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Outlast (2023)
From survival show to dangerous craziness
I bailed halfway through the show because I just could not tolerate the disgusting behavior that was allowed to persist.
What you expect is a survival show with beautiful scenery and a team and rivalry aspect. That's how the show starts out. And then it turns ugly...
Due to the complete lack of ethics rules, a few bad apples are allowed to endanger the safety of other contestants, essentially forcing them to choose between giving up their safety or giving up the game. The worst thing is, this behavior goes unpunished.
At several points in episode 5, a man is forced to watch two ladies destroy his equipment and shelter right in front of his eyes because the only way to make them stop was to literally physically beat them up. He had the decency to not beat these women and thus lost everything. But that was just one of these disgusting stunts.
On this show, contestants that literally employ war-like strategies benefit while the victims are forced to quit to preserve their sanity. Back in ye olden days before laws existed and these strategies may actually be used to survive as a tribe, one could expect the victim to kill and harm the instigators. This can of course not happen on this show and so the bullies get a free pass for going to extremely disgusting tactics.
If you wish to lose every single sliver of zen in your body, feel free to watch this show. But if you must, at least keep the kids as far away as possible because trust me, you do not want them to learn anything from this show!
An Easter Bloom (2024)
Good but something is missing
This movie sounded like something I'd enjoy watching, especially because it's Hallmark romance so by design, I'm at least guaranteed some kind of happy ending. The movie started out well with a clear story. Then, it all struggled to flow and click together.
Let's start with the good. I like the emotional touch to the story, it's more meaningful than the classic colleagues vying for a promotion or Christmas reindeer games we've already seen so much of in this genre. I also like the actors a lot individually. None of the main actors seem fake nor does their performance feel forced so in terms of acting talent, this one is of the better quality amongst soft romance tv movies. Additionally, I love the flower farm theme. We usually see the flower thing in wedding movies so I like that this is a little more rugged.
Now, the bad. Although I never struggled to understand the story as a whole, it does seem to be a bit bare throughout the middle. It's a story that starts out at the right pace and then just gets rushed a bit. Along with what I assume to be mediocre directing, this all waters down the connection and relationship development aspect of the couple. By the end of the movie, it sort of felt like they'd hardly talked. In reality, they have about as much interaction as in any other movie of the kind but in reality, it felt rushed. I think this is probably on the director and perhaps the writer.
Lastly, I must admit that I found the heavy religious focus quite uncomfortable. If you are a devoted Christian, you'll probably like this aspect but as an agnostic person, the whole thing was quite preachy. I can normally handle mildly Christian movies just fine but in this one, it almost seems as though the only thing the couple talked about to each other was the preachy part, which ruins the romance a bit for me. It is an Easter movie so I'm okay with a little Christian touch but I don't like it when it feels like I'm being preached to.
Beautiful Wedding (2024)
Didn't read the book but this is terrible
I don't know what the book is like and I don't care either. This movie is just bad.
What was I expecting? Something like the first movie, which I actually liked a lot. I liked that it walked the line between romance and not taking itself too seriously. Sure, it was somewhat predictable and cliché but that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyable to watch. The first movie showed the intensity of the two characters without making the relationship too toxic.
So how did this sequel live up my expectations? Horribly! The makers apparently decided that this needed to be utterly ridiculous.
The heart of the story is that now that Travis and Abby are married and now that they have to figure out how to make this relationship work, they discover that they don't really know much about each other's pasts and their clashing personalities only throw gasoline on the fire of what is already a chaotic dynamic. This theoretically would be a very interesting and entertaining angle for a sequel in which the couple is required to learn to approach their relationship like grown-ups instead of just yelling at each other like children.
Unfortunately, this movie went the opposite direction. There is constant yelling and sound effects, a strange relationship between the bad guy and his much younger butler, vomit, guys immitating babies, rooster fights, an unexpected boxing circus, a very overdone Mariachi band, penis/banana emojis, and so much more. The whole thing is literally a chaotic sketch with the comedic quality of staged prank videos.
To make matters worse, any trace of romance has also vanished, only to be replaced by childish jokes and more yelling.
So in summary, this is without a doubt the worst sequel I've ever seen. The makers did a 180 from the first film, it's hard to believe these two movies are even related. The only saving grace is that the actors aren't terrible, although they're between a rock and a hard place here.
