As I’ve said before on 18 Cinema Lane, the overall quality of Hallmark’s Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series regressed when the series changed its name from Murder She Baked to Hannah Swensen. Most of the movies released since the name change have been either disappointing or ok, in my opinion. However, I keep watching the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series in the hopes the quality will get better. When I discovered another chapter in the series, Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, was on the way, I was actually intrigued. The idea of Hannah and company forced to solve a mystery while stuck at a costume party sounded reminiscent of Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans. Because of how much I liked that film, I was interested in seeing how the creative team behind the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series would approach the concept of a locked room mystery revolving around a costume party. How does Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery compare to Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans? Keep reading my review to find out!

Things I liked about the film:

The costume design: Like I said in this review’s introduction, Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery shows Hannah and company forced to solve a mystery while stuck at a costume party. If a movie’s creative team is planning on incorporating a costume party into their story, giving the cast costumes that are not only visually appealing, but also compliments the cast members should be a top priority. This was achieved in Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. However, the creative team’s attention to detail is one of the ways the visual appeal and complimentary appearance of the costumes was achieved! Hannah dresses up as a mermaid at Lake Eden Inn’s masquerade party. Her sky-blue dress was covered in sparkles and pearls. Netting material with attached starfish presents the illusion the “mermaid” is wearing a skirt. A blue and pink tiara, as well as a teal necklace, not only compliments Alison Sweeney’s blue eyes, they also correlate nicely with Hannah’s teal phone case. Other examples of wardrobe details that work in the costumes’ favor are red sneakers for a costume of Dorothy (from The Wizard of Oz) and a sparkly red heart purse for Delores’ Red Queen (from Alice in Wonderland) costume.

The costume party’s set design: The majority of Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery takes place at the aforementioned Lake Eden Inn’s masquerade party. To make a movie’s party space inviting, the creative team needs to utilize their budget, resources, and location provided to plan an event that feels fun and festive. Similar to what I said about the costume design in Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, the fun and festive appearance of the masquerade party was achieved through attention to detail! The walls were covered with a black curtain-like material. Black mesh-like material was draped across the ceiling with string lights, creating a cozy tent around the dance floor. String lights were tied together on gold curtains and black support pillars glowed with yellow light around the party area. On one wall, masquerade masks were placed inside picture frames, showcasing themed “masterpieces” as official party décor. Even miniature masquerade masks helped create colorfully adorable centerpieces. I really liked how Lake Eden Inn’s masquerade party looked because of how much detail was given to this space!

Delores’ toned down antics: Ever since Delores was given the private investigator subplot in One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, her antics have been silly and over-the-topic in the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series. In fact, her antics have been so over-the-topic and silly, I couldn’t take her seriously as a character. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case in Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. While Delores was the sassy, head-strong woman she’s always been known as, her antics were toned down. This allowed her interactions with other characters to feel believable, such as when she’s interrogating a suspect. Delores’ toned-down antics also made her a more likable character compared to some of the series’ more recent previous films.

What I didn’t like about the film:

Lack of urgency: Murder mystery stories taking place in the present typically include a sense of urgency. This gives the characters motivation to solve the mystery before the guilty culprit hurts other people. But in Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, that sense of urgency was lacking. It’s understandable for Hannah and company to keep the news about the murder mystery from the party guests, in order to prevent panic and fear. However, the characters seemed to be taking their time solving the case, even though the guilty culprit was right under their noses. The creative decision to not prioritize a sense of urgency within Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery slowed down the movie’s pace and drew the story out a bit.

Hannah and Chad’s inconsistent screen-time together: Since Victor Webster joined the cast of the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series, his on-screen chemistry with Alison Sweeney was the strongest in Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. This helped make Chad and Hannah’s relationship finally feel believable to me. But in this newest Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen chapter, Hannah and Chad’s screen-time together was inconsistent. One reason why is how Chad and Hannah worked separately when attempting to solve the murder mystery. Another reason is how there was no subplot revolving around their relationship. I was disappointed by these creative choices because I actually looked forward to seeing Hannah and Chad together.

Underutilization of Michelle: Hannah’s sister, Michelle, is featured in Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. When it comes to her involvement in the story, however, she only appears in about three scenes total. Plus, Michelle has little to no participation in solving the case. In my opinion, it was such a missed opportunity not to utilize Michelle more in this newest Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen movie. Since she is a photographer, perhaps she could have been recruited as the masquerade party’s official photographer.

My overall impression:

In the introduction of this review, I asked how Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery compares to Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans. Now that I’ve seen the latest installment in the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series, I have an answer to that question. At best, Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery is an ok film. But, at worst, it’s a weaker version of Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans. The lack of urgency made Hannah and company seem to be taking their time solving the case, slowing down the movie’s pace and drawing the story out a bit. I also didn’t like how Hannah and Chad shared an inconsistent amount of screen-time together. Michelle, Hannah’s sister, could have been utilized more throughout the story, such as being the official photographer of Lake Eden Inn’s masquerade party. Despite these flaws, Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery does contain elements I did like. The costume design, as well as the costume party’s set design, featured a lot of attention to detail, making those parts of the movie visually appealing and memorable. I even could take Delores seriously as a character because her antics were toned down. If anything, though, Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery prioritized style over substance.

Overall score: 6 out of 10

Have you seen Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery? If the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series continues, what would you like the next story to be about? Please tell me in the comment section!

Have fun at the bakery!

Sally Silverscreen