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Nelly Knows Mysteries: All Manners of Murder – Review
Nelly Knows Mysteries: All Manners of Murder – Hallmark – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Fiona reads Nelly’s latest advice column response. A woman wants to know how to reconnect with her estranged family. She has something to tell them in person, but fears the repercussions. Nelly advised her to face her problem head-on. Nelly gets a phone call as they examine the writer’s sentence structure. It’s the writer, Palmer. Palmer asks Nelly to meet her at her manor. Nelly agrees.
Nelly arrives at the manor and meets Palmer’s butler, Norman, and her dog, Moxie. Palmer loved Nelly’s advice. However, she wants Nelly to attend her dinner party to mediate during her big announcement. Nelly asks if she can bring a plus-one.
Nelly and Michael arrive at the manor. He sees the caterer, Leah, and hides in the bushes. He avoids the topic with Nelly as they stroll inside. And they get to know the guests. Carla is Palmer’s sister-in-law. Her father left everything to Carla’s brother Edmond. When Edmond passed on, he left his estate to Palmer. Palmer’s brother, Hux, is a property developer. He handles his business with the same heavy hand that he uses on his son, Teddy. Teddy played professional rugby until an injury sidelined him. As Nelly looks around the room, there are only two people, a man and a woman, whom she isn’t familiar with. However, Michael recognizes the man as a lawyer named Adam.
At dinner, Nelly discovers the unknown woman is Bree. She is Palmer and Hux’s half-sister and feels like an outsider. The family starts to argue as Palmer predicted. Then, Palmer makes her announcement. She’s changed her will. The only beneficiary of Palmer’s fortune will be her dog, Moxie. Adam will finalize the deal in the morning. As the family argues, Bree abruptly leaves with choice words for Palmer. Nelly and Michael leave the table and escape to another room. They can’t believe Palmer removed her family from the will. Soon, Adam retreats to the room with them. Later, the family reconvenes in another area. Then the power goes out, and gunshots ring through the air. When the lights turn on, Adam is dead, and Palmer has a bullet hole in her hat. Michael and Nelly believe a member of Palmer’s family attempted to kill her before she could finalize her will. Sadly, they killed Adam instead. Can Nelly and Michael unmask the murderer before they eliminate Palmer?
The next installment in this series has something for everyone, and it’s funnier than the first. The writers hit comedic gold as Nelly explains how everyone could have hidden a gun. Unknowingly making Michael’s job more complex. Unlike other Hallmark movies, Sheriff Burgi suggests Michael work with Nelly as a consultant on the case. They immediately see Nelly as an asset, not a liability. At first glance, viewers may assume the film will take place during the manor’s party night. However, the plot spreads over several days and locations. This installment expands on Michael’s background. We learn he is a compassionate man with a sad but humble past. The characters jump off the screen; a testament to great acting. Also, the writers made a bold choice by putting Nelly and Michael on the suspect board. Viewers know they aren’t the culprits, but it’s proper procedure because they were at the crime scene. The final reveal holds more secrets than you think. So stay for the motive. This newest Hallmark mystery hits it out of the park.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars
Could I bring a plus 1 – Nelly
My anxiety is escalating – Palmer
Wow, he grew up – Fiona
Nelly, are you asking me out on a date? – Michael
Oh, I am just getting started – Bree
I thought you were dying – Hux
Family matter, family business – Teddy
She drove us all away – Clara
Is this the hangout for the non-family? – Adam
This place is like a time capsule, isn’t it – Leah
I suppose I can conceive of it – Norman
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Let’s Murder Like It’s 1999 – Review
Let’s Murder Like It’s 1999 – LMN – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Laney pushes her multiple one-night stand, reporter Gage, out the door before her daughter, Cara, sees him. Cara rolls her eyes and hands Laney an invite to her high school’s reunion. Laney doesn’t want to attend the Class of 1999 reunion because it brings up bad memories. Then, Sheriff Burke calls Laney about a body found at the local hotel. Laney must leave because she is the interim medical examiner. Later, Laney arrives at the hotel and finds Kelly’s body on the floor. She and Kelly attended high school together but later parted ways. Kelly became a high-profile influencer and a local celebrity. Burke describes the incident as an accidental fall, but Laney suspects something sinister. She notes the blood splatter matches blunt force trauma. Then, she finds a note in Kelly’s hand. She recognizes the handwriting but doesn’t tell Burke. Laney exits the hotel, and reporters, including Gage, bombard her with questions. Laney runs to Rob’s home. She and Rob were friends in high school, and he recently returned to the neighborhood. He and his girlfriend, Izzy, heard about the murder on the news. Laney admits that the note in Kelly’s hand was written in Molly’s handwriting. Rob gasps because their friend, Molly, died in her first year of college.
