Reviews

This movie had a lot of potential and the script was decent. But it was really dull. The male lead had zero charm or charisma. Maybe that was his actual personality, but he's an actor and needed to turn up the energy a notch or six.

The female lead was strong but didn't really mesh well with the male lead. The vibes were just way off.

As mentioned, the film was duller than dull. There was no lighthearted moments. They were trying to play up the "seriousness" of the Native American aspect, but it all felt so unnecessarily heavy (and often heavyhanded).

I made it all the way through this one, but it was a multiday struggle. 2 out of 10 stars.

My wife and I intentionally watch "bad" Hallmark movies, and few recent ones have had worse reviews than this one.

To our surprise...it wasn't bad. Even stranger was that the lead actress (and the character she played) weren't nearly as bad as conveyed in many of these reviews. Sure, the character was somewhat selfish...but it wasn't anything extreme. And we found the actress herself to have been fine. In other words, the role was performed well.

Other positives:

• It was funny. Well, a lot most legitimately funny than we were expecting. There were a few genuine laugh out loud moments.

• Predictable but fun script. Beyond being funny, the story itself was fine. It wasn't that unrealistic, especially compared to other Hallmark films.

• Most acting was good.

Negatives:

• Male lead was very wooden. We've seen him in other things, and he's always stiff/robot like. This film is no exception.

• Ending was abrupt and felt half baked.

But overall...I'd actually recommend this film. I don't really get the hate. And I usually quickly understand the hate.

Most reviews mention Ashley William's acting. To say she is enthusiastic would be an understatement. She really, really, really loves her small town and her job as head of Parks and Recreation. She becomes concerningly obsessive over saving an old tree in the center of town. I've never quite seen a character and performance like this.

But once you get past this...it's a great little Hallmark film. Super low stakes and very troupe-y in a relaxing and familiar way. Loved the script. The film doesn't try to reinvent the wheel and that's totally fine.

So in summary, the lead actress was manic and kind of insane, but the small town romance over saving a tree was a lot of fun. Eight stars out of ten.

The good: female lead did a great job in this role. She was very believable and was quite subtle and nuanced. The actress did a great job providing the character with an emotional story arc. You don't necessarily like her character at first, but grow to sympathize with her. Frankly it was one of the best performances I've seen in a Hallmark film. The chemistry between this character and her half sister was also great.

The script was also very good. Generally had sharp dialogue and didn't get too bogged down in unnecessary exposition, which is something Hallmark does a lot.

The less good: Lead actor, who was good in Aurora Teagarden, was subpar here. His character come across quite creepy. This might be a script and direction thing as much as an acting one.

The other thing I didn't love was how a certain pivotal plot point regarding the farm and the lead female's role in it were written. Her reaction didn't really feel true to the character we had been introduced to. She should have been a lot angrier.

Overall this was a real nice film which resonated with me.

I watch close to 50 Hallmark films a year, including most mysteries. Rarely have I not finished a film. And never have I stopped watching earlier than about 45 minutes through...until now.

The acting in this film, especially from the female lead, is simply unwatchable. I made it less than 15 minutes into this film. My wife, who rarely has a negative thing to say about anything, was absolutely stunned by what we just witnessed.

I almost feel like this is something to be experienced since words don't do it justice. The acting was like watching the understudies in a high school production, but it was actually worse than that. It was like when actors pretend to be bad actors, like in a SNL sketch.

Was really excited for this one. Sure, it borrows a lot from many non-Hallmark films, but it definitely was unique amongst Hsllmark mysteries.

First, the good: Great location and set design. A+ for that. The script was passable. It wasn't particularly exciting and at times felt disjointed, but it generally was fine.

Now, the bad: With a couple of exceptions, the acting was atrocious. I've watched 100s of hallmark films, and the acting typically isn't why I didn't care for a given film. But it's absolutely true here.

The acting felt comically wooden. Dialogue between characters had awkward pacing. It felt like everyone was reading off the cue cards. It felt like a literal amateur hour from this respect.

Hallmark romantic movies have a tendency to start strong and get progressively weaker. Not this movie. If anything, the second and (definitely) third acts were better than the first.

First off, the script (especially the middle and end) was exceptional. It was sharp, funny and gripping. The movie's premise is risky as you walk the line of improbability. But it was successful executed, and that starts with the script.