After watching this mess, I feel like my eardrums and brain need a Mozart cleanse.
Love & Jane (2024)
Strange...
I can't describe it any better really. It's just really strange.
I've seen these actors in other movies and I actually quite like them but there is no chemistry here. So that part of the romance movie gets scratched.
The story is imaginative, which I don't mind, but it doesn't work. I don't actually know why, I've seen this concept of someone seeing a ghost who acts as a life coach before but it doesn't work in this movie. It's distracting in a way. This is one of those concepts that you either leave untouched or you pull it off, otherwise it just makes the whole movie weird.
I feel like the relationship development between the two leads is lacking. For whatever reason, it felt dry. I didn't get the impression that they actually grew closer together on a personal level. They just "ran into each other" a bunch of times and started to be nice and civil towards each other. This makes the ending awkward. We all know how these movies end, it's a requirement for the genre, and therefore, the romantic storyline that came before has to at least work a little bit in terms of romance. They missed that boat with this movie because the romantic relationship between the leads is so dry.
In short, it's rare for me to say to skip a hallmark movie but this one is definitely not worth your time.
An Ice Palace Romance (2023)
Good enoough at its core
There is nothing wrong with the concept of this movie. On paper, it should be a pretty good tv Christmas movie. But then things went wrong...
First, I'll start with the obvious, too obvious, actually. I hate to be the one that critises a movie based on the makeup of the leading lady but it's quite the eyesore. Why must you give her duckface lips? WHY? What's wrong with her normal lipline? Also, do we really have to make her eyes look extra droopy with the weird eyeshadow contouring thing? The makeup people made the leading lady, whose face is constantly close to the camera, look like a droopy duckface. Maybe it's not such an eyesore when you're watching at a distance but with computer streaming and high quality screens and cameras, it's really just unacceptable.
Secondly, where is the romance? If you told me this was about two friends instead of a couple, I might've reconsidered my rating. There was just no chemistry at all and the only bit of romance we got was a very awkward little peck on the lips. Just because a movie is family friendly, doesn't mean there can't be any romance. There are a few little attempts at compliments from the leading man which were mildly convincing, but this appears to be because he's a far more natural actor.
Thirdly, Celeste Desjardins performance is lacking in quality. She's not super bad but she's too uptight in this movie. It doesn't come across as a character being "themselves" but rather as an actress that put on the character's costume and is playing until someone yells "cut". While this is of course how acting works, the viewer is not supposed feel that. Her performance is just not credible enough for a leading role. I was waiting for her to drop the fake smile and the "Lori" act and for someone to yell "cut".
On the plus side, the story is good, there was no fake snow that was painfully, obviously fake, I love the ice skating theme, and Marcus Rosner kind of saved this movie acting wise.
Not a complete waste of time but with a little more effort and attention to detail, it could've been far more enjoyable to sit through.
Christmas in Scotland (2023)
Good concept but terrible acting
I wanted to love this film, I really did, but the acting is just so fake. All of the characters come across as "played", not authentic at all. Every smile, every look, every blink feels planned. If you asked some AI robots to play out a script, it would probably approach the acting in this film.
As I gathered my thoughts on this film, I realized why I felt let down; because it could have been great! I think the concept wasn't inherently bad. As a European, I've seen many films about real and fake European countries that adopt or portray various European cultures and they usually lack an accurate portayal of monarchies, laws, culture, etc. In equal measure. In fact, I think this film's portrayal of Scottish culture is actually not so terrible.
The major letdown in its portrayal of Scotland is the idea that modern rural villages can be owned entirely by a powerful laird who lives in a grand castle and orders the villagers around. It felt pretentious. I think they could've found ways around this. Instead, they relied on an antiquated part of Scottish history which only turns viewers off altogether.
Besides this mistake, much of the culture portrayed is actually done fairly well. The male lead's accent is heavy but not uncommon in certain parts of Scotland and executed quite well. The tartan elements and other cultural references are also fairly accurate.
To summarize, this film is a letdown because its makers let low budget restrictions affect the execution of a concept that had potential. They did not hire actors of adequate quality to carry the film either. As evidenced by other films, inexperienced actors don't have to be bad. Even on a low budget, I think they could've found better actors but simply didn't search hard enough. The cultural references are actually decent, although not all of these traditions are widespread in the more populated parts of the country, but the portrayal of a modern laird poisons the script.
