"A Christmas Mystery"

This had real potential, I think, in concept.  You have the "Enola Holmes" films, which show that a perky young woman can solve mysteries.  The problem here is casting and tone.  At the least, it's muted and low energy.  At the most, it's dark, depressing and sad.  No one smiles.  There is no snow.  You are in for an hour before the young lead shows any real punch.  When a neighbor is accused of stealing the miraculous bells of a small town, our girl goes to town to prove his innocence.  She is faced, at almost every turn, with a sense of hopelessness felt by the adults around her.  Many of the actors speak in a kind of muted whisper.  There is an irritating moment when a main character mispronounces the name of a well-known river.  It picks up in the last half hour but is it worth the wait?  I would say no.