Mystery Team

Director: Dan Eckman
Screenwriters: Dominic Dierkes, Donald Glover, DC Pierson

Institute History

  • 2009 Sundance Film Festival

Description

If Encyclopedia Brown, the kids from American Pie, and Nancy Drew all had sex, their baby would probably look something like Mystery Team, a wonderful blend of innocent and seedy humor from the Derrick Comedy group. Already an Internet phenomenon, they transition gloriously into the realm of feature films.

When they were kids, the Mystery Team solved pint-sized mysteries like “Who stuck his finger in the pie?” Now it's senior year of high school, and they are still solving mysteries the same way. Though each member of the team has a supposed specialty—Jason is the Master of Disguise; Charlie is the Strongest Kid in Town; and Duncan is the Boy Genius—they are really just stunted and naïve kids. When a little girl asks them to find out who killed her parents, Jason realizes they have an opportunity to prove to the town, and themselves, that they are real detectives.

A dark comedy that hits on classic mystery conventions, Mystery Team cleverly places the naïve innocence of yesteryear within the jaded, crime-laden world of today. What makes the ludicrous premise work so magnificently is the impeccable chemistry among the three leads. This is a film for anyone who is nostalgic for a time when solving a mystery was the greatest feeling in the world, but adult enough to like a little raunchy humor.

— Trevor Groth

Screening Details

As you use our Online Archives, please understand that the information presented from Festivals, Labs, and other activities is taken directly from official publications from each year. While this information is limited and doesn't necessarily represent the full list of participants (e.g. actors and crew), it is the list given to us by the main film/play/project contact at the time, based on the space restrictions of our publications. Each entry in the Online Archives is meant as a historical record of a particular film, play, or project at the time of its involvement with Sundance Institute. For this reason, we can only amend an entry if a name is misspelled, or if the entry does not correctly reflect the original publication. If you have questions or comments, please email [email protected]