Apparently, the private investigator game is not as lucrative as it used to be, and supplementing his income is the answer in the crime-comedy pilot Casen Pointe: True Crime Detective by Jonathan Stahl and Bowen Williams.
Casen Pointe (Anthony Guerino) is a down-on-his-luck private investigator looking to increase his views and subscribers on his YouTube channel. Helping him is his social media manager, Natalie (Madi Hart), and they arrive at a swanky mansion crime scene.
It appears that the dead man, Marcus (Michael Dominguez), died after a fatal session of auto-erotic asphyxiation. The responding officer, Detective Taylor (Erin Berry), tells Casen that this is an open-and-shut case of jerking off gone wrong. After apologizing to his livestream viewers, Casen discovers that the dead beach volleyball player was left-handed, but the noose was tied by a right-hander. This is a murder!
Casen Pointe (Anthony Guerino) sizes up the case in Casen Pointe: True Crime Detective (Episode 101).
“…this is an open-and-shut case of jerking off gone wrong.”
The suspects include Marcus’ wife, Helene (Lea Marcastel), son, Ryan (Connor Linnerooth), and business partner, Charles (Lion Dodsworth). While his interrogation of the suspects was a disaster, Casen must rely on his astute observational skills to solve the crime.
On its own as a short film, Casen Pointe: True Crime Detective is a strong comedic short. Stahl and Williams’ script is incredibly tight. Everything we need to know about the story and plot is crystal clear, and even better, we understand who Casen Pointe is by the end. Everything is there to keep the series going.
What I love is the balance of mystery-solving and the crude irreverence of Casen Pointe. Add in the insufferable streaming ads and live reads Pointe is forced to make throughout the stream. It’s rare for an indie short character like Casen Pointe to be so well defined by its actor, Anthony Guerino. He knows and embodies the protagonist.
Ultimately, I would like to see a few more episodes to see where Stahl and Williams take Casen Pointe: True Crime Detective.
For more information, visit the Casen Pointe: True Crime Detective (Episode 101) official Instagram page.
"…strong comedic short."