Meanwhile, Cara sets up the decorations for the reunion while Hilary, the organizer, complains. Cara texts her boyfriend, Wesley, to vent. Wesley mistakenly returns the message in class, and his father, teacher Mr. Beckett, takes his phone away. After class, Mr. Beckett pulls Wesley aside and chastises his behavior. Wesley asks if Cara can come over tonight and study. Mr. Beckett agrees and reminds Wesley to listen and be respectful.
As Cara and Wesley make out in his room, Mr. Beckett opens the latch to a private area. He pulls out a labeled VHS tape and puts it in the VCR. He doesn’t see someone creeping up behind him. They strangle him and leave a manila envelope on his chest. Wesley and Cara hear a commotion and walk toward the hallway. Before entering the private area, Laney taps Wesley on his shoulder. She alerts the kids that someone is in the house and tells them to exit for safety. She walks into Mr. Beckett’s private room and pulls the tape out of the envelope. It has Molly’s name on it. Laney returns the envelope to Mr. Beckett’s body, runs out of the room, and contacts the police. Someone is murdering anyone with a connection to Molly. But who and why?
This murder mystery has its characters expose the dark side of their past to solve the crime. For the first time, the lead isn’t a nosy librarian or baker. She works with the police to solve crimes. With this dynamic change, no one pushes her from the scene. Laney gets clues first and points the police in the right direction. The plot slowly reveals secrets about every character and their past. And some are sleazier than others. Don’t be surprised if your skin crawls. The actors work well together, but the backing track is a little distracting. This film saves itself with the final monologue. The culprit has one more twist that you won’t see coming. It changes the movie from being predictable to compelling.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
Thank you. It was expensive – Kelly
Leave her out of this – Laney
Your mom never told you about Molly – Hilary
I think about her every day – Rob
You’re not my girlfriend either – Gage
You are so mature for your age. – Mr. Beckett
I needed you – Izzy
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The Couple Across the Street – Review
The Couple Across the Street – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Nate and Amy move to a new town with their daughter, Lily. They need a fresh start after escaping Amy’s stalker. They meet their neighbors, Tom and Rachel. Other townspeople warn Nate and Amy that Tom and Rachel are doomsday preppers. They have a bunker with stockpiles of food and water. Tom’s time in the military and as a prison guard made him hypervigilant, while Rachel plays into his fears.
After a long day, Amy and Lily take a walk in the woods, and Amy steps inside a bear trap. Tom helps her get free with no damage, but she rages. She can’t believe they would have something that dangerous in the woods. However, Tom reminds Amy that she’s on their land. Amy screams at them and continues to walk away with Lily. She vows never to see the family again.
Nate and Amy settle in when they hear a news report on the radio. A killer escaped from prison and is on the loose. They warn residents to stay home, but Amy is too afraid to stay. She convinces Nate to drive out of town. Nevertheless, they run into a police checkpoint and are forced to turn around. They arrive home to find broken glass and call the police. However, the police are busy with the escapee. Tom and Rachel hear the commotion and offer to let Nate, Amy, and Lily stay in their bunker. For now, they are safe. Soon, Amy will fear the couple has a sinister plan for her family. Can she escape the bunker before losing her family?
