An Amish Murder (made-for-tv movie) 6 of 10 ⭐

August 08, 2025

An Amish Murder (made-for-tv movie) 6 of 10 ⭐

An Amish Murder Review

Synopsis:

Kate Burkholder (Neve Campbell) knows the town of Painters Mill, Ohio, well. She grew up here, as a member of the Amish community. Now she's returned as the Chief of Police, but her homecoming hasn't exactly been joyous. A serial killer who plagued the area in the '90's, seems to have returned. Kate knows more about this killer than she can ever tell. Her silence has protected her for years, but now the secrets of many, may be exposed. Is Kate strong enough to confront her past, and stop the evil that has descended on Painters Mill?

WHAT WORKS:

Jilon VanOver as Lucas

Neve Campbell as Kate

*LUCAS AND KATE HAVE GREAT CHEMISTRY Kate (Neve Campbell) and Lucas's relationship feels realistic (Jilon VanOver) If you've ever been in a romantic situation, where you were kept from the love of your life, based on circumstances beyond your control, you'll relate to this relationship. They both play the dynamics well, and it's very authentic.

Christian Campbell as Jacob

*CHRISTIAN CAMPBELL DOES A GREAT JOB AS THE TORTURED JACOB BURKHOLDER

Christian Campbell's portrayal of Jacob Burkholder is believable. Maybe because he's playing against his real life sister, Neve, or maybe it's just because he's a fine actor. Either way, he does a great job in this movie.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK:

*THE MAYOR WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FIRE KATE That's patently ridiculous! I know, I know, in many small towns the mayor appoints the chief of police. NOT THE POINT HERE PEOPLE! Also, the mayor intimates that the city council was also in on her hiring. So, it stands to reason, they'd be in on her firing too. It also stands to reason, they'd require the mayor to take a leave of absence, after the murder of his daughter. If he refused, they'd remove him. This is not rocket science PEOPLE! Why don't police investigate their own family's murders? Well let's see, oh I remember, it's because THEY CAN'T BE OBJECTIVE! And firing someone after your daughter's been killed, by a serial killer Kate is hunting, reeks! They might hand the whole thing over to the state police, but firing her would open them up to a whole host of legal issues, most assuredly, she would sue for wrongful termination. It's also abuse of power, and a whole host of other things, which is why the city council would step in, and prevent him from opening up the city to numerous and costly lawsuits.

Noam Jenkins as John Tomasetti

*NOAM JENKINS DOESN'T SMOKE IRL

Noam Jenkins who plays John Tomasetti, clearly doesn't smoke. When he lights up, it looks like his face is on fire.

TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION:

*I would absolutely recommend this film. It has a few missteps, but for a made-for-tv movie, it's first rate. I'd recommend to fans of Neve Campbell, Christian Campbell, Noam Jenkins, C. Thomas Howell or Jilon VanOver. They all give standout performances. I'd also recommend to those who are fans of movies portraying the Amish, those who like bleak murder mysteries, or to those who love made-for-tv movies (like me).

To see lots more about this movie, including lots more images, videos, actor info, filming location info, music featured in the movie, etc, visit The Lifetime Movies Wiki's An Amish Murder page (full disclosure, I'm the admin, & main creator of the site)