Stream It Or Skip It: ‘True Justice: Eye For An Eye’ on the Hallmark Channel, About A Group of Law Students Trying To Exonerate A Mother Wrongfully Convicted Of Murder

May is mystery month on the Hallmark Channel, and a new movie series, True Justice: Eye For An Eye, is the latest release on the schedule. The film is the second in a series where a group of law students take it upon themselves to exonerate people who have been wrongly convicted and in this one, they’re trying to prove the innocence of a woman accused of killing the mother of another student at their kids’ fancy private school. It’s a juicy mystery with plenty of suspects, there’s a dash of investigative antics (you want a ridiculous fake mustache and wigs? You got it!) and a little bit of romance, too.

The Gist: The Justice Warriors are a group of law students who moonlight as crime solvers who exonerate the wrongfully convicted. Casey (Katherine McNamara), Eli (Markian Tarasiuk), Liam (Alexander Nunez) and Sarah (Marisa McIntyre) learn about a murdered woman named Katherine Harris whose body was found in a snowy wooded area near her family’s cabin. The prime suspect is Sharon Warner, who is accused because her daughter was being bullied by Katherine’s daughter at their tony private school, Penn Park, where Katherine was president of the Parent School Coalition. After interviewing Sharon, Casey firmly believes Sharon was set up, which means that Katherine’s murderer is still out there, and they framed Sharon for their crime.

With some help and encouragement from law professor Prof. Ambrose (Nikki DeLoach), and the D.A., Quinn (Benjamin Ayres), the foursome start looking into the murder and it soon becomes clear that Sharon was set up because her contentious relationship with Katherine gave her a motive and she was easy to frame. Thanks to some high-tech surveillance equipment, forensic analysis of objects from the crime scene, and a whole bunch of other details that there totally overlooked during Sharon’s trial, the Justice Warriors find out that the parents at Penn Park all have something to hide, and the truth needs to be exposed so they can save Sharon.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? The investigation into Katherine’s death feels a little bit like an episode of Law & Order, as the gang consults with lawyers and experts to pursue their investigation, with a dash of CSI, as they also handle their own forensics to find proof of whodunnit.

Performance Worth Watching: Pals Eli (Markian Tarasiuk) and Liam (Alexander Nunez) add a lot of life to the film, both separately and as a duo. Their rapport shines during one particular scene where they’re breaking and entering a home they’re investigating, and it’s something we’ll hopefully see even more of if this series continues.

Sex And Skin: None. 

Our Take: I’ve watched plenty of Hallmark Mysteries, and in fact I think that they tend to be some of the best movies on the channel because by their very nature, they push the envelope a little more than typical Hallmark fare. True Justice: Eye For An Eye is a great example of how, when a Hallmark mystery works, it’s a truly satisfying viewing experience. The core group in the film, Casey, Eli, Liam and Sarah, have a genuine rapport and feel not just like a real group of friends, but their antics – going undercover, donning disguises, gathering evidence – adds a dash of silly fun to their investigation. And as mysteries go, the death of a disliked but powerful and well-connected wealthy mom and circling all of the potential suspects is juicy and fun as we see the rest of the school community outwardly mourn this woman while secretly speaking ill of the dead. Like I said, these mysteries give Hallmark writers an opportunity to push the boundaries beyond the typical, sanitized version of the world we usually see on the network and that kind of gritty, sketchy and downright unlikable behavior makes the film more interesting.

Eye For An Eye is the second film in the True Justice series and there are many recurring characters who appeared in the first film – there’s not a whole lot of exposition about who they are (for instance, Casey’s brother lives with her – if you haven’t seen the first film, True Justice: Family Ties, you might not know that he was actually her first case, her first attempt to exonerate someone who was wrongfully convicted. So with that, I would suggest catching that film first if you require a little more context for some of the newer film’s subtle references.) You won’t suffer for not having seen Family Ties, as Eye For An Eye is a success on its own; there’s a genuine sense of mystery and sure, there are definitely moments where you have to suspend your disbelief, but the characters are well-established at this point, making it an ideal comfort watch.

Our Call: True Justice: Eye For An Eye is Hallmark’s version of a Law & Order-style procedural, and it’s flecked with some of the network’s most notable stars like DeLoach and Ayres, and even contains some Easter eggs referencing other Hallmark mysteries (I saw that reference to Nellie Knows!). All those small details help turn this murder mystery into a distinctly Hallmark affair that’s worth your time. STREAM IT!

Liz Kocan is a pop culture writer living in Massachusetts. Her biggest claim to fame is the time she won on the game show Chain Reaction.