Plot Explained Spoilers guaranteed!
Plot Explained

Browse by genre

The Buckingham Murders (2023) movie poster

Plot Summary

The Buckingham Murders (2023) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2023 · 107 mins · English
Echo score 53
Loading streaming availability…
Directed by
Hansal Mehta
Starring
Daniel Eghan, Asheq Akhtar, David Cann, Jonathan Nyati, Sartaaj Kakkar, Ash Tandon

A police officer and single mother, Jasmeet Bhamra, is reassigned to High Wycombe after tragedy strikes when her child is killed in a shooting. While there, she becomes involved in a missing child case, forcing her to confront her grief and navigate a complex investigation with personal stakes.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like The Buckingham Murders
  6. 6 Every angle
Loading streaming availability…

Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in The Buckingham Murders: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of The Buckingham Murders (2023) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Jasmeet “Jass” Bhamra, Kareena Kapoor Khan, a British-Indian detective, mourns the loss of her child, killed by a drug-addicted shooter. This grief shadows her every move as she takes a transfer to Buckinghamshire and is handed a new case: the disappearance of a young Indian boy named Ishpreet Kohli. The assignment lands with Miller, and the case quickly pulls Jass into a web of family secrets, adoption, and old loyalties. Ishpreet’s adoptive status becomes a crucial thread, pulling at the Kohli family’s fractured history, and Jass learns that the boy’s background is tangled with the very people who should have protected him. Along the way, she uncovers rough edges in the investigation: Patel’s entangled history with Ishpreet’s relatives, including a former drug dealer in the family circle, and a murky past that mirrors the gravity of the crime.

From the moment Jass interviews Ishpreet’s parents, Daljeet and Preeti Kohli, the case deepens. Ishpreet, it turns out, was adopted, a fact that complicates questions of motive and blood ties. The investigation widens as CCTV and cell-phone traces point toward Ishpreet’s last known location—an ordinary park where life and crime intersect in quiet, daybreak light. Patel, the lead detective on the ground, presses his team through the long night, pushing for every clue as dawn approaches. In the park, the team discovers a broken thread of a life interrupted: Ishpreet’s body is found in an abandoned car, a brutal end that shocks the community. The car’s origin leads them to a Muslim man, whose nephew Saquib Chaudhary, a recovering drug addict with his own history of trouble, is seen borrowing the vehicle on the day of the murder. Saquib’s linkage to the local Imam’s son, Naved, deepens the entanglement of personal and religious networks in the investigation.

The plot thickens as investigators chase further leads. Naved reveals a troubling twist: Saquib killed Ishpreet in a violent burst of rage tied to the drug trade Ishpreet had been delivering. Saquib is arrested, but Jass remains unconvinced by the official tale and presses Patel and Miller to see beyond the surface. A sharp confrontation ensues when Patel taunts Jass about her own loss; unable to stay silent, she strikes him and is pulled away from the case, reassigned to a desk. Yet her resolve does not waver. Even from behind a desk, she continues to unthread the case, inching toward a deeper truth that others would prefer to ignore.

Behind the desk, Jass uncovers a new thread: Patel’s sister is in a coma, a victim of drug supply linked to Saquib. This discovery intensifies the stakes and sharpens Jass’s questions about who really benefits from Ishpreet’s death. Her persistence leads her to a prison visit with Saquib, where he offers a confession of sorts. He admits that he and Ishpreet had a confrontation, but insists he did not kill Ishpreet. He also drops a startling claim: Naved and Saquib are lovers, and Naved had struck a deal with Patel to lie about the murder in exchange for Saquib’s release. This revelation prompts Jass to confront Miller with the truth about Patel’s actions, a confrontation that ends in tragedy when Patel shoots and kills himself.