The acting was also an A+. Likeable? Yep. Chemistry? Yep. (Helps the leads are together in real life)

Lastly the set design and costumes were beyond what Hallmark usually delivers.

I highly recommend this film.

Season 4 was an actually pretty good (and certainly better than season 3).

Like a lot of cozy mysteries, you will have to suspend disbelief a lot and also accept the silly decisions that characters make which are done for the sake of plot development.

But overall this was a really solid series and most of the main cast was great. I felt some of the chemistry was forced, but also felt that the main cast felt cohesive by the end. I was looking forward to the series ending sometime in Season 3, but Season 4 sort of made me sad to see it (presumably) end.

The romances were the least interesting part to me, but I get that this is what the audience wants.

This is a frustrating show because it has interesting characters which are well acted in an interesting setting...but man are the scripts poorly written.

It started out pretty well. The first few episodes were compelling and the mysteries more nuanced. But the writing seemed to become increasingly lazy, especially starting in season 2.

The biggest issue is that the murders that occur in each episode are neatly resolved in a quick and implausible way. It would be ok if this occurred every once in a while. But every single murder? The person who commits the murder invariably admits everything right away. It's pretty extreme, even within the cozy mystery genre.

Also the end of season one and everything surrounding that situation becomes increasingly hard to accept...even if you suspend disbelief.

The actors and the viewers deserve better than what this show quickly devolved into.

Let's forget about the faith based aspects of this film for a moment and just say that overall it was an above average Hallmark film.

The script was pretty sharp and acting was solid. It was obviously predictable but you still were rooting for various characters, even with the outcome already known.

One of the ways that I rate these movies is how frequently I have to suspend disbelief, and how ludicrous those moments are. This film only had 2 or 3 aspects which made me roll my eyes...which is pretty low compared to the average Hallmark film.

Ok...now to the faith part and overall message. I know this angle will be divisive but I thought it was well done, with things even non-Christians could take from it. It is unusually direct in its Christian references, which I liked but understand how others might not be.

• Really weak script. With Campbe as a lead you'd expect a sharper and funnier story. But you'd be incorrect. Because this was a paint by numbers narrative that was very Hallmarky in a predictable way.

• Acting was great. I mean, they got Ralph from The Sopranos! He was great as was everyone else. But they didn't have much to work with.

• Leads didn't have great chemistry. The conflict felt forced at times.

• The stakeout part involved way too much suspension of disbelief. They could have made it less slapstick-y. The comedy leaned too much into goofball stuff rather than being witty.

Overall this was a miss despite the strong acting.

* Yes it is formulaic, but it's done well and goes down like comfort food.

* The sisters didn't visually have nearly the age gap that others have criticized the film for. It's believable, and more importantly, they have very good chemistry.

* The acting throughout was understated but believable. Roles came across as plausible for a small town.

* The general premise was also pretty believable and the various ways that the main conflict involving the country store was resolved came across as believable.

* The ending was exactly what it needed to be and you felt good at the end. Which frankly is the entire reason anyone even watches this.

Overall it was a sweet and predictable little film which makes you smile and helps you forget about personal troubles for 90 minutes. I mean this in the best of ways, but it's the most Hallmark-y movie I've ever seen. Worth your time after a long day.

• It was actually a bit funny, especially parts of the first half. Unlike other reviewers, I actually liked the premise (however well trodden as it may be). But it fell into the Hallmark trap of leaning too much on sentimentality.

• Speaking of which, in order to feel sentimental you have to feel something towards the characters. This didn't work in this movie for two reasons: 1) not enough time getting to know and care about them and 2) there was little chemistry between them. The two leads were miscast.

• I couldn't figure out why the female lead would be so torn up over the male lead. And it isn't just because of looks; his personality was pretty wooden too.

-Other reviewers have commented on the overacting, but I honestly could have used more theatrics from the cast.

Surprisingly good. Obviously full of Hallmatk cliches but still heartfelt. Maybe it's the vodka talking but the leads had a ton of chemistry.

Also the premise had some original elements. The legal aspects also had some real merit and legitimacy to it. Rare for a Hallmark movie.

Acting was great and the cast seemed sold on the script. The last 20 minutes had some real twists and surprises.

