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The Dummy Detective

Play trailer 1:00 Poster for The Dummy Detective 2025 1h 29m Comedy Crime Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 7 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 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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Ben B @Krasata123 18h This is one of the more unique films I've come across the last few months which showcases masterful ventriloquist work along with a quirky and dark storyline. Music is also very fitting and complimentary to everything going on. I would argue this is a must see film purely because of such a distinctive, eccentric, and "LOL" dialogue between the characters. Well done to everyone who took part in the production of The Dummy Detective! See more Ellis F @EllisTheFrank Jan 29 A true winner from top to bottom. Kids like it as much as adults. See more Tommy M @Animal174 Jan 24 I enjoyed it. Some nice little twists in there, never knew what was coming next. Guessing till the end. Great to see a feature length film featuring a Ventriloquist and assistants. See more tm11999 M @tm11999 Jan 19 lots of twists and misdirection and knives/guns in the study. sean young as a fat old lady was quite refreshing. murder mystery worth watching. go ahead and enjoy this. See more E. G @MelodyNelson Jan 17 This is one review that if I say the actors were wooden, it'll be taken as a compliment. The Dummy Detective is one of those movies that only works if you "go with it". From Pet Detective to Dummy Detective, Sean Young has starred with some bizarre gunshoes, but is an utter delight to watch in this. As are the scenes where Trillo and the puppets talk through the crimes. Definitely worth taking a punt on, you may be surprised. Extra points for using the word, dunderheaded. Dunderhead is what my dear old maths teacher used to call me. See more Les N @Vegas628 Jan 12 Yeah... What is the point? See more Read all reviews

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, Crime, Mystery & Thriller
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 18, 2025
Runtime
1h 29m
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