Love Strikes Twice (2021 TV Movie) User Reviews

Strong premise

[EPMD57 · 8/10 · 12 December 2021]

I started watching not knowing what it was about, and I was digging the fact that the lead couple was having marital problems. I thought this would progress down an interesting road of trying to fix something that is broken, but instead the writers dove into the deep end of time travel. I was in for either option -- anything has to better than the formulaic two people meet and fall in love in a couple of days.

I also like the lead actress. She does a great job of making her dialogue seem natural. The rest of the cast isn't always at that level, but I'm sure the script they were given didn't allow much creativity there.

Finally Hallmark

[jannhking · 8/10 · 3 October 2021]

Hallmark Movies made prior to 2018 had interesting storylines, twists, funny, and characters beyond the same ol same' ol cast. I rarely rewatch any Hallmark movies made in the last few years. They are boring and so predictable despite the fantastic scenary and locations. This movie meets all the criteria above and is worth re-watching. Take note Hallmark to all your advertisers.

Time travelling for love

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 23 June 2022]

Will admit to not being particularly crazy on the 2021 Fall Harvest Hallmark films. There have been some good Fall Harvest films over the years from Hallmark, but this has got to be the only year where nearly all of them did little for me somehow. Have said more than once about 2021 being inconsistent for Hallmark, but was still pleasantly surprised at how better than anticipated it was. The time travel concept is not new for Hallmark, but 'Love Strikes Twice's' take on it on paper already sounded fresh.

And it turned out to be just that. 'Love Strikes Twice' was a much needed breath of fresh air. Not only is it easily the best of the 2021 Fall Harvest films, being the only one to be above the above average level, it is also to me one of the better and more refreshing Hallmark films from that year. One that saw a lot of recycled ideas that varied wildly in execution. As said, the time travel concept is not new for Hallmark, but there was something about how 'Love Strikes Twice' approaches it that felt fresh.

'Love Strikes Twice' is not perfect. It does start off a little on the slow side.

Did think too that the ending was a bit too neat, which is not an uncommon problem for Hallmark and one of the biggest recurring problems in the 2021 batch.

However, it is a very attractively photographed film with lovely scenery. Also pleasant is the music, which has presence without coming over as over-bearing or too constant. The direction shows a good deal of confidence and a sense that they knew what they were doing and trying to achieve. The script flows well and is light hearted and nostalgic, shining particularly in the hilarious and affectionate past references and the lead banter.

The story has a lot of heart and charm, and has a nice liveliness too. While not innovative, the time travel element never comes over as confusing or cheap. Wyatt Nash is a subtly charismatic leading man and the supporting cast are more than solid all round, but the film is most enlivened by a truly great Katie Findlay, who expertly balances witty comic timing and heartfelt pathos. The characters aren't complex but they were ones that to me were worth connecting with and caring for, which has not been the case with too much of Hallmark's 2021 output.

In conclusion, very well done. 8/10.

Do over

[Jackbv123 · 9/10 · 3 October 2021]

I hate the do-over premise where the person is plopped down into a situation she knows nothing about and is expected to bring about her happily ever after and instead is more likely to be committed for acting crazy. This movie doesn't do that. Maggie knows exactly what's going on.

I also hate that so many of these movies start out with a competent young woman who just had a great success and her boss dangles a promotion in front of her. There's nothing wrong with it, except how often it's used.

So what's good about this movie? The story is just a bit different. Maybe I should have, but I really didn't know where the story was going. I made a good guess about the ultimate outcome, but I wasn't completely confident it would turn out according to my guess.

The dialogue is sparkling. Maggie's character is fun and interesting. Like the dialogue she is witty, which is good because much of the dialogue is hers. And .Katie Findlay delivers her lines brilliantly.

The movie isn't exactly a traditional rom/com because the screen time normally spent on relationships is instead spent on the quest to save the library. It involves non-romantic activities like peaceful civic protests, court time, and digging up secrets about the opposition. There's barely any time on relationships. The quest dominates the screen time. As a result, the story is fresh.

The premier broadcast of this movie has a trivial but highly irritating flaw. Maggie receives a text late in the movie. It is mostly obscured by banner advertising by the channel.

'Peggy Sue Got Married' in a different time.

