Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Murder mystery at a fancy resort; some violence, drinking.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Paradise Murders
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE PARADISE MURDERS, Jake (Mo Sehgal) treats his wife to a third anniversary celebration at the resort Emma (Kayla Raelle) used to go to with her family. It isn't long before Sarah (Taija James), the nice woman they meet at the pool on their first day, is found dead. The mix includes strangling, mugging, stalking, scamming, blackmail, a chase, some break-ins, room-trashing, a kindly housekeeper, a hovering waiter, a declined credit card, and a pair of professional con artists. Who is the killer?
Is It Any Good?
This mystery is a yawn. Some viewers may feel comfortable with the tradeoff Lifetime movies sometimes offer: no foul language, nudity, graphic sexuality, bloody violence, or glorified drug use. Unfortunately, here viewers get in return a low-budget cast, shaky production values, and a shoddy script.
In one example of script issues, complete strangers keep weirdly assuring people they've just met: "I'm here if you need someone to talk to." In another, a waiter seems oddly intrusive. And when someone looks into why their credit card was declined, the explanation is that all the money in their bank account has disappeared, which in fact doesn't explain anything about a credit card problem, but does raise a completely different financial mystery. The murderer devotes a goodly number of minutes to explaining the story's largely inexplicable deaths and break-ins. This is the perfect mindless fare to have on in the background while you're folding laundry.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it's like to go on vacation. What do you like to do when you take a break? Beach? Mountains? Stay home and chill?
In many murder mystery movies, the killers like to explain everything they've done. Does this killer's explanation make sense? Why or why not?
How does this mystery compare to other mystery movies? Are the characters interesting? Do we understand why they do things?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : October 10, 2025
- Cast : Kayla Raelle , Mo Sehgal , James Wiles
- Director : Richard Switzer
- Studio : Lifetime
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Travel
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : July 7, 2026
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