Love in Store (2020)
Great actors, very weird topic...
Somehow, Alexandra Breckenbridge and her fellow cast members managed to turn a weird movie into something watchable. However, it's a waste of talent.
The whole concept of a character that has always idolized a tv sales person, then became a host on such a program, and has superfans that adore her is just wild. We're talking about those sketchy, too-good-to-be-true shopping ad channels.
The "on-air chemistry" that is portrayed as off-air love simply has a very weird undertone when the two people are pretending to be trying to sell something in their classic advertisement voices.
Additionally, this idea of people idolizing shopping ad hosts and buying whatever they try to sell you is just not something that belongs on a family tv channel anyways. They could've spent the cast's talent on any other Hallmark movie and this is what they wasted it on...
In short, this movie is best summarized in three letters; "WHY?"
Very Valentine (2019)
Doesn't make sense
I usually love these kind of easy to watch romance movies; the kind you can just sit back and forget about the negativity in the world, the kind that just feel like a happy hug. This one unfortunately fell short.
The story just doesn't make sense. The woman falls in love with a great guy and even though it's extremely rushed, it does seem genuine. Then she goes to Italy. When her man is unable to join her, this somehow means they're not right for each other. The other guy she meets is in the same situation as her, the talented kid that's gonna take over from their aging grandparent/parent. A relationship between her and the Italian obviously means one of them will have to give up on their legacy and life's work to be together, as their businesses are on different continents. But somehow, she decides that this guy is better 'cause he works in the same industry?
At the end, Gram get married on what looks like the rooftop. This seems quite unlikely because she's an Italian grandmother from a family that prays before meals. Well folks, Italian catholic grandmothers get married in a church, not some place outside. This is because getting married is something catholics, especially European catholics, do in a house of God because it's sacred. This just adds to the highly unrealistic vibe. The whole story just kinda comes across as a work by a young teenage girl, imagining some fantasy romance.
To topping it all off, the female lead just feels off. I don't know what it is but they're something that impedes the chemistry between her and the others, she seems distant. The grandmother and the two guys did a great job but the whole movie is about the girl so her performance is vital to the success of the movie.
No mires para abajo (2008)
Weird
The story is just really weird. This movie tries to be super artsy on all fronts but that's really all there is to it. Thus, the end project feels like a very exotic art school project.
If you are looing for romance in a movie, this one sorely disappoints. It's hard to think romance when the scene flips to dead men sitting in a cemetary. This kind of flip from romance to death related scenes basically describes the whole movie, quite the let down.
If you want to watch it for the adult nature, there's far better adult movies around the same intimate theme.
The storyline is completely polluted with death. The leads talk about it constantly, there's dead men chilling in the cemetary between each scene, there's headstone engraving, a father dying after burning love letters from an affair he had, and more talking about death. It's overkill, even for a school art project. The filmmakers use this theme to try to be artsy and risqué but without an actual story that makes sense, it's just a collection of weirdness as it combines with the sex scenes.
In short, this movie:
- fails as a romantic movie
- fails as an erotic movie
- fails as an artsy movie
- fails as a fantasy movie
It's a erotic cemetary fantasy gone wrong; it's just weird on every level.
Hearts in the Game (2023)
This Hallmark movie is exactly right!
If you are looking for a comfortable feel-good Hallmark movie that doesn't feel outdated, this is it! Contemporary motives, classic theme, familiar Hallmark style, and decent actors, it delivers on all fronts.
This movie however doesn't have any of the usual troubles so no mistaken identity, undisclosed fiance's, irritating rival colleagues, or big lies. This means that the movie doesn't turn sour 25 minutes before the end, which is actually a refreshing change. Still, the story does provide for the leading characters to work through some personal struggles.
There is also a very humanizing aspect to this movie. The mental health aspect of the baseball player makes this Hallmark movie up-to-date but it isn't dragged out or exagerated more than it needs to be. This keeps the movie light-hearted.
