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    To Catch a Spy

    6.1/10 · 1,342 ratings·2021·1h 30m·Weirdness 4/10
    To Catch a Spy poster

    At a glance

    4/10

    Mostly standard issue

    What bumps it up: Mistaken identity.

    Season
    Summer
    Setting
    International
    Time period
    Contemporary
    Leads start as
    Brief Acquaintances
    Runtime
    1h 30m
    Watch trailer
    IMDbLetterboxdTMDBJustWatch

    Where to watch

    🇺🇸United States7 ways

    Stream

    • fuboTV
    • YouTube TV
    • Philo
    • Hallmark+ Amazon Channel
    • Hallmark+ Apple TV Channel
    • Hallmark TV Amazon Channel

    Free

    • Artiflix
    🇨🇦Canada1 way

    Free

    • Artiflix
    🇬🇧United Kingdom1 way

    Free

    • Artiflix

    Via JustWatch · can change anytime.

    The premise

    When the newly renovated Hotel Optima in Malta has a grand reopening, Chloe and her team from Destination Traveler Magazine, head over to cover the travel scene in Malta and sees someone fall to their death, right past her hotel window.

    Themes:Trusting your intuitionSeeking justice for friendsThe complexity of modern relationshipsHidden identities

    How unusual is it?

    Middle of the road, with a twist — mistaken identity keeps it from being totally by-the-book.

    Who’s in it

    Nathalie Kelley headshot

    Our Girl

    Nathalie Kelley

    as Chloe Day

    Colin Donnell headshot

    Our Guy

    Colin Donnell

    as Aaron Maxwell

    Alongside them

    • Patti Murin headshot
      Patti MurinSara Webb
    • Davy Eduard King headshot
      Davy Eduard KingTom McBride
    • Jonathan Dunn headshot
      Jonathan DunnPatrick Scheaffer
    • Becky Camilleri headshot
      Becky CamilleriRianne Bonello
    Show all 10 castShow fewer
    • Antonella Axisa headshot
      Antonella AxisaBree Hammond
    • Edward Thorpe headshot
      Edward ThorpePeter Gilroy
    • Joe Azzopardi headshot
      Joe AzzopardiIsaac Abela
    • Michelle Martin headshot
      Michelle MartinUS Ambassador Fiona Soto

    Behind the camera

    ShowHide

    Directed by

    • Jeff Beesley headshot
      Jeff Beesley

    Written by

    • Rick Garman headshot
      Rick Garman

    Wait, what?

    The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

    • A travel writer solving an international espionage plot involving the DGSE and FBI
    • Secret Cold War spy tunnels connecting a luxury hotel to a U.S. Embassy
    • A legendary global assassin working as a hotel housekeeper
    • The protagonist standing on a bed to listen to a murder through a vent

    Every trope, all in one place

    Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 20 to find more movies that do the same thing.

    Setting3

    🌍International🏨Inn/B&B📍Other European

    Time & season2

    ☀️Summer🗓️Contemporary

    Premise5

    🕵️Secret Identity🔒Secret Past🎭Mistaken identity🔒Hidden secret🤗Reunion

    Characters2

    ✍️Lead: Writer/Journalist👮Love interest: Police Officer

    Conflict3

    ⚡Other💔Life/Death stakes💔An ex returns

    Romance4

    💕Start as brief acquaintances💕First kiss: never/implied💓Instant attraction🔥Slow burn

    Tone & quirks1

    🎬Light/Heartwarming

    How it all plays out

    Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.