This film is all over the place. It’s told through Amy’s view, but she’s an unreliable narrator. The writers put her in a constant state of fear and panic. The lighting team did a spectacular job on the bunker. They allowed it to be confined but not too dark. The plot twist is something you don’t see coming until the last 20 minutes. Then, the recap strings everything together. The story becomes hard to watch because the family consistently puts itself in danger. They lose your sympathy along the way. Viewers should watch this film for the mayhem, not the family.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
I am safe. I am present. I am strong – Amy
I appreciate that – Nate
Don’t compare me to them – Todd
Hun, time for a breather – Rachel
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Vanished in an Instant – Review
Vanished in an Instant – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Eric taps his girlfriend, Whitney, on the shoulder, scaring her. He wonders if she’s told her mom, Megan, that he will be attending the festival with them. Whitney says no, but shows him her new experiment. She connected the school’s fire alarm to her phone. Eric kisses her goodbye and leaves. Megan sees Eric walking away and confronts Whitney. When Megan asks about their relationship status, Whitney triggers the fire alarm.
Megan drives to the festival with Whitney. As they laugh about music, a text from Eric appears on the car’s monitor. Whitney finally admits they never broke up and that he’s attending the festival too. They argue, and Whitney screams at Megan to pull over. She drives to a gas station and goes inside to buy gas and snacks. Whitney runs to the bathroom to call Eric while Megan is inside the gas station store. A man comes out of the stall behind Whitney and drugs her. He puts Whitney in his car and drives away. Megan sees Whitney in the car and assumes that Eric is the driver. She follows the car until Officer Troy pulls her over for speeding. She tells him that she’s following a car with her 17-year-old daughter inside. Then, Megan makes some questionable movements, and Troy takes her to the station.
Chief Rainier sits with Megan in the interrogation room. After a few questions, he deems Whitney a runaway and tells Megan to wait for Whitney’s call. Megan calls Whitney’s friends, but no one has seen her. She phones Eric, but he tells her that he was nowhere near the gas station. Whitney goes to a diner, and the owner, Dana, welcomes her. Whitney questions if the room-for-rent has a daily option. Dana says yes and offers Megan a hot meal. Megan checks in and texts Whitney’s friends when she gets a knock at the door. It’s Eric. He and Whitney share locations, and she just went offline. They go to the last known location in the woods and find wire dolls containing one of Whitney’s earrings inside. They believe it’s proof that someone took Whitney.
Meanwhile, the Keeper drags Whitney into a room with a woman named Beth. Beth has been in that trailer for years. She warns Whitney not to make the Keeper mad. She coaches Whitney on what to do, say, and think around the Keeper. After a few moments, Whitney follows Beth’s instructions. She doesn’t see the cameras the Keeper installed around the room. Whitney is for sale on the dark web. Can Megan find Whitney before she’s gone forever?
Inspired by true stories, experienced Lifetimers know not to trust anyone. Viewers will give every character the side eye and attempt to poke holes in their stories. A savvy watcher will pick up on subtle foreshadowing throughout the film. The motive is simple, and the audience will see the plot twists coming. Viewers get what they expect: dumb cops, a struggling mother, and a bratty teen. This movie won’t be a favorite, but it will keep you watching so you can prove you’re right.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars
It’s retro. Thank you very much. – Megan
Did you tell your mom yet – Eric
You don’t get to make my decision for me – Whitney
I’m like you – Beth
I believe you. – Troy
I’ve already said too much – Dana
Very compelling. Still not buying it – Chief Rainier
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Categories: Aaron Poole, April Martucci, Arista Arhin, Brett Geddes, Ellen David, hallmark, Jenny Raven, Kavan Smith, Let's Murder Like It's 1999, lifetime, lifetime movie network, lmn, Made for TV, movie, Nelly Knows Mysteries: All Manners of Murder, Pascale Hutton, Presley Allard, review, Signature Mystery, Sleuthers, The Couple Across the Street, tv review, Vanished in an Instant, Vinessa Antoine, Wicked Revenge, William MacDonald
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