After a successful world premiere at the 67th BFI London Film Festival in 2023, The Buckingham Murders has finally had its theatrical release in India. Directed by Hansal Mehta and starring Kareena Kapoor Khan in the lead, the movie follows a heartbroken mother and detective as she tries to solve the murder of a 10-year-old boy. The film is originally in English and Hindi and has a predominantly British supporting cast like Keith Allen, Darren Kemp, Charles Craddock, and Adwoa Akoto. It also includes chef Ranveer Brar, Kapil Redekar, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu and more. Grappling with issues such as racism, communalism, grief, homophobia and more, is The Buckingham Murders worth a watch? Read this review to find out. 

A slow simmer

When 10-year-old Ishpreet Kohli goes missing, his adoptive parents, Daljeet (Ranveer Brar) and Preeti (Prabhleen Sandhu), call in the police. As the police start searching, it leads them to an abandoned car in a park with the victim’s body in the front seat. Superintendent Miller (Keith Allen) assigns the case to Detective Sergeant Jasmeet “Jazz” Bhamra (Kareena Kapoor Khan), who recently moved to High Wycombe after losing her son to a violent crime.

Detective Inspector Hardik “Hardy” Patel (Ash Tandon) who is leading the investigation, seems to be in a hurry to close the case. More so, he seems to have a grudge against the main accused in the case, Saquib Chowdhary (Kapil Redekar), a 19-year-old drug addict. However, Jass seems to think the case isn’t as neatly closed as it looks and that Saquib is innocent. As she tries to look further into the case, new issues come to light — that of rampant drug use among the youth, religious differences, communal hate, homophobia, adultery and more.

The Buckingham Murders is not a fast-paced, heart-pounding thriller. Instead, it simmers slowly, opening up new revelations little by little. Despite the pressure to find the murderer, there is no urgency in the movie. In fact, there is a sense of stillness and a heavy serenity. 

Kareena Kapoor steals the show

Kareen Kapoor is undoubtedly the star of the show. Jazz is unlike the glamorous, highfalutin roles the actress has previously done. Another similar role would probably be the scared mother, Maya D’Souza, in Jaane Jaan. Jaspreet is grappling with the loss of her son, and she is struggling to survive. Everything reminds her of him, and she holds on to his blood-stained t-shirt to hold him close, and probably also as a reminder of her inability to save her child. 

Though a grief-stricken mother, Jazz tries not to let her emotions affect her job. In a scene when a man angrily shouts that his wife is unworthy of being a mother, despite him being an abusive husband, Jazz slaps him and walks away, not giving him the benefit of judging a woman for her choices and actions. At other times her emotions try to get the best of her, but she keeps them tightly under control. And therein lies the brilliance of Kareena Kapoor Khan’s skills as an actor. In the climax scene, she angrily asks the murderer why they killed an innocent child. The restraint in her body, the way she clenches her fists, and the unshed tears are all proof of Bebo’s acting skills. Her eyes speak volumes, and they are perpetually sad and looking for a way to survive.

As a murder mystery, The Buckingham Murders is nothing special. There are times when the culprits are even quite obvious. But the movie is worth a watch for Kareena Kapoor’s brilliant performance and the underlying topics it touches. 

Can you watch it with your family?: There is one short scene of nudity and scenes of a child’s death. Unless these trigger you or anyone else, you can watch it with your fam.

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