    Full story (spoilers)
    Chloe Day, a travel writer for Destination Traveler, arrives in Malta with her team, including her editor and ex-boyfriend Tom, to cover the soft opening of the Hotel Optima. The hotel is owned by her college friend, Elias Lentini. On her first night, Chloe hears a heated argument and a scream through the air vent in her room. Looking out, she sees a body fall into the service alley, but by the time she reaches the lobby, the body has disappeared and the hotel manager, Bree, claims Elias checked out early. Chloe meets Aaron Maxwell, an FBI agent stationed at the American embassy, which was recently robbed of top-secret documents containing the identities of undercover agents. Aaron is initially skeptical of Chloe's claims, but they soon find common ground as Chloe's 'amateur sleuth' instincts provide leads the police overlook. Chloe discovers a cufflink and a piece of broken glass in Elias's room, proving a struggle occurred. The investigation reveals that Elias had used his construction company to access secret Cold War-era tunnels connecting the hotel to the embassy vault. As Chloe narrows down the suspects—including the manager Bree, the waiter Isaac, and the front desk clerk Peter—she discovers that Isaac is actually Jeffrey Boucher, a French DGSE agent also hunting for the documents. The plot thickens when it is revealed that the U.S. Ambassador was being blackmailed into assisting the robbery. In the climax, Chloe realizes the mild-mannered housekeeper, Rianne, is actually the legendary mercenary 'Cypher.' Rianne has already killed her accomplice Peter and attempts to kill Chloe by injecting her with a fast-acting poison and pushing her off a balcony. Aaron and the FBI arrive just in time to apprehend Rianne and save Chloe. The film ends with the documents secured, the ambassador resigning, and Chloe and Aaron sharing a romantic farewell, promising to cross paths at the next 'international crime scene.'

    Beat by beat

    1. 1

      Opening

      Chloe arrives in Malta and witnesses a murder through her hotel room vent, but the body disappears before police arrive.

    2. 2

      Inciting Incident

      Chloe meets FBI agent Aaron Maxwell and realizes the 'missing' Elias is linked to a high-profile embassy robbery.

    3. 3

      Midpoint

      Chloe and her team hack the hotel records, discovering Elias's checkout time was faked and he was murdered after he supposedly left.

    4. 4

      Twist

      The room service waiter, Isaac, is revealed to be a French secret agent who found the body and the stolen documents first.

    5. 5

      Climax

      Chloe identifies Rianne the housekeeper as the master spy 'Cypher'; Rianne attempts to poison and defenestrate Chloe.

    6. 6

      Resolution

      Aaron saves Chloe, the spy ring is dismantled, and the U.S. Ambassador is exposed for her role in the conspiracy.

    20 tropes in one movie

    We counted 20 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.

    How it stacks up

    Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

    Rating 6.1 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.145678

    Higher-rated than 25% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

    Where this one fits

    The corners of the catalog To Catch a Spy belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

    • ☀️Hallmark Summer MoviesA sunny summer setting.

    Lines worth quoting

    The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

    • “I never understood why you read those mysteries. You always figure out who did it before you get to the end.”
      — TomDiscussing Chloe's hobby early in the film.
    • “Trust your instinct. I mean, if your gut is telling you that something's wrong, it usually is.”
      — AaronGiving Chloe advice on how to investigate.
    • “Men are good for some things.”
      — Cypher (Rianne)A slip-up quote that revealed Cypher's gender to the Ambassador.

    Meet the characters

    Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

    • Chloe Day

      Lead

      Travel Writer

      InquisitiveObservantTenacious
    • Aaron Maxwell

      Love interest

      FBI Agent

      Investigative partner and romantic interest

      ProfessionalSkepticalProtective
    • Rianne Bonello

      Antagonist

      Housekeeper / Mercenary Spy

      The killer and primary adversary

      RuthlessDeceptiveChameleon-like
    • Tom McBride

      Supporting

      Magazine Editor

      Ex-boyfriend and boss

      ProtectiveProfessional
    • Isaac Abela / Jeffrey Boucher

      Supporting

      French Intelligence Agent

      Temporary suspect turned ally

      SecretiveCompetent

    Questions people ask about To Catch a Spy

    Where can I watch To Catch a Spy?

    To Catch a Spy is available via fuboTV, YouTube TV, and Philo. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

    How long is To Catch a Spy?

    To Catch a Spy runs about 1 hour and 30 minutes, and was released in 2021.

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    Data and sources

    Curated by the Talking Hallmark team.

    Sources:IMDb·TMDB·JustWatch

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