Mystery Island

What could be more fun than going to an immersive mystery island. Here, the rich pay $10k a night to dress up in black tie, eat fab food, enjoyed bottomless tumblers of cocktails and try to solve a murder mystery. Dr. Emilia Priestly has arrived to this island with her pal Baroness Jane. Alcott. Emilia is a psychiatrist for the Metropolitan police in London. After a terrifying encounter with a subject, she takes some time off to pivot. Does she need to rethink her career?

Once they arrive to Mystery Island, they meet the other well-appointed guests, that is after Emilia bumps into and meets the dishy Detective Jason Trent. They are all the original investors of Mystery Island. (Although in the photo of the original investors there is also a fun cameo of two fan-favorites-I will not spoil!). However, the founder of Mystery Island, John Murtaugh, is a recluse and did not come out to the island.

This sets up this Hallmark movie for a very clever 123 minutes of fun, clues, and mystery. This is a wonderfully over the top movie. All the actors take their role and make it dramatic and memorable. More than that, the ending is a very VERY Christie-Like ending. Most of all, this movie does not take itself too seriously. There are plenty of jokes about mystery writers versus detective work. That was entertaining.

If you love mystery, this is great movie to watch. If you are weary of the baker/caterer/matchmaker sleuth who breaks into other people's homes etc then this is for you. This movie is luxurious, well-written and well-acted. There are enough suspects without it being too confusing. Yes, I figured out the whodunit early on--but I didn't have all the details put together.

I have already rewatched it and still found it fascinating.

I usually enjoy watching Elizabeth Henstridge. Agents of Shield was good. Her Christmas movie, Christmas at the Ritz on Hallmark, was lovely. This movie was a mess. Boring, no tension, no real character development, and the giggling by the two female leads was like nails on a chalkboard. Appropriate for teens and 20 something's but not grown women. Ridiculous chases, unbelievable switches in "who did it", weak plot, lack of real connection to anyone. Frankly, this movie put me to sleep. A lovely deep sleep. Beautiful scenery and the house was wonderful. I slept through the middle but watched the end and do not feel that I missed anything. I went back and ran it again just to be certain, but sleeping was a better idea. Hallmark clunker.

Oh where to start! I iknow it's a Hallmark movie and therefore the story would be pretty simple and everything, but this was a total disaster.

The amateur sleuthing by the doctor and her dolaly sidekick Jjaniie was beyong ridiculous.

The chemistry/attraction bewteen the detective and the doctor was extremely cringe.

Overall it was so bad that I would not recommend it to anyone, even if they are bored stiff and need to do something with their time. Trust me there are lots of things you can do when you are bored, but watching this is definitely not one of them.

The acting was bordering on pretty bad too!

A decent attempt at something different for hallmark but the way it comes off feels patronizing. Would anyone really pay $10,000 a day to go to an island mansion that seemingly has no special ammenities? It might be all-inclusive but doesn't seem to include anything to do other than eat and drink. The characters, minus one or two of the male guests, are completely static; there is no growth or development and they leave the island the same as they arrived. Which i suppose isn't unlike reality but makes for an empty feeling movie. There is a scene where the two friends are sitting on a bed in a darkened room talking while wearing long dresses with empire waistlines that feels like something out of Sense and Sensibility and that kind of says it all about them. Elizabeth's concerned face looks like she's about to cry, otherwise she just looks smug. They try to make her character more empathetic by giving her a two lines about her father's recent death but that is more to check off the hallmark list of requisites (a dead parent or two). Kezia's character is more likeable, if rather silly, but does not carry herself like someone born to nobility. The women all try to sneak around the mansion in high heels on bare floors. In fact, they wear heels ALL the time. If hallmark is so worried about trying to make their actresses appear tall, hire some tall actresses. Either that or acknowledge that they aren't and let the ladies wear flats/sneakers. The common detective orders the police chief to collect evidence, and she does! Not to mention the evidence they use to solve the case, half of which is kept from the audience until the grand reveal, is so highly improbable as to not establish reasonable doubt.

Hmm did I like this... I'm not sure.

Negatives: It felt a bargain basement Knives Out II. And as with most Hallmark fodder the story wasn't fleshed out enough as such I didn't care enough about any of the suspects to want to know who the murderer was; could have done with being a bit longer if it meant better characterisation.

Positives: I really like the female lead. She brought an innocence to her role that made her endearing. So often Hallmark female sleuths are written as know it all/nosey characters.

I like seeing Kezia Burrows. I remember her from Apple Tree Yard and Dr. Foster. She brought the zany which you need when you have a mystery to solve. And major plus for me was the decor I love the doors in the mansion - the lattice work was divine.