With Saquib released, Jass shifts her focus to a new prime suspect: Daljeet Kohli, Ishpreet’s adoptive father. Daljeet’s life is in distress—his transport business falters, and he has taken out a large life insurance policy on Ishpreet. The investigation reveals a pattern of dysfunction: Daljeet’s affair with Indrani Rai, and a volatile, abusive dynamic with Preeti Kohli. In parallel, Prithvi, Daljeet’s relative, is seen pressuring Preeti, a detail that deepens the motive for violence. The tension culminates when Daljeet murders Prithvi in a fit of rage after witnessing the inappropriate advances.

When Daljeet is arrested, he denies killing his adoptive son. A house search turns up Ishpreet’s missing backpack and a burner phone that Ishpreet used to deal drugs. A phone call traced from the device leads to Preeti, who is suddenly revealed as the mastermind behind Ishpreet’s disappearance. Preeti had manipulated Prithvi to kill Ishpreet and orchestrated a scenario in which Daljeet would murder Prithvi, all to free herself from an abusive marriage. With the case closed, Jass is left to grapple with a personal ache that mirrors the case’s emotional toll: she seeks closure for her own son’s death, a memory that remains unresolved even as a courtroom drama resolves on the surface.

The film threads a tense, reflective mood through its brisk investigation, alternating between the present danger of crime and the quieter, aching wounds of family strife. It explores the way grief can distort motive, how secrets fester in closed doors, and how a determined detective can push through professional obstacles to illuminate the truth, even when that truth comes at a personal cost. The narrative moves through a mosaic of characters who inhabit a shared space of trauma and betrayal, each revelation peeling back another layer of motive, loyalty, and the costs of silence.

- Ishpreet Kohli’s journey is central to the case, and his story threads through every major turning point. Sartaaj Kakkar gives voice to a boy whose life and death catalyze the investigation.

- Daljeet Kohli and Preeti Kohli’s troubled marriage and the larger family dynamics drive the later twists, with Ranveer Brar and Prabhleen Sandhu portraying the figures at the heart of the conflict.

- The web of betrayals expands to include Indrani Rai and the Imam’s circle, where the fragile line between loyalty and gaslighting is tested, with Sarah-Jane Dias among the cast.

- The earlier, raw emotional wound of Jass’s own loss shapes her judgment and resilience, reflected in her relentless pursuit of truth despite personal cost, a thread that binds her to the case long after the initial investigation ends.

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 10:22

Was this helpful?

Plot questions answered

The Buckingham Murders Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about The Buckingham Murders (2023): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why was Ishpreet Kohli adopted?

Ishpreet was adopted by Daljeet and Preeti Kohli, which became a crucial detail in the investigation. His adoptive status raised questions about family history and hidden tensions that would later reveal significant motives. The adoption was never fully explained within the family, creating a layer of secrecy that Preeti would later exploit.

Foreshadowing: The adoption is mentioned early during Jass's interviews with the Kohli parents, setting the stage for later revelations about family dynamics.

  • adoption
  • kohli family
  • ishpreet
  • motive
  • family secrets
Q2

Why did Saquib kill Ishpreet?

Naved claimed Saquib killed Ishpreet in a violent burst of rage tied to the drug trade, as Ishpreet had been delivering drugs. However, this story was later revealed to be a fabrication orchestrated by Naved and Patel. Saquib later confessed to having an altercation with Ishpreet but insisted he did not kill him.

Foreshadowing: The initial arrest of Saquib seemed to resolve the case quickly, but Jass's skepticism about the official story proved justified.

  • saquib
  • ishpreet
  • drug trade
  • murder
  • arrest
Q3

Why was DI Patel helping Naved and Saquib lie about the murder?

Patel's sister was in a coma due to drugs supplied by Saquib. This personal connection created intense bias and motivated Patel to orchestrate a false confession to protect Saquib while appearing to solve the case. Additionally, Naved (the Imam's son) was in a romantic relationship with Saquib, and Patel struck a deal with Naved to testify falsely in exchange for Saquib's release.

Foreshadowing: Patel's early ties to the Kohli family and his unusual pressure on the investigation hinted at hidden allegiances.

