhouse's pursuit of understanding the murders. His fixation on the crime mirrors his aspirations as a novelist, blurring the line between fiction and reality. This theme explores how one's passions can lead to destructive paths, ultimately affecting those around them.

  • Infidelity

    The theme of infidelity is prevalent in Stackhouse's troubled marriage and his affair with Ellie. This betrayal not only complicates his relationships but also serves as a catalyst for the unfolding tragedy. The consequences of these actions reverberate throughout the narrative, deeply affecting the characters' fates.

  • Deception

    Deception runs rampant as characters navigate their own hidden truths. Stackhouse's disguise as merely a bookstore customer exemplifies this theme, leading to greater conflicts. Detective Corby’s investigation unearths layers of lies, revealing how appearances can be misleading and trust can be easily broken.

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:27

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Character & theme questions

A Kind of Murder Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about A Kind of Murder (2016): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is the movie set?

A Kind of Murder takes place in an urban city setting that provides a gritty backdrop for the unfolding mystery. Key locations include Kimmel's Bookstore, which serves as a central hub for the story, and a nightclub where Ellie performs. The city atmosphere heightens the film's overall tension and psychological tone.

  • setting
  • locations
  • bookstore
  • nightclub
  • city
Q2

What time period does the film take place in?

The film is set in contemporary times, reflecting modern societal norms and relationship dynamics. This modern setting allows the story to explore themes of obsession and infidelity in a way that resonates with today's audience.

  • time period
  • contemporary
  • modern era
Q3

What are the main themes of the film?

A Kind of Murder explores several interconnected themes including obsession, infidelity, and deception. Obsession drives the protagonist's dangerous fascination with a murder case, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. Infidelity serves as a catalyst for tragedy, complicating relationships and leading to devastating consequences. Deception runs throughout as characters navigate hidden truths and misleading appearances.

  • themes
  • obsession
  • infidelity
  • deception
  • meaning
Q4

What does the theme of obsession represent in the movie?

The obsession theme centers on Walter Stackhouse, whose fascination with a murder case mirrors his creative pursuits as a novelist. His fixation grows from curiosity into something more dangerous, blurring reality with fiction and leading him down destructive paths that affect everyone around him.

  • obsession
  • creator
  • writer
  • fixation
Q5

How does deception play into the story?

Deception manifests through various characters hiding their true intentions. Walter disguises himself as merely a bookstore customer while pursuing his obsession. Detective Corby's investigation uncovers layers of lies, revealing how appearances can be misleading and trust easily broken. The theme explores how characters' hidden truths ultimately collide.

  • deception
  • lies
  • disguise
  • hidden truths
Q6

Who is Walter Stackhouse?

Walter Stackhouse is the film's protagonist, a wealthy man torn between dual passions for architecture and crime fiction. He becomes dangerously obsessed with Kimmel, a murder suspect, leading him to make reckless decisions. His growing fixation ultimately draws him into a complex and dangerous situation, showcasing his troubled psyche.

  • walter stackhouse
  • protagonist
  • architect
  • writer
Q7

Who is Clara Stackhouse?

Clara Stackhouse is Walter's wife, depicted as a victim of circumstance trapped in a crumbling marriage plagued by deceit and infidelity. Her emotional struggles reflect the toll of her husband's secret life and affair. Her tragic fate becomes a pivotal moment that accelerates the story's escalating tension.

  • clara stackhouse
  • wife
  • marriage victim
Q8

Who is Kimmel and what is his role?

Kimmel is a key figure in the mystery, initially appearing as an innocent bookstore owner who becomes a murder suspect. His relationship with Walter shifts from casual acquaintance to one of growing suspicion. As the investigation progresses, deeper ties to the crime are revealed, culminating in a desperate act that seals his fate.

  • kimmel
  • suspect
  • bookstore owner
  • mystery
Q9

Who is Detective Corby?

Detective Corby is the determined investigator pursuing the truth behind the murder case. He is relentless in his pursuit, driven by intuition and instinct. Through his perspective, the narrative raises questions about morality and justice as he uncovers the chaos unfolding between Stackhouse and Kimmel.

  • detective corby
  • investigator
  • police
  • justice
Q10

Who is Ellie Briess?

Ellie Briess is a nightclub singer who becomes entangled in Walter Stackhouse's life. She represents temptation and danger, serving as both the object of Walter's affair and a symbol of the allure of infidelity. Her relationship with Walter adds layers of desire and emotional complexity to the narrative.

  • ellie briess
  • nightclub singer
  • temptation
  • affair
Q11

Why is the bookstore important to the story?

Kimmel's Bookstore serves as the central hub where the mystery unfolds. It is an eclectic literary space that brings Walter and Kimmel together. The bookstore becomes a meeting point for Walter's growing obsession, blurring the boundaries between his role as a curious customer and his dangerous fascination with the murder case.

  • bookstore
  • kimmel
  • hunger
  • mystery hub
Q12

What role does the nightclub play in the film?

The nightclub, where Ellie performs, adds a layer of intrigue and danger to the film. It serves as a setting that echoes the emotional turbulence of the characters, particularly Walter's descent into obsession and temptation. The venue represents the darker, more dangerous aspects of the world Walter inhabits.

  • nightclub
  • ellie
  • performance
  • danger

Movie threads

More Movies Like A Kind of Murder, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes A Kind of Murder tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about obsession and crime like A Kind of Murder

Characters whose morbid curiosity pulls them into a dangerous web. If you liked A Kind of Murder, explore more movies where a character's dangerous obsession with a crime pulls them into a web of deceit. These psychological thrillers and dramas focus on the dark fascination that can lead one to become part of the story they are following.

  • obsessive
  • unsettling
  • psychological
  • dark
  • suspenseful
  • claustrophobic
  • Tone: tense, dark, psychological
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a character, often a writer or similar creative, as their professional interest in a crime evolves into a personal and dangerous obsession. The story structure typically involves the protagonist inserting themselves into the investigation or the criminal's life, leading to a convergence where the hunter becomes the hunted or the observer becomes a participant.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their shared focus on the psychological theme of obsession, where a character's intellectual curiosity transforms into a destructive force. They share a tense, claustrophobic tone and often feature morally ambiguous protagonists on a collision course with the darkness they seek to understand.

Slow burn psychological thrillers like A Kind of Murder

Stories where tension builds steadily in a confined psychological space. Find more movies with a similar slow burn, claustrophobic feel to A Kind of Murder. These films use steady pacing and high psychological tension to create an anxious, immersive atmosphere, often exploring themes of deceit, marital strife, and moral ambiguity within a confined setting.

  • slow burn
  • claustrophobic
  • tense
  • psychological
  • unsettling
  • anxious
  • Tone: tense, claustrophobic, unsettling
  • Pacing: steady, slow burn
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread unfold with a steady, persistent rhythm, avoiding sudden action in favor of accumulating psychological pressure. The conflict is often internal or interpersonal, set within constrained environments like a troubled marriage or a mounting investigation. The focus is on the gradual erosion of a character's sanity or safety.

Why they belong together: These movies share a specific combination of steady pacing, high psychological intensity, and a tense, often bleak tone. They prioritize mood and internal tension over plot twists, creating a cohesive viewing experience defined by a sense of inescapable dread and claustrophobia.

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Movies Like A Kind of Murder

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Every angle

A Kind of Murder (2016) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about A Kind of Murder in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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