[TxMike · 24 June 2022]

No, this is not a re-make of 'Peggy Sue Got Married' but it uses a similar story-telling technique. Katie Findlay is really, really good as Chicago lawyer Maggie Turner, about to make junior partner in the firm and wondering if she and her husband made the right choices 15 years earlier. So one night, out for a walk, she throws a coin in the fountain to make a wish, bumps her head, and the next thing she knows is she is back home in 2006, 15 years earlier.

A careful reading of the title pretty much tells us what will happen but it is a very entertaining movie to show how a few changes in history can have a great influence on how things will turn out when 2021 arrives again. In that respect it also has a 'Back to the Future' vibe to it, when Marty got back and his parents were in a much different status.

Anyway, for us one of the more enjoyable Hallmark movies, my wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library.

We all think the pasture would be greener

[tomrgeraghty · 7/10 · 11 October 2021]

The two key leads did a good job. Had a little chemistry but the other guy had zero chemistry or attachment to anyone. The courtroom scenes made he movie. The issue is she never really was thinking what she was going to lose and ir gain. Zero though process on hat. Might be the fact that timing issues but a little more thoughts through those items would have made it better. It is a watchable and good movie but hallmark after one summer and some of the other writing I would call this a B maybe B- but watchable and was enjoyable.

I will say the preview add played over and obver again didn't make it a desired watch. I may have went in negative and came out not so bad. If the overly played scenes made me want to watch it more I may not have started in a downward thought process.

Top Tier Hallmark movie

[MichaelByTheSea · 9/10 · 31 October 2021]

Hallmark movie lovers grade on a curve and are very forgiving of the inevitable flaws in these movies. But this is one of my favorites without grading on a curve. Katie Findlay Is wonderful and was so good in her courtroom scenes she almost made me ignore the movie's utter disregard for how the law really works. Almost. Someone else commented on how difficult it is to take a failing marriage and resurrect it in an entertaining way. Most of us are watching to see new love blossom. But this honest look at a marriage with real problems was surprisingly well done. Plus, I'm a sucker for Time Travel movies (like About Time).

Refreshing, Funny, & Unpredictable

[mounthebron · 7/10 · 21 October 2021]

Starts out slow and doesn't really have a hook that sucks you in, but if you give it time it actually does get better and funnier. Kate Findlay's comedic timing is on point, her facial acting is sublime, and eventually she will win you over with her charm when at first she's not all that likeable. Bonus points for the thinly veiled James Bond theme as she & her "future husband" pull off a little caper. Most of all not a stereotypical Hallmark movie which is a refreshing change. The only thing that needs addressed is a note to the director that pretending a movie is set in America only works if you remind your Canadian actors to say "owt" & "abowt" and not "oot" & "aboot" because it's just jarring to an American ear.

Hallmark Ups Their Game

[KikiFlorida · 10/10 · 3 October 2021]

This was a charming, witty, funny, well-written movie. That's right, Well-written! I hope Hallmark takes note that they can up their game and possibly attract even more viewers. It was a little trope-y but in a fun way. The dialogue was great and the lead character was an intelligent and likeable woman. I hope this is a sign of things to come!

Much better than the preview adds

[hypzrkunt · 7/10 · 12 October 2021]

This movie was typucal Hallmark fare. I think the two leads Did a really good job. I would have liked to see a bit mor3 chemistry but after the preview trailers I was expecting a dud. Whoever views those trailers needs to highlight more of5h3 benefits than the negatives.

I didn't think Katie Findlay could lead a movie from the promo but she did a good job. Would have like to see a real differ3nce that looked liked 15 years on two of the leads who no change and mr turner had a small change. Would have 3nhanced a bit.

Classic plot...

[Thanos_Alfie · 5/10 · 13 October 2021]

"Love Strikes Twice" is a Comedy - Romance movie in which we watch a 37 years old woman returning 15 years back. There she changes some things and some of her choices but also she figures out more about herself and her husband.

I found this movie interesting and since I have watched some movies with time traveling I knew what I was about to watch. The direction which was made by Jeff Beesley was good and he presented very well the differences of his main characters along with their importance of their choices. The interpretations of Katie Findlay who played as Maggie Turner, Wyatt Nash who played as Josh Turner and Matthew Lupu who played as Ash Hartman were good and it was obvious that there was a good connection of them. In conclusion, I have to say that "Love Strikes Twice" is a simple but nice movie to spend your time with, its sort duration helps and makes it easier to watch.

