Review written 2023-06-04. I believe I rewatched it perhaps two other times between my first watch and now.

This film and its sequel tricked me into thinking it was clever. It thinks it is, but it's not. It wasn't until I heard several criticisms that I realized how contrived and messy so much of it is. It's well shot, well edited, well acted, and I certainly found it entertaining, but Rian Johnson clearly knows only how to tell broken stories, some of which are crafted expressly to trick the audience into thinking they're clever. Complete with obnoxious dialogue making petty attempts at social commentary and pop culture references that aged before the films even release. Watch Clue (1985). It's far more clever, funnier, well-written, and has aged far greater than this film will. Even The Private Eyes (1980) is more internally consistent, albeit far sillier.