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The Dummy Detective

Play trailer 1:00 Poster for The Dummy Detective 2025 1h 29m Comedy Mystery & Thriller Crime Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 7 Reviews 97% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
In the spirit of Clue and Knives Out, THE DUMMY DETECTIVE follows Detective Van Trillo, a real-life ventriloquist, and his wooden partner as they investigate a string of bizarre murders inside a secluded inn filled with eccentric guests.

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The Dummy Detective

Critics Reviews

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Jonita Davis The Black Cape (Medium) Jan 13
The film plays with the genre in a style reminiscent of the Naked Gun films, but with an underlying darkness akin to that of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Oh, and there are actual dummies — the kind that ventriloquists use. Go to Full Review
Ethan Padgett Film Threat Jan 6
8.5/10
Anyone who loves a good mystery and the crime genre will be thoroughly entertained by The Dummy Detective. Go to Full Review
Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Dec 21
3.0/4.0
Don't be a dummy. Check out The Dummy Detective. Go to Full Review
Tim Brennan About Boulder Dec 15
If you’re making a movie about a ventriloquist detective, you need to be prepared to go to some strange places. What we’re left with is a screenplay that promises something much weirder than it actually delivers. Go to Full Review
Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Dec 12
4/5
…with Sean Young leading a committed ensemble cast and a traditional whodunnit structure, The Dummy Detective is easy to watch and fun to try and guess where the story is going; the ventriloquism angle is fresh and adds novelty to ancient conceits… Go to Full Review
Amanda Mazzillo Film Joy Dec 4
The Dummy Detective is filled to the brim with jokes, delightful absurdity, and surprising twists. If a detective comedy starring a ventriloquist with his dummy as partner sounds like a fun time, you definitely should check out The Dummy Detective. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Tommy V @RT05591127 May 1 I came across this movie in a time of love for film noir and I've always held a deep fondness for for vantriliquism. Usually when you think of either the first is often too serious and the second too goofy, this movie solves both those problems. Every aspect of this film is dripping with care and it's very clear to see every person who worked on The Dummy Detective put every ounce of care and love they could into it. Trillo's inner conversations with his puppets, Sean Young's book writing and Suades jokes at everyone are all just little quirks that make this film a delight, and the twist in the last 15 mines left me speechless and is enough of a reason alone to watch if you enjoy film noir. I finished this movie and was thrilled out of my mind to find not only 2 other short films but an entire series which im currently watching through. I can't stress this enough, watch at LEAST this adventure of Trillo and Suade, the last 15 minutes alone is enough of a reason to. See more Cinematically Speaking T @RT27128328 Apr 26 If you love to have fun and to solve cases with a great protagonist, The Dummy Detective is the perfect choice. This movie is pretty nice, because It pays homage to the Classic noir, but it also has a modern vision. See more Mike A @Abramagic Apr 17 Wonderful Fun! So campy! You really have to be a good performer to pull this off and this cast is terrific! Sean Young and Deborah Twiss play their roles to perfection and Jonathan Geffner is an excellent ventriloquist, bringing life to his wooden partners! The film has that wonderful "noir" look and feel. Overall, a fun movie to watch! See more Stuart M @StuartM82 Apr 10 The Dummy Detective is an amazing "Who done it" that is well written and produced. The movie has you guessing all the way through as any movie of this style should. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good murder mystery. And if you didn't love puppets before, you will after this! See more L F @RT83043843 Apr 10 I really love the puppetry setup. See more Carey C. @RT74713526 Apr 9 This movie was so refreshing!! The mystery aspect kept me guessing. When I was suspecting one character, it was something else. You know you're watching a great mystery film when it keeps you guessing until the very end!! A fantastic puzzle piece story that unfolds as it nears the climax. I highly recommend if you like Clue or Who framed Roger Rabbit!! See more Read all reviews
The Dummy Detective

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Movie Info

Synopsis In the spirit of Clue and Knives Out, THE DUMMY DETECTIVE follows Detective Van Trillo, a real-life ventriloquist, and his wooden partner as they investigate a string of bizarre murders inside a secluded inn filled with eccentric guests.
Director
Rob Margolies
Producer
Rob Margolies
Screenwriter
Jonathan Geffner
Distributor
Filmhub
Production Co
Different Duck Films
Genre
Comedy, Mystery & Thriller, Crime
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 18, 2025
Runtime
1h 29m