Finally an original time travel story....

[jenrn-09722 · 9/10 · 15 January 2022]

I enjoyed this. Was refreshing to see an original story. The main character is not sure if she made the right choices in who she married and the career path she chose, then hits her head at her parents anniversary party. She wakes up 15 years in the past. She at first thinks it's to change the course of her own life, but realizes she can help with the issues going on at the time as well. It wasn't a typical time travel story where the lead is self-absorbed and only cares about changing things for herself - which is what makes this such a refreshing story. She is much more aware of what was going on with her family and friends because it was her second time around and she sees things from a more mature perspective. She sees the big picture and helps not only her future husband, but her brother and her father. She fills in as a lawyer at a hearing - though she's only a student at the time - where her future husband is trying to stop demolition of a historic building. She and her future husband - merely a friend at the time - steal a crooked businessman's briefcase and photo copy some papers that prove he was doing very shady things. This allows them to prevail at the hearing and save the building. It was enjoyable to see her prove her case at the hearing and best her future boss as a mere student - and realizes working for him isn't what she wants to do. She also has new-found respect for her future husband. After the hearing, she bumps her head and she goes back to her own time. Things are different when she "wakes up" because of the changes she made, but even that transition was well done and wrapped things up nicely. A well-written, feel-good movie that was definitely worth watching..

Hallmark does time travel

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 3 October 2021]

In Chicago, Maggie Turner (Katie Findlay) is a busy top lawyer. She is aiming to be a junior partner in her firm. Her relationship with husband Josh Turner is in trouble. She wonders about former college flame Rick Morgan (Marshall Williams) who is now a successful business man. She and Josh go back to their small home town for her parents' 40th anniversary. She gets knocked unconscious at the wishing fountain and wakes up 15 years earlier.

It's hard to make a depressing marriage fun to watch. That makes the start a little depressing also. The actors need to make a bigger effort to differentiate between present day and fifteen years earlier. They dress differently but not much else. Maggie should get a wig for her younger self. I do love Katie Findlay and she's good at doing both ages. She's cute when she's allowed to be goofy. Josh needs to be nerdier. He should at least be much more different looking than Rick. There are moments of light humor and those are great. I really love the idea that she uses her future legal expertise to her past live. I would make more out of the courtroom fight for the library. It would have been great if she uses a legal maneuver to win the day. Well, I grade on a curve with Hallmark and this is a pass.

It Pays to Cheat

[barkingpeanut · 5/10 · 6 October 2021]

Honestly, it was a pretty good movie all around. The writing was good, the actors were good and seemed to have chemistry together. I especially enjoyed Katie Findlay as Maggie Turner, which was written well as a funny, upbeat main character. There was a lot about this movie to get behind.

However, I just can't get over one aspect of the movie, which apparently doesn't seem to bother anyone else in the reviews. When she is back as a 22 year old and trying to save the library, her and Josh resort to literally stealing papers from a briefcase, copying them, and quickly putting back in order to win the case.

In no way is this remotely legal. It is not behavior to be encouraged. It isn't even that she cheated to win the case... They stole financial documents from the briefcase of the other counterparty while they were playing golf, and then dodged any questions about how they got it, easy as that.

I kept waiting for this unethical strategy to backfire, and we would see that even when you're outing someone else without morals, it does not pay to stoop to having no morals yourself. And yet, that never happened. They win the case, live happily ever after, and rather than feeling guilt at cheating to win her first case, Maggie continues on to get her law degree and opens a social justice center in town.

Moral of the movie: It pays to cheat, and apparently the ends always justify the means. It is too bad, because they could have easily found another way to write this that made the characters easier to cheer for than losing all their morals to save the historical space.

22 going on 37

[rebekahrox · 10/10 · 4 October 2021]

What did I just see? It was on the Hallmark channel but was it really a Hallmark movie? It was a time-traveling romantic comedy but that is all it had in common with the usual Hallmark. No pageant-worthy hair, wardrobe, and make-up here. Just great writing, attention to detail, talented acting, and fresh faces.