  • patel
  • naved
  • saquib
  • corruption
  • complicity
Q4

Why did DI Patel kill himself?

Patel shot and killed himself when Jass confronted Miller with the truth about his deception. After Naved admitted to the deal with Patel to falsify testimony, and Jass exposed the conspiracy, Patel faced professional ruin and criminal charges. The combination of his sister's coma (caused by Saquib's drugs), his involvement in the cover-up, and being exposed led him to take his own life.

Foreshadowing: Patel's defensive behavior throughout the investigation and his taunt toward Jass about her son's death revealed mounting internal pressure.

  • patel
  • suicide
  • miller
  • exposed
  • confession
Q5

Why did Preeti Kohli orchestrate Ishpreet's death?

Preeti was the mastermind behind Ishpreet's disappearance and had manipulated Prithvi into killing the boy. Her motive was to escape her abusive marriage to Daljeet. By orchestrating Ishpreet's death and subsequently manipulating Daljeet into killing Prithvi (who she had set up to take the blame), Preeti planned to free herself from the abusive relationship while making it appear as though both deaths were unrelated crimes committed by others.

Foreshadowing: Preeti's seemingly cooperative demeanor during interviews masked her orchestration of events, and her manipulation of both Prithvi and Daljeet became clear only through evidence discovery.

  • preeti
  • orchestrator
  • abuse
  • murder plot
  • manipulation
Q6

Why did Daljeet Kohli kill Prithvi?

Daljeet murdered Prithvi in a fit of rage after witnessing him making inappropriate advances toward Preeti. This violent outburst was triggered by a combination of factors: Daljeet's volatile temperament, his knowledge of his own infidelity (having an affair with Indrani), and the mounting pressures of his failing transport business and financial troubles.

Foreshadowing: Prithvi's pressuring of Preeti and Daljeet's increasingly unstable behavior were established earlier in the investigation.

  • daljeet
  • prithvi
  • murder
  • abuse
  • jealousy
Q7

Why did Jass continue investigating after being removed from the case?

After Jass punched Patel following his taunt about her son's death, Miller removed her from the case and assigned her to a desk job. However, her personal grief and determination to find the truth drove her to continue investigating secretly. Her own unresolved trauma from losing her child to a drug-addicted shooter made her particularly invested in uncovering the real truth behind Ishpreet's death.

Foreshadowing: Jass's emotional reaction to Patel's taunt revealed how deeply her personal loss affected her judgment and resolve.

  • jass
  • investigation
  • removed
  • persistence
  • grief
Q8

Why did Daljeet Kohli become a suspect in Ishpreet's murder?

Daljeet became the prime suspect after Saquib was released. His financial troubles were significant, his transport business was failing and he had taken out a large life insurance policy on Ishpreet. Additionally, he was having an affair with Indrani Rai and had a volatile, abusive relationship with Preeti. These factors provided clear financial and personal motives for wanting Ishpreet dead.

Foreshadowing: The timeline reveals Daljeet's financial decline and the discovery of the life insurance policy occurred before his arrest.

  • daljeet
  • suspect
  • insurance
  • financial trouble
  • motive
Q9

Why did Jass visit Saquib in prison?

Jass visited Saquib in prison because she remained unconvinced by the official narrative that he had killed Ishpreet. While working at a desk job, she had discovered that Patel's sister was in a coma due to drugs supplied by Saquib, which deepened the web of potential motives and conflicts. Her persistent questioning led Saquib to reveal that Naved and Saquib were lovers and that Patel had orchestrated the false testimony.

Foreshadowing: Jass's refusal to accept the easy answer and her independent research into Patel's background led to the prison visit.

  • jass
  • prison
  • saquib
  • confession
  • truth
Q10

Why was Ishpreet involved in drug dealing?