The lead actors are convincing and there is some chemistry between them. I also really enjoyed the assistent character, a real "tell-it-like-it-is" character. She doesn't fit the stereotypical image of femininity but the makers didn't exploit this. Often, the "best friend" character is also the designated gay/queer friend to check the diversity box, which often gives a rather woke vibe. I'm glad the makers didn't do that with this movie.
Overall, this movie is exactly right. It's not top quality, the storyline isn't feature film-worthy, but it's clear that this movie doesn't aspire to be more than it is either; an easy, feel-good tv movie.
Frankie Meets Jack (2023)
Terrible acting
It's a typical hallmark-style romcom and there's nothing wrong with that. The story is standard but fine for a movie of this caliber.
The acting, however, is a real problem. Joey Lawrence, Carl McDowell, and Andrew Lawrence have made caricatures of their characters instead of bringing them to life as humans. It's cringy to watch. The contrast is stark between the men and women in this movie because all the female actors have done a pretty good job. The bad acting of the three prominent males in this movie ruin all the fun.
Overall, I didn't like this movie because the acting isn't just below par, it's actually hard to watch at times. The family affair of cast and crew have severly affected the actors' performance, unfortunately.
Love in Bloom (2022)
No chemistry, awkward lead actors
This movie just falls flat. I have no problem with predictability, these kind of movies are not meant to be groundbreaking, but that also means that the actors and their chemistry make or break the movie. In this case, they break the movie.
The two lead actors have zero chemistry. It doesn't feel like a hate-to-love scenario but rather like a couple of bratty toddlers bickering. All the nonverbal signs that communicate two people are into each other and represent that chemistry in a romantic movie feel forced. It makes the interactions between the two leads awkward. There is no feel of authenticity in the romance department.
However, that is easily explained by the quality of the two lead actors themselves. They both seem immature. The male comes across as an annoying teenage boy, and not in a cute way. Everything he says and does feels forced, like he's either intentionally trying to annoy the lady or he's trying really hard to pretend to like her, failing in both scenarios. The female is unfortunately much the same. At least she manages to pull of the "nice" part of her character somewhat okay.
The rest of the cast is okay. The older couple is charming enough to relieve the annoyance of the two main characters but the sister and her groom have no character. They both seem completely unbothered and particularly demanding and ungrateful for leaving the full wedding preparation up to the two main characters, so much so that it's completely unbelievable that the wedding in question is actually theirs.
In short, what is supposed to be a fairly straight-forward formula to pull off falls flat. It's like a piece of middle school drama, the kind you want to avoid.
2 Hearts (2020)
VIEWER BEWARE! This is not a happy movie, it contains a triggering scene!
This movie starts out like a happy, romantic movie. Then, out of nowhere, the young lead dies. Yes, he dies. It is a very sudden plot twist, you have absolutely no idea what's about to hit you before you get to this part. There are no warnings in the description or on the cover, there is not a single hint to save people for whom this theme is triggering from a mental breakdown. This is extremely misleading.
The makers are irresponsible.
I get that they don't want to give away the plot before people click "play" but this is unacceptable. If you have recently lost a loved one, are emotionally unstable, have gone through any kind of trauma involving unexpected death, please stay far away from this film, this one may be very, very triggering for you. Save yourself from watching it.
Again, it is the shock value that I find to be disgraceful. No warning, no hint, they even make it worse by first showing you what would have happened had the character not died. If there was any kind of warning, people could choose to avoid this film but instead, they went for pure shock value. It is insensitive and irresponsible!
Indian Horse (2017)
Extremely gripping
I'm in awe and shock after watching this film, it's is truly amazing!
I rarely ever watch a film without playing a game on my phone or some other task to do but this one gripped me so intensely that I simply couldn't do anything but watch.
As a European, I had no idea what the Residential School System even was so this story hit me like a bucket of ice cold water in the face. However, this film succeeds in portraying the painful reality that the Residential School System inflicted on Indigenous children in Canada during the previous century, an enormous task indeed.
* The actors are fantastic at communicating the emotions.
* The script is exactly right. The writers have managed to walk the line between telling the story of a people at large and the personal journey of an individual perfectly. The fact that they managed to do it in just 100 minutes of screentime is miraculous. The viewer is left with a good understanding of what exactly the reality was of this schooling system and the profound hurt it has inflicted upon thousands while never losing touch with Soul Indian Horse's personal story.