We enter this rare territory zeroing in on a 37-year-old childless corporate lawyer, whose marriage is about to fail because her main priority is to make partner in her firm so she can "swim with the sharks". She is troubled about her marriage and confides to a friend that the crossroads in her life seemed to be when she worked with a childhood friend, now her unhappy husband, to try to save the local library building. After an unexpected encounter with her old boyfriend, now one of the "sharks" she yearns to swim with, she wonders if she should have chosen him rather than the humble high school teacher she is now married to and with whom she has little in common. If only she could go back in time and with her sophisticated skills and knowing what she knows now about the law, be successful in saving the building. That would certainly change everything for the better and set her life on the path it was meant to be on.

I won't go into the ins and outs of what happens, because there is so much that happens both personally and professionally. The details and the authenticity make the movie complex, heartfelt, funny, and very entertaining. It is tight and action-packed. There is not a boring minute in it. No meaningless Hallmark filler or tired tent pole scenes. It borrows from many other time travel romantic comedies too numerous to list, but I was most reminded of the delightful 13 Going on 30. Needless to say, when she goes back 15 years to save the library, she also saves her marriage, her husband's career, her father's health, and turns her brother's and her best friend's lives around. It all culminates at her parent's 25th anniversary when she hits her head again and shoots back to her real life at their 40th.

The acting is great all around, but the star of the show is Katie Findlay, whose looks and talent brought even more life and charm to the role that was already well-written. Had she not been cast, the movie still would have been wonderful, but she made it a 10 out of a 10. I fear she will soon be going on to bigger and better things. Sadly for Hallmarkland, I predict we will not be seeing her again on this channel.

Hallmark meets Back to the Future

[ed-263 · 9/10 · 3 October 2021]

A different movie than usual featuring time travel similar to Back to the Future and a caper familiar to fans of Leverage. Second chances are what we all wonder about and this movie shows how small decisions can lead to big results later.

Katie Findlay is not only adorable, she is an incredibly skilled actress. Her performance was outstanding, as her facial expressions and physicality were crucial in creating a believable comic character. She is a real star and if Hallmark is smart they'd sign her to a long term contract.

Formulaic? Hey, it's Hallmark. Clever and Cute? Heck, yeah!

[sdpearl · 9/10 · 16 October 2021]

Look, Hallmark is comfort food. You don't watch it because you want the blood and grit of the latest iteration of CSI or one of Dick Wolf's 42 Chicago spin-offs. You watch Hallmark because you want... for 2 sweet, cable-news-free hours... to settle into the couch and forget the horrors of our ceaselessly cruel, crumbling world. You watch Hallmark because somewhere deep inside you have to believe that love prevails over evil and romance lives even in the darkest of times.

Hallmark delivers. Over, and over, and over again.

Which is part of the problem. The big knock on Hallmark productions is that they are formulaic to the point of banal. After all, how many big city doctors who move to the to renovate a ramshackle inn, lawyers who stop big developers from destroying the historic waterfront, bakers who solve murders, struggling writers who fall in love with B&B owners, and dog walkers who fall in love with the town vet can one channel churn out?

A bottomless barrel full, it seems.

And let's just get this out in the open. As someone else said in a different review, somewhere around 2018 Hallmark seemed to run out of moderately creative ideas. For the past three years it's felt as if they've churned out 80% time-filling, utterly predictable sweetness that you forget 5 minutes after the movie is over, about 10% slightly inventive sweetness you might watch a second time, and about 10% that says there might still be a few creative bones living up in Vancouver. Or is it Missouri? I never can tell where Hallmark is based when almost every town looks like the main drag in Abbotsford.

But ever so often...

When you least expect it...

Hallmark gives you a good reason to keep the channel on your ever-shrinking "favorite" list.

"Love Strikes Twice" is that movie.

Yes, the "do-over," "time traveling" movie has been done before. Multiple times.

Yes, the "save the library" thing has been done before. Thousands of times.

What hasn't been done before is putting Katie Findlay in the lead, giving her a crisp, witty script to run with, giving her a director who knows how to get out of the way, and watch the magic happen.

The closest parallel I can come up with is Bethany Joy Lenz in some of her best Hallmark movies. She has that rare quality of swinging from screwball comedy with smart dialogue to heartfelt emotion that cries out for the Kleenex box. Katie Findlay has that quality. In spades.

Of course "Love Strikes Twice" is a borderline retread.

Of course you can predict the plot and twists of "Love Strikes Twice" before the first commercial break.

Of course the legal bits - uhm, how should I say this politely? - stretch credulity, no matter how accurate Findlay makes them sound with her spot-on delivery.

