Mystery on Mistletoe Lane (2023 TV Movie) User Reviews

Enjoyable

[mbiv777 · 7/10 · 10 November 2023]

Mystery on Mistletoe Lane is an enjoyable, 100% family-friendly movie.

It stars a newcomer to Hallmark Christmas movies Erica Cerra, and familiar face Victor Webster. Cerra is perhaps a bit older than the standard Hallmark lead, but she's the right age for this role: an attractive single mother of preteens who has uprooted her family from Carolina and shipped up to Boston (sorry).

Her new job is manager of a house with historical significance, and she is determined to dust things off and bring some attention to the forgotten old house. In the process, she meets Victor Webster who assists in fixing up the place, but it's what they find in the process that sparks the mystery. Even her snotty daughter wants to join in the sleuthing.

Old familiar face Fred Henderson shows up as Webster's dad, and he has some secrets of his own.

All in all a fun watch, and a good one to watch with family.

Treasure hunt

[Jackbv123 · 8/10 · 24 November 2023]

This is basically a treasure hunt at Christmas story. It started out looking like a haunted house story, but that vanished once the kids started following the clues. The mystery develops nicely into the treasure hunt. There are some added complexities later in the hunt, but clues to them were in it from early on.

I think that kids of one of the leads are just right in a Christmas story and these kids become a big part of the story without overwhelming the romance. I would say that the romance and the treasure hunt are almost equal themes in the plot.

The acting is good and the dialogue is good including a few "bad" jokes. Victor Webster and Erica Cerra have nice chemistry. I had no idea just from watching this that Cerra was Deputy Jo on Eureka despite watching that series at least twice. She makes a good lead in this kind of movie. I liked that Heidi was always upbeat.

Very attractive leads, solid acting, and an interesting treasure hunt help overcome an unlikely premise

[MichaelByTheSea · 6/10 · 28 December 2023]

I have never seen Erica Cerra in any other Hallmark movies (or anything) but she's absolutely beautiful and sparkles throughout this movie. Victor Webster is a bit lighter in tone than he's been in other roles and matches up well with Cerra. She plays Heidi, a divorced mother of two preteens who's moved them up to the Boston area from North Carolina for a new job. Webster plays David, the former "Director of the New Hollow Historical Society and Museum", a position that Heidi has just been hired to fill (David now does "historical renovations"). For Heidi, a "major perk of the job" is the right to live in Mistletoe Manor, a mansion that has not been occupied "in ages."

I had three main problems with the story.

First, how did Heidi get permission to take her kids and move over 700 miles and several states away? The dad is still in the picture and actually drove the kids to their new home in Massachusetts. What father would be OK with that? What court would allow it? Like most states, North Carolina does not allow a parent to move their children far away, or to a state other than North Carolina, without an agreement with the other parent, or a court order approving the relocation. And forcing the children to leave behind all their friends, and be deprived of regular contact with their father, is glossed over as though they're non-issues. The only way this would have been realistic would have been if the ex was dead or abusive or some sort of deadbeat. That's not how he was presented.

Second, the new job seems more like something a semi-retired person would do on a volunteer basis or for a very modest amount of money. It's unlikely that running a small museum in an old home would pay enough to support a family of three even with the free housing (which itself made no sense). Heck, a woman named Linda also works at the museum (doing what??). And the second home's ownership history and acquisition by the city is muddled at best. It's a huge and beautifully decorated home that was... abandoned? Never inherited by the previous owner's heirs? Never rented? Heck, it looks bigger than the museum.

Third, the treasure hunt is fun for the kids, but they blow off their father as soon as a tiny reindeer is found behind a painting without knowing the reindeer is part of a bigger "hunt." And that hunt essentially requires everything to have remained in place for over 60 years (since 1956) in a mansion that, in the real world, would have been lived in and/or sold. It's also tough to accept the idea that neither David nor his father ever had a Christmas tree or celebrated Christmas. And the romance gets sacrificed as part of the trade off in devoting time to the treasure hunt and the story behind it (and a needless subplot about the deputy mayor wanting to revisit the hiring of Heidi after a couple of days on the job).

Those complaints aside, the movie was pleasant, well acted and featured lots of Christmas decorations.

FINALLY, Hallmark!

