Shadow of the Thin Man

A jockey’s murder leads Nick and Nora (William Powell and Myrna Loy) into an even larger mystery.

Shadow of the Thin Man is the fourth entry in the Thin Man series, and follows the formula established by its predecessors, with the only major change being that Nick and Nora’s son is now about 4 or 5 years old.

This change doesn’t add anything to the movie, and actually causes it to drag on occasion. In the previous film, Another Thin Man, the baby worked more like a prop than a character and didn’t detract from the story. Such is not the case here.

The character of Nick Jr. is underdeveloped and incidental at best to the story, and as such, should have been left out entirely.

That aside, the chemistry between Powell and Loy is undeniable and the script is quite competent, with more than a few twists and turns to keep you guessing.

There’s still magic here, even if it’s fading.