* The director and crew bring it all together in impressive fashion. Rarely do film makers truly succeed at telling complex psychological journeys in a meaningful, gripping, and complete manner but this crew has done it!
So whoever you are, wherever you come from, this film is something you should see. Grab a box of tissues and a snack and prepare for one of the most gripping history lessons you've ever experienced!
The Wedding Fix (2022)
Lazy screenplay
This movie had all the potential to be a relaxing feel-good movie but the screenplay was lazy and the actors didn't have the chemistry to pull off a lacking script.
Without giving the ending away, I can tell you that it's a lazy one and very unrealistic. It felt like they just glued a couple of really quick demo clips at the end and called it a day.
The chemistry also falls flat. The leads aren't really given the opportunity to create that spark, that obvious undeniable romance the viewer feels when an on-screen romance just works and the chemisty is flying through the screen. As a result, this movie completely falls flat. I don't think there's anything wrong with the actors, they're of the reasonable quality I would expect from a tv romance movie, they just weren't handed the script and production quality to make this movie work.
In summary, it's a compilation of individual elements of the standard maid-of-honor romance movie but there is no sliver of that movie magic that can make an easy to watch, predictable movie work. This screenplay lacks so much effort that it prevents the cast from pulling off a very standard tv romance movie.
Good Luck Chuck (2007)
Just weird
The first half of the movie is okay. The whole plot which revolves around a curse is quite ridiculous but I guess that's what they were going for. Towards the end, though, the movie becomes really really weird.
I liked the first half of the movie because, even though "Chuck" is not mature and has a misogynistic friend, there seems to be balance in the story and the characters.
In the second half however, the makers up the ante on every aspect of the plot and characters' personality traits that the whole movie slips into an alternate universe of weirdness and any sliver of sanity is completely lost.
I'm not sure what's supposed to be funny about a guy that becomes so erratic and unstable that he loses any shred of sanity and dignity. I can see how a character's misfortune can be funny, I'm really not that easily offended, but this "humor" in the second part of the movie is basically the guy who becomes mentally really unwell. That's not humor, that's reitterating outdated stereotypes in a very distasteful manner.
Crown Prince of Christmas (2022)
Could've been so much better.
Look, I don't expect a royal romance movie to be first class acting, big budget, and a super philosophical script with complex characters but I do expect a descent effort. This movie could've been so much better had they taken some simple steps to make it believable.
Firstly, I can't get over the language problems. A Norwegian-named prince who speaks Latin, comes from a Britishly named country where they eat decorated Belgian/Dutch cookies. Pick a region, people! It's not that hard. With a minimal amount of effort, they could've easily had names, regional traditions, and the language match. And for Pete's sake, think of a country name that doesn't sound like a butchered mashup of Luxemburg, we all know you just googled "small European countries" and made a word salad. All of it sounds completely ridiculous and it's distracting to any viewer who knows anything about western Europe.
Second, the male lead. Jilon VanOver comes across as a guy, impersonating a puppy. It's weird. He seems fake, you can tell with every look and every word that he's acting. He's trying to be sweet and dreamy but he never really became his character. Was there really no better actor available?
And lastly, who did Cindy Busby's makeup and hair for the gala scene? She looks like she did her makeup while cycling to set. The eye makeup is just two black blobs, the skin looks really sweaty, and the lipstick looks like a 5 year applied it to mommy after picking out an awful color. It makes it so awkward when everybody is looking at her as if she's a princess.
The rest of the movie is pretty standard, exactly what you would expect from a movie of this caliber. I just wish we'd stop with the "big lie" plots. Why do these movies always have to have someone who lies about who they are in it? There are plenty of other drama twists waiting on a screenwriter to use them.
In the end, it all comes down to effort. It is a watchable film, it's okay, but it's littered with "dumb American" mistakes, the ones posh Europeans roll their eyes at, on top of all the other awkward fails. Every single one of them could've been avoided, had the makers just put in a little bit of effort.
Love's Last Resort (2017)
Like the actors but the story is trash
I generally like most made-for-tv romance movies, even if the storyline comes off a conveyor belt; they're heartwarming, cute, and light to digest. However, this movie has such an immature feel to it and such a terrible plot that even I can't stomach it. I did finish it, although I kept checking when it would be over, but it was a total cringe fest.