In summary it had all the cozy hallmark tropes but was a lot of fun and well written. At this point I'm dragging this review out because the minimum character requirements are so over the top high and ok that's it love you all.

Hallmark movies often have this tendency (IMO) to be really fun and engaging in the first half, but sort of run out of steam in the latter part. My theory is that the script runs a bit short and so they really stretch things out to meet that 85 minute runtime.

This pattern was particularly noticeable in this movie. There was a ton of excitement and energy in the first 30 minutes. The script felt sharp and the actors were engaging.

But around the time that the romantic story line started up, the film fell into the bad habit of being too dialogue heavy, with a lot of forced exposition. It fell flat and felt forced.

The last 20 minutes in particular were almost unwatchable. It just dragged on and on.

Feel the existing reviews are a bit low, especially when compared to similar Hallmark movies. Sure, it's predictable but actually has some heart. A lot of heart, actually.

• Great casting. The publicists assistant is especially great and very funny. Steals every scene she is in.

• Script was pretty standard fare but exceptionally executed. I would say that the B story between the publicist and her friend was unique and also very realistic.

• The cast really gave their all. There was real chemistry and they wanted to make a good movie.

• Production was also top notch (other than wardrobe). Good use of light, camera angles and music. Especially music. Was soft and minimal. They let the actors create the emotion rather than artificially through manipulative means.

Have watched most Hallmark cozy mysteries since 2014. This one was notably subpar for two reasons:

• Overacting by Danica. It's like she had a pot of coffee before each scene. It was all the more noticeable in juxtaposition with the male lead detective. It was just a bit off in tone and temperament.

• A zombie script which brought nothing new to the cozy mystery table. It was a veritable parade of cozy mystery tropes.

• The movie tried too hard to be sentimental and philosophical. It came across as uncomfortable and very forced. Lots of unintentionally funny lines (often delivered in somber deadpan ways).

• Female lead and her boss/ex were particularly wooden. It was hard to watch at times. I would say that the male lead and most secondary characters were fine, but the miscast lead really was hard to overcome. She just didn't have the range, but would probably be a decent lead in romcoms. Her issues where seen in line delivery and lack of facial cues to show various emotions.

• The premise had promise and the locations were beautiful. And I will say that "suspending disbelief" is needed for cozy murder mysteries. However the sheer number and audacity of these scenarios in this film was too much. Most of these frustrating head scratchers centered around decisions the lead actress makes throughout the movie. The writers must have thought these were needed to move the plot along, but it got into jump the shark territory for about the last 30 minutes of the movie or so.

I laud Hallmark for taking things in a different direction here, but it seems like they thought that novelty was enough, and everything else script and acting wise would be overlooked by the audience, no matter what.

My wife and I have watched almost every episode of every Hallmark series that has been produced since 2010.

Mystery 101 stands out in every way except for comedic dialogue (Darrow and Darrow is the best there) and leading actor chemistry (tied with Darrow and Darrow).

• Best writing. Mysteries feel real and not entirely implausible. Sure, there's some suspension of disbelief, but not like other series.

• The role that the non-detective lead has feels more believable than other series.

• You care about the characters and they really click (beyond just the leads). It is better than Darrow and Darrow here.

• It's memorable, which can't always be said.

• The setting is pleasant without being heavy handed.

• There's growth and continuity.

My wife and I pretty much exclusively watch Hallmark movies (probably 6-10 a month), so I've got a lot of watching experience in this area. Hard to believe no one has mentioned the following:

• The female lead cheated on her boyfriend. Not only that, but the guy she cheated on was basically doing her job while she was away helping her parents.

• The job he was helping her with was literally the most important thing in her entire career. At the end, her boss loved it and she didn't even bother thanking him or acknowledging this in any way.

• The guy she ended up with (and had zero chemistry with during the movie) basically initiated the cheating sequence, even though he knew she had a boyfriend.

• Just to sort of reiterate, the guy she cheated on had no real flaws which the cheating could subsequently be blamed on. He was a handsome and caring dude.

• The writers got out of this predicament by having him initiate the breakup with her. She's obviously thrilled and everyone walks away ok.

Beyond the above, there are many other implausible aspects to the script. I simply do not believe most of the reviews for this film.