[irondogm · 9/10 · 10 November 2023]

Finally, a MfTVM worthy of the Hallmark name! Well done all. The writing is quite clever and not too syrupy or vapid and tedious - evidenced by actors who don't look embarrassed to speak the lines. In fact, the actors do a lovely job of keeping it real and not schmacty. (As real as can be in a Christmasy Hallmark movie.) It was beautifully directed as Mr. Harmon didn't beat the viewer over the head with obviousness or too much manipulation as so many of these pieces do. The costumes, make-up, set dec all felt down-to-earth even in a movie all about over-the-top Christmas. I'm not a fan of Christmas made for tv movies, but I enjoyed this one very much. Thanks for your effort team!

A mystery unites two families

[MickyG333 · 7/10 · 3 December 2023]

7.2 stars.

This is a fun little adventure for families as they solve a puzzle. This is an "x" marks the spot, discover the next clue sort of family mystery. There are no scary parts, and the trailer is a bit misleading, because it's not really a "mystery" per se. All that aside, it's still a wonderful story of people who suffered loss and found each other with a little help from a man who once occupied a mistletoe mansion.

This is sure to entertain a younger audience, especially children who love solving riddles, doing puzzles, and absolutely enjoy the holidays. So if you are in the mood for a little reindeer riddle during this holiday season, listen carefully to each clue (8 clues for 8 reindeer) and maybe you can solve the mystery before they do. And in the meantime, this mother of two young children may find her secret santa this Christmas.

Christmas Mystery? Yes please.

[ricknot · 9/10 · 11 November 2023]

So glad to see a family mystery Christmas movie. The plot is simple with a new family moving into an old house with a treasure hunt to keep the house older and weirder. The new new folks in town are the new boss of the historical society and her two kids. Erica Cerra is such a great addition to the Hallmark family and her chemistry with Victor Webster is perfect. The kids are great and the mystery is fun for all. Taking it a step at a time with history of the town as a backdrop the feeling is of a true Christmas tale without the usual "take a shot" items which normally make up the Hallmark Christmas movies. All in all it is just fun.

A big hit

[vjf36 · 9/10 · 10 November 2023]

Best mystery movie of the year. Great cast leads are excellent and terrific chemistry. The story is unique and something never covered by traditions of past movies. The movie flowed so effortlessly and very believable The clues were so good and the two kids were very good and really played excellent detectives. The secretary of the organization gave a nice warm touch. She did more with her expressions than most actors do with words. The leads Father did an ok job but probably did not have much dialogue. All in all if they continue with these mystery movies and keep the quality I think we are in store for enjoyable movies.

Great way to start the season

[jcross7997 · 10/10 · 10 November 2023]

Adorable movie! The chemistry between the main characters was great. The siblings have a great relationship. Linda at the office is so cute! A little far fetched here and there, but isnt that what these movies are all about? Just gets you in the mood for christmas! This has a really nice story line that was easy to watch amd easy to follow with very minimal chringy moments that are often found in your typical Hallmark movies. I just finished this one and could easily watch again, which is not common. Loved this Christmas tale and the special moments it held. Even shed a nostalgic tear or two..

One of the best ever

[nfobare01 · 10/10 · 11 November 2023]

I don't generally watch the Movies and Mysteries channel because I don't believe in murder for entertainment. The teasers look promising so i decided to give it a shot. So happy to watch one that was an engaging movie that had no murders. We need more like this!! Evidently I have to write more characters so I'm writing more. So what else can I say? I still have to say more so here I am. I didn't want to give away any of the story just that it is really good. Still more to write. If you like Hallmark movies I highly recommend this one. Of course there are the usual tropes of romance but the mystery is quite different.

Solve the mystery

[splashpont · 10/10 · 12 November 2023]

Bring your friends. Watch your family. Get the kids in the room with you. Put the gadgets aside and make sure everyone has a cup of cocoa. Can you solve the mystery of mistletoe Lane?

This was a very enjoyable, fun, and cute movie. Get into the holiday spirit. Or, get back--or discover for the first time--what the holiday spirit is as you try to figure out the clues.

As I watched the movie, with two of the "main characters" being a historical society and an old house, it made me think of the many historic churches that are open on Christmas Eve, though many have never visited them or experienced a Christmas communion or candlelight service.

This movie celebrates Christmas memories and customs in today's households. It might suggest some customs for your own annual observance.

Watch it. Solve it. Try it.