The actors are good, all of my 4 stars are solely for them. Especially Thomas Beaudoin, he's believable as an actor, he walks that line of acting with conviction but not over-acting really well, not to mention he's very easy on the eyes.
The storyline was just pure trash though. I kept hoping it would get better but it never really did. The whole plot just comes across as a fanfiction spinoff from an amateur writer-superfan from some internet fansite that somehow made its way into a movie, unfortunately. I'm actually rather surprised the story doesn't come from a middle schooler's secret notebook.
Trust me, even high school drama flicks are way better than this.
Haul Out the Holly (2022)
Whoever thought this was a good idea?
Lacey and Wes did a really good job with the script they were given but there was just no way to save this monstrosity. The writer, Andy Sandberg, created a mess that never should've seen the light of day and yet someone produced it anyway.
To think that this movie is supposed to be family friendly only makes it so much worse. People with children are watching this disaster!
The whole movie is based on super intense peer pressure and a total disregard for the leading character's boundaries. The lead is constantly pressured, to the point where I'd call it harassment, to participate in over-the-top Christmas events which are blatantly labelled as obligations. I'm normally not so bothered about movies skirting the lines of moral but this one is just too appaling.
The very obviously fake snow and perfectly round fake snowpeople fit perfectly with the supporting characters who are all in desperate need of a psychiatrist. And let's not forget the immature love interest. The movie starts out with "Emily" dumping her manchild jerk boyfriend, only to meet another annoying grown baby who has absolutely no regards for her boundaries.
The very worst part is that none of these trainwreck characters ever change, they all stay just as obnoxious, tacky, and invasive to the very end. But hey, it's Christmas so let's just cheer for the message this movies sends...
Christmas with Felicity (2021)
Awkward...
I usually enjoy these type of easy to watch, feel-good movies. It is quite rare for me to give these kind of movies anything less than a 5 but this one is just so awkwardly bad that I got uncomfortable watching it.
It comes down to acting, casting, directing and camera angles. None of it works. The lead figures have no chemistry, their interactions feel very staged, almost like a middle school drama performance. The supporting cast really has terrible acting skills. Take "Caitlin" for example; her cry-acting is so bad that if you told me she was doing a parody performance, I'd believe you. The background actors and supporting cast are so awkward too. This is mostly due to the setting, directing, and camera work. It looks scripted, staged, unnatural. None of the acting feels genuine or natural. It's not just fake, it's uncomfortable.
And let's not forget the terrible matching. "Madison" is supposed to be 13 years old but looks like an 18 year old. She gets matched with a boy who looks like a sixth grader. It feels and looks so wrong...
Partner Track (2022)
No authenticity and cringe script
This is a really mediocre series. The acting, the script, the message, none of it is really there.
The acting of the main cast leaves much to be desired. It feels like the actors are playing their role, which of course is always the case but the viewer shouldn't feel that. The actors aren't really connecting with their roles, especially "Ingrid", which is a huge problem as she is what the show is all about. It all feels fake, played, studied. There is no authenticity. The only prominent character that really seems to work is "Rachel".
The script is at times a huge cringe fest. I realize that it is not easy to introduce the characters and the setting in a script that is based on a book. The author does not rely on dialogue while th screenwriter does. However, having a character introduce people and things to another character while both of them are clearly familiar with it is just plain awkward. It's like a someone explaining how to tie their shoe laces to an experienced runner; it's just cringy.
Lastly, there is no real message here. While I get that not every series or movie needs to be groundbreaking, have an underlying message. There are so many soap shows with some rich family, a bunch of colleagues, or a group of students where people are just saying pointless words and dating every other character on the show. That kind of typical American tv is outdated. A good show is able to incorporate important life lessons or social issues, some kind of message that makes watching it worth the viewer's time. This show completely lacks that. At times, the story slightly hints at certain things like racism or following your passions but it never really brings anything home.
It's a totally pointless show with a script that doesn't really work and actors who lack authenticity.
Unbelievable (2019)
The perfect adaptation of a true story
Make sure you have the whole evening free when you click on "play" because it's incredibly addictive and frustrating until the last two episodes. This is a truly fascinating story. I don't have adaquate words to discribe it, it's THAT well-made.
