The new Paul Campbell and Aimee Garcia movie might be a little outrageous, but that is part of its charm.
What Is The Cases of Mystery Lane: Death Is Listening About?
Birdie and Alden Case's relationship strengthens as they vow never to keep secrets from each other and to improve their listening skills. They continue training to become private investigators, and they both become mesmerized by true crime podcasts. When their favorite podcaster, Laurel St. James, is found dead moments before she's to reveal the identity of the The Rocksdale Serial Killer, it is up to them to listen to the clues.
The Movie Is Perfectly "Overdone"
Alden's behaviors are nerdy and eccentric. He's enthralled with robots, brews his own root beer, goes to extreme measures to catch a mouse in the house, and hilariously misunderstands what "hot yoga" is. It's his quirky style that leads Officer Tom to seek his help in interviewing a motley crew of potential suspects.
Alden and Birdie nerd out over the opportunity to be actively involved in a murder case. Alden even gets a chance to wear a fake moustache when he and Birdie go undercover as salsa dance instructors, and Birdie teaches herself how to pick a lock--which comes in handy!
The movie boasts many slapstick scenes, like when Alden and Birdie try to voice the odd sound they hear on a recording and when Alden covers the house floor in tin foil and uses a ground penetrating radar machine to root out a mouse.
With so many idiosyncrasies, it's no wonder the Cases have trouble finding friends, but the two complement each other and are completely endearing.
The Twists and Turns Are Easy to Follow
What would a Hallmark mystery be without a red herring or two?
The Cases of Mystery Lane: Death Is Listening isn't as convoluted as some Hallmark mysteries can be, making it easy to process the findings and implications without feeling confused and lost. Uncomplicated twists and turns are fun when the audience can follow along, and this movie makes it easy to stay on track. However, if you do miss any pertinent details, Birdie and Alden explain the whole story at the very end when they are guests on a local podcast. The rehashing is integrated seamlessly so it doesn't feel forced or sloppily tacked on.
Final Thoughts on Our Review of The Cases of Mystery Lane: Death Is Listening
I appreciate the format where the emphasis is on solving mysteries rather than romance. The typical romcom formula dictates two sleuths being at odds with each other before joining forces for a common purpose and then falling in love. It's refreshing to have a break from that configuration since the leads are already married.
This movie allows us to see a different side of Paul Campbell. Leading men in romcoms are so typecast. No matter what the movie's plot, their acting never varies because each character is so interchangeable. In The Cases of Mystery Lane, Campbell breaks the mold. It's a different role than he's ever played on Hallmark, and he nails it. He's outlandish and unique without crossing a line. Even Garcia has the chance to deviate from the norm when she gives an outstanding imitation of a stereotypical salsa instructor. The two of them play off one another well, which lends to the great onscreen chemistry they share.
Will There Be a Third Installment to The Cases of Mystery Lane?
The movie ends on a cliffhanger. The FBI comes to the Cases' door asking about Birdie's father. She says he died when she was six, but the FBI reveals that's not exactly true and asks to come inside. It's a perfect setup for a third movie!
Hallmark is notorious for being "one and done" when it comes to mysteries, and a third installment has not yet been given the green light. Garcie has other professional commitments that may be in conflict with a filming schedule, so we will just have to wait and see!
If you'd like for the Cases to continue solving mysteries, share your thoughts with Hallmark here.
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