This was a great little holiday mystery starring two great leads and a wonderful supporting cast

[cgvsluis · 8/10 · 19 November 2023]

I love Victor Webster and I have yet to see him put a foot wrong. Mystery on Mistletoe Lane is no exception as he plays David, the former historical society director and restoration specialist. He meets the newly hired director, Heidi Wicks (Erica Cerra) and her two children Annie and Garrett. New to town Heidi moved her kids into a historic property provided by her new job and it is of course a historic building. Doing some research she discovers it used to be known as the Mistletoe Inn. Her kids do a bit of looking around and discover a hidden Christmas scavenger hunt that was left by a previous owner, with rhyming clues and small handmade reindeer at each location.

There were a few plot holes...like how Wallace didn't come to inherit from his father and why his son didn't know the story of his biological father, but I am not going to nitpick. I enjoyed the story overall and I was thrilled with the scavenger hunt, the puns, and the interactions between Christmas crazy Heidi and the self proclaimed minamilist-no Christmas tree David.

This was wonderful and family friendly. I highly recommend for some holiday magic. Special note about Heidi's coworker Linda, played by Mary-Beth Manning, she was lovely and a great addition to the film. This is a delightful recommendation from me.

Still prefer a murder mystery

[fridaynight-1 · 5/10 · 24 March 2024]

Still prefer a murder mystery over a Christmas mystery, but it's an ok movie.

Some very stupid details - like that familt didn't look at the back wall of the house until the ginger bread house situation. Really?

But the most annoying part is the Heidi's voice. Such an irritating cracking raspy voice! Not the sexy raspy, but simply killing your ears raspy.

Victor Webster is fine, children are fine - pleasant surprise! Love the Linda character and actress.

Overall it's better than usual Hallmark Chrismas movies about saving a cookie factory in a small town or something, but cannot be really considered a mystery.

Thoroughly Enjoyable!

[rgilkison-61237 · 10/10 · 25 November 2023]

After viewing several night's worth of Hallmark's offerings, this season, I luckily reviewed the calendar to catch this earlier release. Since I had many films to use, as reference, a 10-star-rating was easy to bestow on this gem. That is because it is multi-faceted - the storyline emphasizes the passage of Christmas traditions - family and community. The acting is top-notch - from Victor Webster👍(David) and Erica Cerra (Heidi), to Wallace (David's dad) and Heidi's two teens. All three generations are pivotal, as the story unfolds. David and Heidi are initially slightly adversarial as she unknowingly took over his position of museum curator. But, the mystery of the manor gives them a common objective, and the writers give ample time (and histories) for our leads to warm up to each other. Their interactions (good chemistry) are relaxed and sensible. You can palpate the emotion of David's dad, Wallace, as he recounts his childhood and you begin to see the mystery solved, with some well-played interaction of Heidi's two teenagers. You never sense that you're being force-fed any Christmas activities or unforeseen romantic moment. These moments flow, seemlessly, here. When the movie draws to its closing, you're left feeling comforted in the human spirit, the joy of community, and the excitement of a much-anticipated budding romance.

No Mystery Here...

[DanaOne · 2/10 · 11 April 2024]

Any redeeming qualities the story may have had were wildly overshadowed by the bad acting - stilted and unnatural. The lead actress has an irritating voice. Worse than that, however, is the fact that her acting is so unnatural. She doesn't provide a genuine moment in the whole movie.

If this passes for decent acting, people need to raise their standards.

Victor Webster is likeable, but he has certainly been better in other movies. You're only as good as the people around you, after all.

I think it's a stretch to call this a mystery. It's more light treasure hunt. Just because it's Christmas doesn't mean you can't have something with a little more meat to it.

No mystery here. Just Hallmark phoning it in once more.

My favorite so far this Christmas

[mblake-62426 · 10/10 · 25 November 2023]

Victor Webster is always lovely to watch. He's a super cute gentleman. I love how he kisses her hand when they're sitting under the mistletoe at the beginning. He's really good at being romantic. Just so dreamy.

The mystery in this one is fun. I enjoyed the scavenger hunt. The kids did a good job with their roles.

Of course, the Movies and Mysteries movies are always great. I love the sad history interwoven into it. Gives it good depth.

One tiny bit of constructive criticism - the actors could have had better facial expressions/reactions when Wallace explains that the prior owner of the house was his father. Their faces were just kind of bored with that information. It was the big dun dun dun moment, but they're faces didn't express that.

Overall, a classy movie. I loved it.

Great acting all around. Victor Webster, Erica Cerra, Fred Henderson... Great job!