Ishpreet was revealed to have been dealing drugs, using a burner phone for his operations. The police discovered this after finding the burner phone and Ishpreet's missing backpack during a search of Prithvi's house. This involvement in the drug trade was what initially connected him to Saquib in the investigation, though the true circumstances of his death were far more complex.

Foreshadowing: Early in the investigation, references to drug activity in the area and connections to Patel family history hinted at Ishpreet's involvement.

  • ishpreet
  • drugs
  • burner phone
  • dealing
  • evidence
Q11

Why does Jass not find closure for her son's death?

Even after solving the Ishpreet case and uncovering the truth, Jass remains emotionally scarred and unable to find closure for her own son's death. Her son was killed by a drug-addicted shooter, a crime that apparently went unsolved or unpunished. The resolution of Ishpreet's case brought professional victory but no personal healing, as the circumstances of her son's death remain an open wound she continues to carry.

Foreshadowing: Jass's personal loss is established in the opening scenes and drives her emotional involvement throughout the investigation.

  • jass
  • closure
  • grief
  • son
  • emotional ending
Q12

Why was Daljeet Kohli's character abusive?

Daljeet Kohli exhibited a volatile, abusive personality toward his wife Preeti throughout their marriage. His abuse was fueled by multiple factors: his affair with Indrani Rai, financial stress from his failing business, and a generally violent temperament. This abusive behavior ultimately became a key motivating factor for Preeti's elaborate plot to escape the marriage by orchestrating multiple murders.

Foreshadowing: Early interviews with Preeti and observations of family dynamics revealed the troubled nature of the Kohli marriage.

  • daljeet
  • abuse
  • preeti
  • marriage
  • dynamics

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Buckingham Murders, by Mood & Story

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

Detective stories fueled by personal grief like The Buckingham Murders

Haunted investigators whose personal trauma fuels a high-stakes case. If you liked The Buckingham Murders, explore movies where a detective's personal tragedy shadows a complex investigation. These films combine intense crime-solving with deep character studies about loss, making the stakes feel overwhelmingly personal. Find similar emotionally heavy thrillers and dramas here.

  • grieving
  • tense
  • determined
  • somber
  • suspenseful
  • melancholic
  • Tone: dark, melancholic, tense
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a professional investigation that runs parallel to the protagonist's journey through grief. The case often echoes their personal trauma, forcing them to confront their pain while doggedly pursuing the truth. The resolution of the crime typically offers little solace for the character's enduring personal wound.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they share a core premise: a detective's professional competence is tested against the backdrop of overwhelming personal grief. This creates a unique blend of procedural suspense and deep psychological drama, resulting in stories with high emotional weight and a bittersweet or bleak tone.

Atmospheric and heavy crime procedurals like The Buckingham Murders

Methodical crime stories where mood and suspense are the main characters. For viewers who appreciated the tense, melancholic mood of The Buckingham Murders, this thread collects movies with a similar feel. Discover crime mysteries and thrillers where the steady pacing and heavy atmosphere are central to the experience, perfect for fans of suspenseful, character-driven investigations.

  • tense
  • suspenseful
  • oppressive
  • somber
  • melancholic
  • methodical
  • Tone: dark, tense, somber
  • Pacing: steady, slow burn
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These stories unfold methodically, often within a specific community shaken by a crime. The narrative builds suspense through reveals and character interactions rather than chase sequences, focusing on the moral complexities and emotional fallout. The ending often provides resolution but leaves a lingering sense of sorrow or unease.

Why they belong together: This thread connects films that share a specific cinematic texture: a steady, deliberate pace, a dark and tense tone, and a focus on building a heavy, suspenseful atmosphere. The similarity lies in the overall viewing experience—a slow-burn sense of dread and a deep engagement with the characters' emotional states.

If you liked this

Movies Like The Buckingham Murders

Similar movies to The Buckingham Murders: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

Browse all movie summaries

Every angle

The Buckingham Murders (2023) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Buckingham Murders 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.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

Plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Catch up on any movie in minutes, save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private, always.

Learn more about the app