Straight-To-TV Thriller on Netflix Totally Garbage But Somehow #4 in movies today
Written by Robert Scucci | Published
I have a working opinion about Netflix, and that the launch of many podcasts, many of which fall into the wheelhouse of true crime, has created a demand for similar content. As you already know, Netflix has many true crime documentaries that run the gamut from critically acclaimed art like The Evil Genius (2018), in so-so entries like What Jennifer did (2024), to a controversial simulation in A monster an anthology.
Now, I can’t say correlation means causation, but it seems like anyone who listens to true crime podcasts who’ve moved to Netflix instead of whatever podcast app they used before is likely to point to movies like 2025. Murder in Paradisewhich is Lifetime TV’s attempt to jump on the psychological thriller bandwagon.
I can’t think of any other reason this abomination is currently sitting at #4 on the Netflix Top 10 movies. It should be algorithmic. People don’t usually listen The last podcast on the left or After the Bhastas now they’re letting the likes of the macabre be known to the streaming giant, and Netflix seems to be grabbing any content it thinks fits your tastes and throwing it into the feed. But I’m just an educator here.
Netflix has a lot of solid thrillers available right now, The Girl on the Train (2016), Side effects (2013), Single White Female (1992), and petty crime Pacific Heights (1990). But what do I know, because that’s where you can also watch the punishers The Glass House (2001). In other words, you can easily get lost looking for the perfect treat to line up on a rainy day. If I influence in any way my readers, however, let this be your warning: Murder in Paradise straight up trash.
Three Couples, Four Deaths, Zero Thrills
In Murder in Paradisewe are introduced to Emma (Kayle Raelle) and Jake (Mo Sehgal), who finally take their long-awaited honeymoon. Emma is a workaholic who needs a break for the week, and Jake books a trip to the resort he used to visit all the time as a kid. When they arrive, they meet a number of interesting characters, including Sarah (Taija James) and her aggressive estranged husband Tom (Christopher Dover). Emma and Jake quickly break up with Sarah, but they have their reservations about Tom, who seems like a loose cannon waiting for the right moment to fire him.
We are also introduced to a third couple, Isla (Boyana Avdjieva) and Jarrod (Richard Goss), who only seem to know what to do suspiciously and always appear at the worst possible times, making them look guilty from the second they first appear on screen. Joining the mix is Lee (James Wiles), a resort employee who seems to have developed an attraction to Emma, who feels a connection to her because of her fond memories of the resort.
When Sarah dies under mysterious circumstances, everyone quickly becomes a suspect. Jake is under surveillance because he was not in his room when Sarah was found dead by the pool. It is also revealed that Sarah’s diary may hold the key to identifying her killer, and all signs point to Tom, who, despite being the prime suspect in his wife’s murder, is somehow still allowed to roam the resort and catch some radiation.
None Of This Makes Sense
In fact, that’s the whole problem Murder in Paradise. There could be a massacre at a luxury resort, and everyone just goes about their business as if nothing happened. Sure, it’s suggested that the stay is less after the scene, which simply means there are fewer extras wandering around to complicate things, but the guests who are still there don’t behave like real people.
First, Emma and Jake make sure all flights home are canceled and they’re stuck at the resort until everything is ready. Then where has everyone else gone? Did they just go home? More importantly, everyone should be treated as a suspect. Jake doesn’t even have an alibi for where he was when Sara was killed.
Statistically speaking, Tom is the obvious suspect, yet he comes and goes as he pleases. Emma, on the other hand, is caught by hotel staff and detectives alike. Looking at it, his intentions are pure, but he still interferes with the ongoing murder investigation, and is told to go back to his room without any consequences when he’s done.
And don’t get me started on Isla and Jarrod. They always make threats, even when there is no reason, and the whole thing sounds like a big red herring. For a hot moment, I thought maybe they were heroes trying to warn everyone about the “real killer.” Don’t get this wrong, that’s not what happens, and the real ending is somehow even worse.
Why Murder in Paradise streaming on Netflix, a company that can afford to spend half a billion dollars on it Stranger Things Season 5, the question of the year for me. Are they so heavy on content that they’re scraping made-for-TV movies from Lifetime to fill out the catalog? Are psychological thrillers as hot now as true crime seems to be The last podcast on the left plant themselves firmly in the stream? I’m sure there are countless moving parts involved in licensing movies, but this is such a proverbial punchbowl that it makes me wonder who thought it belonged on Netflix’s list.
Or maybe I’m getting skeptical at my age and I’ve been spoiled by too many thrillers, that’s why Murder in Paradise is doing very well on Netflix right now. That’s the real mystery I’m trying to solve, and this can be the one that takes over my life when I dig too deep and find answers to questions I shouldn’t ask.
KILLERS IN PARADISE HIT
