POKER FACE. With the charm of a classic whodunit

In an era oversaturated with productions full of convoluted twists, Poker Face wins over audiences with the charm of a classic whodunit.

Poker Face, created by Rian Johnson (Knives Out series), tells the story of the rebellious Charlie, who has an extraordinary gift—she can flawlessly tell whether someone is lying or telling the truth. Using this skill at the poker table, Charlie ends up in serious trouble. With some very angry people on her tail (not entirely unjustifiably), she’s forced to constantly move from place to place—always finding herself embroiled in an intriguing mystery.

Johnson, the creator of the Knives Out series (Knives Out, Glass Onion, Dead or Alive), has proven himself to be a fan of the good old-fashioned mystery. He skillfully and gleefully revives the pure puzzle format, which lets viewers slowly uncover the truth through cleverly planted clues.

With Poker Face, Johnson returns to a slightly different format—used, among others, in the series Columbo—the inverted detective story structure, where the audience knows the culprit from the start. The suspense doesn’t lie in finding out “whodunnit,” but rather “how the detective will prove it.” This is a key narrative element that sets the show apart from classic whodunits. Just like in Columbo, Poker Face follows a “one mystery per episode” format, with each episode structured the same way: in the first part, we see the crime, the perpetrator, and their motives, and then Charlie enters the scene to expose the criminal.

The comparison to Columbo is no accident. Johnson has repeatedly said in interviews that he sees Natasha Lyonne (of American Pie and Russian Doll fame), who plays the lead role, as a worthy successor to Peter Falk. Poker Face was written specifically for her, and in Glass Onion, the director included a teaser for fans—a delightful easter egg. In one scene, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) plays Among Us on Zoom with friends, including Angela Lansbury—the legendary Jessica Fletcher from Murder, She Wrote (also available on SkyShowtime)—and Natasha Lyonne, the future star of Poker Face.

Lyonne and Johnson seem to be perfectly in sync. Her character is a charismatic outsider whose unconventional methods turn out to be surprisingly effective. Charlie, like the iconic lieutenant, initially appears harmless—scatterbrained, maybe even a bit dim. But like him, she’s tenacious and inquisitive, and every little lie she hears, punctuated with her unfiltered “Bullsht…!”*, lights up a red flag in her mind. Lyonne’s performance goes so far that, watching Charlie’s wild gesticulations or puzzled expressions, you start to wonder whether it’s still inspiration from Falk or already a parody—and whether someone might be poking fun at him. The impression is heightened by Charlie’s styling—high-waisted jeans, over-processed dyed hair, exaggerated makeup, and low-hanging jewelry all pay a very obvious homage to Falk’s iconic trench coat.

And yet, it quickly becomes clear that none of that really matters. Amid the flood of crime series that all strive to be “more than just mysteries”—psychological dramas, social commentaries, thrillers with sci-fi elements—Poker Face is a breath of fresh air. It’s above all pure entertainment. Since viewers know more than the protagonist, there’s no anxiety about how the story will unfold; instead, they’re curious to see how Charlie will piece things together this time. There’s no doubt that she will get to the truth—so the audience can sit back, focus on the details, and catch the cracks in the murderers’ alibis, who inevitably make a mistake in the end.

Poker Face has another undeniable strength: its guest stars. The first season features appearances by Adrien Brody, Benjamin Bratt, Ron Perlman, Nick Nolte, Luis Guzmán, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Chloë Sevigny, and Ellen Barkin. Season two kicks off with Cynthia Erivo, followed by Lili Taylor, B.J. Novak, Rhea Perlman, Gil Birmingham, Katie Holmes, Haley Joel Osment, Justin Theroux, and Giancarlo Esposito.

Poker Face is a tribute to traditional detective stories and a nod to fans of classics like Columbo or Perry Mason, but with a distinct, modern edge. Natasha Lyonne has managed to create a new kind of character—one that blends eccentricity with insight. And while not everyone may take a liking to Charlie Cale, it’s fair to say that together with Rian Johnson, she’s created a series that, despite a few weaker moments, is an absolute pleasure to watch.