Jon Hamm makes his return to Tribeca for the second year in a row in Maggie Moore(s) as a small-town police chief investigating murders.

Some of this actually happened…

Two women with the same name just happened to be murdered a few days apart. Is there any particular thing that ties the murders together or is it just purely a coincidence. That’s what police chief Jordan Sanders (Jon Hamm) has the responsibility of figuring out. Easier said than done. As Sanders is investigating with Deputy Reddy (Nick Mohammed), he still has his own personal life issues to figure out, too. It’s always trouble that turns up in a town that has nothing ever going on. The investigation sees run-ins with both Jay Moore (Micah Stock) and a mysterious figure named Kosco (Happy Anderson). Meanwhile, neighbor Rita Grace (Tina Fey) happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s how it always works, right? But in any event, Sanders and Grace befriend each other.

If you told me five years ago that John Slattery would direct Mad Men co-star Jon Hamm in a dark comedy and would be going to day-and-date, I would have said, you’re kidding, right?!? This is exactly what is happening on June 16 as Slattery reunites with his costar of the popular AMC series. Joining them for the fun is the ever-funny Tina Fey, who gets placed in quite the predicament with being the nosy neighbor. Personally speaking, I think the film plays much better in a theater. One, it’s a dark comedy. Two, it’s John Slattery putting his own touch on a genre that the Coen Brothers are masters at bringing to the screen. Put both together and it only demands to be seen on a big screen! Unfortunately, I watched a press screener prior to the Tribeca premiere.

I’m curious as to which events happened in real life. While it would not be uncommon for a police chief to be investigating two murders just days a part, the idea of both people sharing the same name would not be common. Unless I do a deep dive into research and find a case where it happened, it just seems unbelievable. But anyway, I’d be curious to see how screenwriter Paul Bernbaum decided to approach the script. Interestingly, Maggie Moore(s) is Bernbaum’s first produced screenplay in over fifteen years!

Maggie Moore(s) has a Coen Brothers-esque vibe but John Slattery manages to make the film his own.

DIRECTOR: John Slattery
SCREENWRITER: Paul Bernbaum
CAST: Jon Hamm, Tina Fey, Micah Stock, Nick Mohammed, Happy Anderson, Mary Holland, Nicholas Azarian, Louisa Krause, Derek Basco, Christopher Denham, Allison Dunbar, Tate Ellington, Oona Roche, Bobbi Kitten

Maggie Moore(s) holds its world premiere during the 2023 Tribeca Festival in the Spotlight Narrative section. Screen Media Films will release the film in theaters and VOD on June 16, 2023. Grade: 3.5/5

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