Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
Third Man Out is the first film in the Donald Strachey mystery series.
After John Rutka’s (Jack Wetherall) house is broken into and he’s shot in the foot, he has his boyfriend, Eddie Santin (Woody Jeffreys), hire private detective Donald Strachey (Chad Allen) to find the assailant. But Donald refuses to accept the job because John is known for outing important political figures who he feels to be working against the LGBT community.
Meanwhile, Donald and his life partner, Timmy Callahan (Sebastian Spence), are remodeling their house, so they could use the money. Because of that, Timmy is confused as to why Donald would refuse the job until Donald tells him who his client would be. It isn’t until John offers to pay Donald a large retainer for his services that he finds it hard to say no. And once he accepts the job, Donald finds himself wrapped up in lies, deceit, and double crossings.
The Story:
Third Man Out is the first movie in the Donald Strachey mystery series, and has the same look, feel, and tone of the second movie, Shock to the System. It also has the same production values, which are on par with a network television movie. The story has some fun characters, and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.
The movie takes place before same sex marriage was legal in The United States of America. Although there are still some politicians and public figures who remain in the closet, there are more who live openly. Because of this, the topic of outing political figures feels dated. While the subject matter isn’t as relevant as it was when it came out in 2005, its storyline is.
Although the movie is enjoyable, it often feels as if it’s all over the place. There are more characters than clues, it lacks some much needed tension, and the plot never feels as if it’s coming together. While Donald goes around talking to a wide swath of suspects, the mystery is resolved by stumbling around rather than deduction. Not only that, but the few clues that are present aren’t enough to tie everything together. While those types of mysteries are okay, I prefer the kind the viewer can solve on their own.
The Final Verdict:
Third Man Out has a sloppy story with some entertaining moments. Also, the mystery is a bit of a letdown. There aren’t enough clues for those who like to play armchair detective.