The director, actors, and screenwriter did a phenominal job. Often, true crime series are quite one-sided. This one is not, it is as complete as it gets. They really took the time to explore every aspect. The actors made a real impact. Their authenticity can be felt throughout the series.
The topics this series covers beside sexual assault such as flaws in the police, victim-blaming, remorse, female empowerment, foster care,... is just as impressive. No matter who you are, you can learn a thing or two from this series.
I really commend the makers for taking the time to really work out the ending. It would have been easy and convenient to put some pictures and text on the screen right at the end of the last episode, it's what most true crime series do, but I'm so glad they didn't. The depth the viewer gets from the last two episodes is astounding. The whole picture just comes together perfectly, it makes 6 episodes of frustration, anger, and sadness totally worth it.
I should also mention that the level of detail about how exactly the two officers cracked the case, how police work works, etc, is fascinating. Even though it makes for a relatively long series to watch, it never gets boring. The story switches from one aspect to another, every minute of it is captivating.
Home for Harvest (2019)
Apparently, they call this "acting"
Rarely does it ever happen that I cannot manage to finish an easy-watch tv romance movie. I can usually see through unrealistic aspects of these kind of movies, less than Oscar-winning acting, or weird script lines.
And yet, after approximately 42 minutes, I simply couldn't handle another minute of Brigitte Kingsley's intensely prissy acting. The tone, accent, attitude, and vibe she gives off is everything you'd expect of a Californian privileged rich high school mean girl. One can easily imagine this actress blurt out: "OMG, that sweater is so last year!" She sounds so snobby and prissy, you almost have to see it to believe it.
Unfortunately, the other actors only make matters worse. The lead's sister's acting mirrors Kingsley's acting, although slightly less tragic. The male characters are all just blurting out lines they learned by heart, as if it's middle school theater. None of the characters have any authenticity which just makes the movie too cringy and irritating to watch.
As bad as Hallmark movie acting can be, rarely is it ever this bad. If you dare to watch this one, be prepared to roll your eyes all the way through it.
Marry Me in Yosemite (2022)
Sweet movie with breathtaking scenery but a rushed ending
Hallmark almost got it right, almost... I really liked the movie as a whole but there is so much untapped potential. I would like to see Hallmark do a series of multiple movies on this, instead of trying to rush important topics, amongst the main romantic storyline and scenery in 1 hour and 23 minutes.
Particularly the ending was rushed. I won't give anything away but trying to make any kind of heartfelt, meaningful end to the story in under 2 minutes is just a bit futile. I think Hallmark didn't want to take the risk of committing to two movies but it's so compacted that the depth of the story that is hinted at is really just kind of neglected. The romance, the leads' personalities, the leading topic (the making of the photography book in this case), the story of the most important supporting cast, as well as the important topics of conservation and native tribes. A sequel was actually really needed to complete this story and might have given the room to really work out every topic in any kind of meaningful way without sacrificing the romance.
For example: the male lead is passionate about conservation, I would have loved to see some actual scenes with examples. I think the screenwriter really needed more screentime to do the story justice so I think Hallmark should start doing two or three part movies, screened over a couple of weekends in a row, to make these stories informative but easy to watch while keeping the romance.
I do like that Hallmark seems to be focusing on movies where relationships are not built on deceit. It's oddly refreshing to see Hallmark movies where people aren't pretending to be a different person, breaking off agreements left and right, and not focusing storylines on inconsequential bakeoff competitions, corporate developers, and kid birthday parties. I like the idea of learning about topics in an accessible, fun way but Hallmark should really give these things more time so that the scenes can breathe a little bit.
Blue Moon Ball (2021)
Really bad acting
The story isn't anything knew, which I expected and am okey with. The major problem is the acting of Eric Lutz. As the male lead, his acting performance in this movie is comparable to a middle school musical; overdone and fake. His acting is erratic at times when he needs to take an action like opening the car door, making a surprise face, or pointing at something. The rest of the time he seems to zone out and not be present in his role. He seamingly can't stand still and there is no sense of authenticity in his words, it's very cringy.
The rest of the cast was fine although both "Heather" and "Grace" are quite childish characters. It seems to be part of their role which would've been fine but the middle school acting of Lutz means that basically all the younger adults comport themselves as young teenagers.