Review

"Mystery 101: Dead Talk – Where Murder Meets Mistletoe (Sort Of)"

Ah, Mystery 101: Dead Talk, the 2019 installment of Hallmark’s attempt to prove that murder can be cozy. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes had a baby, and that baby grew up to teach college while solving crimes, well, here’s your answer. This movie is like a Hallmark holiday movie, but instead of a small-town baker falling in love with a single dad who owns a Christmas tree farm, we get a professor solving murders while somehow still finding time to grade papers. Priorities, people!

The plot revolves around Professor Amy Winslow (played by the ever-charming Jill Wagner), who is basically the MacGyver of crime-solving. She’s got a knack for unraveling mysteries while looking like she just stepped out of a J.Crew catalog. Her sidekick, Detective Travis Burke (Robin Thomas), is the grumpy-but-lovable cop who somehow hasn’t retired yet despite the fact that every case he works on involves a professor who’s better at his job than he is. Together, they tackle a murder mystery involving a true-crime podcaster who, spoiler alert, ends up dead. Shocking, I know.

What makes Mystery 101: Dead Talk stand out in the sea of Hallmark movies is its commitment to being both wholesome and mildly terrifying. It’s like they took the formula of a Hallmark holiday movie—quaint setting, quirky characters, and a dash of romance—and said, “But what if someone died?” The result is a delightful mashup of Murder, She Wrote and Gilmore Girls, if Lorelai and Rory solved crimes instead of drinking coffee and making pop culture references.

The dialogue is snappy, the twists are twisty, and the killer’s reveal is so over-the-top that you’ll either gasp or laugh out loud. (I did both, but I was also eating popcorn, so it was a whole thing.) And let’s not forget the romantic tension between Amy and Travis, which is so subtle it’s practically invisible. Seriously, these two have less chemistry than a Hallmark holiday movie couple who just met five minutes ago but are already planning their wedding.

In conclusion, Mystery 101: Dead Talk is the perfect movie for anyone who loves a good mystery but also wants to feel like they’re wrapped in a warm, fuzzy blanket. It’s not quite a Hallmark holiday movie, but it’s close enough to make you wonder why they don’t just add a few twinkle lights and call it Murder Under the Mistletoe. Until then, this cozy crime caper will have to do. 7/10 – would watch again while drinking hot cocoa and pretending I could solve a murder.