Where "Love Strikes Twice" wins is handing Findlay, Turner, (and most of the excellent, supporting cast) a script they can sink their teeth into and HAVE FUN with.

At the risk of dropping spoilers, it's in the little things where Findlay and team take what could have been an utterly forgettable Hallmark recycle and make it shine. Watching her go "carnivore" on opposing counsel was pure genius. Sure, the "Oceans 11" take-off was completely unbelievable. Then again, it's a time-travel movie, so why paint inside the lines, eh?

Will it be everybody's cup of tea?

If you expect the legal bits to be accurate, skip it.

If you can't get your head past the implausibility of time travel, skip it.

If you want non-stop schmaltz and emotion, skip it.

If, however, you want crackling dialogue, great chemistry, and plenty of sly laughs you're gonna love it.

C'mon, Hallmark, we want more Katie Findlay!

Love Strikes Twice

[studioAT · 3/10 · 20 August 2023]

Everyone likes a certain type of Hallmark film, and this was not mine.

I'm actually surprised to see such high scores for it on this site.

It started quite slowly, and the female lead character was unappealing in terms of her behaviour. I know that was part of the point, but I didn't find myself rooting for her as I should have been. Some of the dialogue wasn't great either.

It does improve as it goes alone, but for me the damage had already been done.

I think Hallmark are trying to shake things up having lost some of their key players recently, but I prefer the older more traditional style.

A Lot Of Fun and Very Creative

[cincy-47983 · 10/10 · 7 October 2021]

I almost didn't watch this as the premise sounded lame. This ended up as one of the more enjoyable Hallmark movies I've seen in a long while. Very creative. Great writing. Excellent acting, especially the lead female. The movie started out a bit slow but soon picked up and with great delivery. There is a lot of creative dialogue and the lead female (Katie Findlay) puts it forth with great variety of facial expressions and glee. This is one I will likely watch more than once.

Well Done Hallmark

[RenT-83065 · 10/10 · 3 October 2021]

Hallmark truly stepped their game up with this movie! 10 out of 10 out of 10! Thank you for delivering a movie that above and beyond breaks the formula.

Katie Findley brilliantly plays Maggie. She delivers her lines flawlessly with a sharp tongue and quick wit.

...and the ending is so good.

Not one festival-loved it!

[alar62 · 10/10 · 3 October 2021]

Totally different feel for Hallmark. Katie Findley was refreshing in the lead role. Loved it!

Yes, yes, yes

[iaindormer · 10/10 · 11 October 2021]

So many great reviews of this movie already, but I just had to add my 10/10 because Hallmark finally made a movie like they used to in the early days. It was NOT formulaic, but totally different, fun and sassy.

A good plot with more bite than usual, some high quality writing and good direction were all brought together by great performances, especially the lead Katie Findlay.

The whole thing was most enjoyable, and one can only hope the suits recognize that more like this will go some way to restoring Hallmark's tarnished image.

Illegally cute

[TheCheeseMistress · 9/10 · 10 October 2021]

This one feels completely different that the usual Hallmark style, although full of the usual writers-don't-know-how-the-world-works details.

It's by far the fastest paced Hallmark I've watched, not only plot-wise but also in speech: although English is not my first language I never have any problem following dialogues but I did struggle with this one because of how fast they speak at times.

The supporting cast is excellent, which is also unusual for the genre, and the lead actress is unbelievably cute. I really hope to see her in more Hallmark movies.

And finally, from reading other reviews I thought it was going to be a "do over and over and over again" movie, which can get a little bit tiring, but it's rather a "one time second chance" movie.

(Very very mild spoiler) Anyone can defend themselves in a trial but for everything else you do need a degree and a practicing license, so basically nothing in the plot could have happened since she wasn't a lawyer yet. Which is frustrating since it would have been very easy to avoid: just have all those events take place right after she graduates. But I guess the unnecessary plot-holes are a Hallmark signature.

Funny and unpredictable

[suzanne-iovaldi · 10/10 · 3 October 2021]

I loved this one - Katie Findlay was so fun and witty; a nice mixup for a lead actress. I really enjoyed how throughout the storyline was unpredictable. Hope to see more of this!

Katie Findlay

[pefiglar · 10/10 · 9 October 2021]

Katie Findlay is an absolute delight and made this movie a 10!