Is There a Killer in My Family?

In 1937, a woman screams in Crawford Island, New England. True-crime writer Carly Travers is vacationing with her husband Kevin at the Crawford manor and starts investigating the unsolved murder of Diana Crawford.

It's a Lifetime movie mystery. The lead actress is fine. Her husband is annoying. The mystery is fine but there are no stakes at the beginning. It starts too slowly and takes too long to put her in danger. Somebody should be threatening her as soon as possible. The biggest stake seems to be her marriage. There is an angered local woman but she's not enough. It does turn into Scooby Doo at around the halfway point. The last act starts with a revelation which would be better served as the starting point. She should be an heir coming to claim the ancestral home. That is always good for some kind of family dysfunction. The first half is too slow and it never recovers.

Let's start by saying my review for this is based on a Lifetime movie scale. That being said, I think I would have enjoyed it regardless. In fact, it didn't seem like your typical Lifetime made for TV movie, more like something the younger me might read then older me rented from Blockbuster to watch on a rainy Saturday night. That's because it's not-thus the name change. (Is there a Killer in My Family vs more appropriately named Island of Shadows). This Canadian production uses its dreamy seaside landscape paired with aged rustic architecture, and thickets of tangled trees to its fullest potential. Something about it reminded me of my favorite Hitchcock film-Rebecca. Solid murder mystery. Nice twists. Not completely unpredictable but wrapped up nicely in suspense and intrigue. It held my attention and that's saying something. I think what worked for me is the strong female lead character and that it was well realized by Anna Hopkins. It's a definite standout from their regular line-up. I was left wanting more- in a good way.

It was qute slow getting started and kind of long in the talking for a film. Leading lady, looking a lot like Fanny Brice, was sometimes interesting but not too convincing in being an author of mysteries. Her boy friend, Kevin, fared better and as typical LMN movies, fades into the background. This view found it hard for such a good looking guy would fall for this kind of girl.. But,that's movies for you. Sometimes it is hard to accept these plain janes telling these young hunks to get lost. Oh well, that's LMN.

ISLAND OF SHADOWS/IS THERE A KILLER IN MY FAMILY? (TV movie 2020) 5 out of 10 stars Time to Read: 1:30min

BASIC PLOT: Carly Travers (Anna Hopkins) is a successful true crime writer, and she's discovered a murder mystery in her own family's history. She's determined to uncover the truth, much to the chagrin of her husband, Kevin (Christopher Jacot).

Carly was attacked by a disgruntled family member, of the subject of her last book, and her husband, Kevin, hasn't gotten over it. He also doesn't like how obsessed Carly gets when doing research, or how much attention she gets from fans. Kevin's unease is why she came to the island under the guise of a vacation, and didn't tell him it was really a fact finding mission.

Carly's distant relative, a woman named Diana (Erin Agostino), was murdered, and the killing has never been solved. There were sightings on the island, of a figure in white, seen several times before the death. Kevin and Carly are staying on Crawford Island, in Diana's house, and Carly is more determined than ever to find out what happened to her relative.

With enough time and investigation, Carly is sure she'll be able to unmask Diana's killer. What she didn't expect, was to see a ghostly figure in white, running through the island's woods.

Now Carly isn't sure who to trust, or what to believe. Can she uncover the mysteries of the past, while unveiling the secrets of the present?

WHAT WORKS: *ANNA HOPKINS DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB AS CARLY TRAVERS Anna Hopkins does a fine job portraying a strong, accomplished woman, being drug down by a weak, envious husband. She embodies the character, so we, the viewer, believe in her.

*MOST OF THE CASTING IS SPOT ON Almost every character is well cast, with one exception, Louise Bellak (Susan Gregson), Kathy Bellak's (Vickie Papavs) mother. She's supposed to be close to 100, and the woman they chose is not near old enough to be playing an octogenarian.

*THE ACTING IS ABOVE AVERAGE FOR THIS TYPE OF MOVIE In this movie, there's not a lot to complain about, acting wise. I never had a moment I was thrown out by bad delivery from the actors.

*GREAT ATMOSPHERIC Great use of a location to create a creepy, isolated atmosphere. The small waterfront community is also authentic, which gives the film credibility.

*GOOD DEATH SCENE A believable death scene is not something you see very often in made-for-tv movies. However, Alex Paxton-Beesley does a great job in this one.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: *PACING IS OFF By the 1:25 mark (out of 2hr), their should be more suspense built up, but there's not. There should have been other things Carly "discovers", and then is tormented with, but that doesn't happen. What's left is a watered down attempt at gaslighting.

*IF THEY'RE GASLIGHTING HER, THERE SHOULD BE MORE OF IT. By the 1:25 mark (out of 2hr), there's only been one or two incidents of gaslighting, and only one kind. There should be more, and it should be more intense, building with intensity every time it's done.

TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION: *This is an above average made-for-tv atmospheric. It utilizes the ambience of the island to add an extra dimension to a decent mystery story. Is it the best I've ever seen? Of course not, and it doesn't try to be anything more than what it is - a diverting, low budget, mystery story. If you enjoy that type of entertainment, then definitely give this a try. It's a fun bit of escapism, without much to complain about. If you like your movies with huge budgets, lots of special effects, and lackluster storylines, then try the latest superhero movie, because this won't be for you.

CLOSING NOTES: *This is a made-for-tv movie, please keep that in mind before you watch/rate it. TV movies have a much lower budget, and your expectations should be adjusted.

*I have no connection to the film, or production in ANY way. This review was NOT written in full, or in part, by a bot. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews (less trolls and fanboys), and better entertainment. Hope I helped you out.

A mystery/thriller this was supposed to be. But instead, it was a big disappointment with a lousy ending. Mrs. Shullivan and I went into it knowing that this was a Lifetime made for TV presentation, and yet we left our guard down and decided to see how the movie's mystery progressed. I won't give away the ending but trust me, it's shallow and disappointing.

The film's dramatic music theme is constant, and yet there is no suspense what so ever. The acting was decent enough but the story line is shallow and worthy of a high school play.

I give it a 5 out of 10 IMDB rating.