Only Murders in the Building Season 5 Review — The Murder Mystery Shakes Up Its Formula for the Better

Uncategorized · · 09/08/2025

Since its debut in 2021, Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building has quickly become a fan favorite. However, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and some may be wondering if the mystery-comedy show will wear out its welcome. Balancing the familiar with the novel quite well, season 5 of Only Murders in the Building sees the show at its best since season 2, offering lots of laughs alongside a genuinely unpredictable mystery.

Only Murders in the Building Season 5 Review

Season 5 of Only Murders in the Building follows Charles, Oliver, and Mabel as they investigate the death of the building’s doorman, leading them to uncover a conspiracy that might involve the mob as well as the modern mob: corporate interests. The result is a blend of the show’s usual murder mystery with a riff on the mafia genre.

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING – After their beloved doorman, Lester, dies under suspicious circumstances, Charles, Oliver and Mabel refuse to believe it was an accident. Their investigation plunges them into the shadowy corners of New York and beyond — where the trio uncovers a dangerous web of secrets connecting powerful billionaires, old-school mobsters and the mysterious residents of the Arconia. The trio discovers a deeper divide between their storied city they thought they knew and the new New York evolving around them — one where the old mob fights to hold on as newer, even more dangerous players emerge. (Disney/Patrick Harbron)
STEVE MARTIN, MARTIN SHORT, SELENA GOMEZ

In our review of the fourth season, we did begin to question the staying power of this series, stating that it was “starting to lose some of its freshness” and becoming “too comfortable.” Thankfully, season 5 alleviates some of those concerns by shaking up the formula in an exciting way. In addition to the murder of Lester (Teddy Coluca), our trio is investigating the disappearance of Nicky Caccimellio (Bobby Cannavale), the husband of Sofia Caccimelio (Téa Leoni).

Although one might expect the addition of a secondary arc into the story might cause things to become unfocused, it actually helps the pacing feel a lot more engaging. Because so much is happening this season, it’s not as easy to get several steps ahead as it might have been in past seasons. In addition to the typical red herrings, the show has an entirely different storyline to throw you off of the scent.

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING – After their beloved doorman, Lester, dies under suspicious circumstances, Charles, Oliver and Mabel refuse to believe it was an accident. Their investigation plunges them into the shadowy corners of New York and beyond — where the trio uncovers a dangerous web of secrets connecting powerful billionaires, old-school mobsters and the mysterious residents of the Arconia. The trio discovers a deeper divide between their storied city they thought they knew and the new New York evolving around them — one where the old mob fights to hold on as newer, even more dangerous players emerge. (Disney/Patrick Harbron)
TEDDY COLUCA, STEVE MARTIN
ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING – After their beloved doorman, Lester, dies under suspicious circumstances, Charles, Oliver and Mabel refuse to believe it was an accident. Their investigation plunges them into the shadowy corners of New York and beyond — where the trio uncovers a dangerous web of secrets connecting powerful billionaires, old-school mobsters and the mysterious residents of the Arconia. The trio discovers a deeper divide between their storied city they thought they knew and the new New York evolving around them — one where the old mob fights to hold on as newer, even more dangerous players emerge. (Disney/Patrick Harbron)
MICHAEL CYRIL CREIGHTON, JACKIE HOFFMAN
ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING – After their beloved doorman, Lester, dies under suspicious circumstances, Charles, Oliver and Mabel refuse to believe it was an accident. Their investigation plunges them into the shadowy corners of New York and beyond — where the trio uncovers a dangerous web of secrets connecting powerful billionaires, old-school mobsters and the mysterious residents of the Arconia. The trio discovers a deeper divide between their storied city they thought they knew and the new New York evolving around them — one where the old mob fights to hold on as newer, even more dangerous players emerge. (Disney/Patrick Harbron)
STEVE MARTIN, CHRISTOPH WALTZ
ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING – After their beloved doorman, Lester, dies under suspicious circumstances, Charles, Oliver and Mabel refuse to believe it was an accident. Their investigation plunges them into the shadowy corners of New York and beyond — where the trio uncovers a dangerous web of secrets connecting powerful billionaires, old-school mobsters and the mysterious residents of the Arconia. The trio discovers a deeper divide between their storied city they thought they knew and the new New York evolving around them — one where the old mob fights to hold on as newer, even more dangerous players emerge. (Disney/Patrick Harbron)
RENÉE ZELLWEGER, CHRISTOPH WALTZ, STEVE MARTIN, MARTIN SHORT, SELENA GOMEZ

This season of Only Murders in the Building also stands out because it goes into much deeper themes than usual for this show. A major focus of this season is on the concept of gentrification, and while it’s not the keenest commentary — tearing down an apartment building primarily occupied by rich people is not the most pressing concern when it comes to gentrifying NYC — it certainly adds a layer of social relevance to the show.

The other topic that this season tackles is artificial intelligence, both through jokes involving a robotic doorman and a supporting character who runs an AI company. And shockingly, John Hoffman and Steve Martin’s commentary doesn’t feel like two old men ranting about the death of society at the hands of technology; it actually has something productive to say about the nature of that industry.

‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 5 Guest Stars: Keegan-Michael Key, Renée Zellweger and More

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‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 5 Guest Stars: Keegan-Michael Key, Renée Zellweger and More

That being said, this deeper commentary does not come at the expense of the humor. There are still plenty of big laughs in this season thanks to a combination of sharp dialogue and committed performances. This being one of the more far-fetched seasons thus far, the show leans hard into the absurdity and silliness at several moments, and it’s all the better for it, as it puts our characters into some ridiculous (and ridiculously funny) situations.

A big part of the success of this humor is from the new cast. Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) and Renée Zellweger (the Bridget Jones series) are pitch-perfect as two shady billionaires (who, of course, become suspects in the trio’s investigation). Waltz, in particular, is hilariously deadpan as a mysteriously sinister tech CEO. Other new additions include Logan Lerman, Jermaine Fowler, and Keegan-Michael Key, although none of them makes as strong of an impression as Waltz and Zellweger.

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING – After their beloved doorman, Lester, dies under suspicious circumstances, Charles, Oliver and Mabel refuse to believe it was an accident. Their investigation plunges them into the shadowy corners of New York and beyond — where the trio uncovers a dangerous web of secrets connecting powerful billionaires, old-school mobsters and the mysterious residents of the Arconia. The trio discovers a deeper divide between their storied city they thought they knew and the new New York evolving around them — one where the old mob fights to hold on as newer, even more dangerous players emerge. (Disney/Patrick Harbron)
SELENA GOMEZ, STEVE MARTIN, MARTIN SHORT

And as if you would expect anything less, the core trio is as charming and game as ever. Although the guest stars are always great, the reason why people keep coming back to watch more Only Murders in the Building is the charm of Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. All of them seem to have more fun in these roles than they have had doing anything else in a long time, and the result is infectiously lovable.

The one thing that’s missing from season 5 is an ambitiously stylistic swing like those we saw in the early seasons. We’re talking episodes like “The Boy from 6B,” “The Tell,” or even “Sitzprobe” from season three. This whole season feels relatively straightforward from a directorial standpoint, and while none of it is bad, it certainly could have used a bit more flair.

Is Only Murders in the Building season 5 worth watching?

Still, the new direction that Only Murders in the Building season 5 takes from a narrative standpoint is enough to prove that the creators aren’t yet running out of ideas for what to do with this series. If they can continue to make mysteries that are as funny and twisty as the ones we get this season, we will absolutely continue to tune in.

Season 5 of Only Murders in the Building premieres on September 9, with new episodes airing on subsequent Tuesdays. Nine out of ten episodes were reviewed.