Pascale Hutton and Kavan Smith’s new Hallmark Mystery will have fans saying “zoinks” and feeling like they’re in a bizarre retro town — and that’s exactly how they felt filming it.
Nelly Knows Mysteries: A Fatal Engagement, which premieres on Friday, August 23, gives off major ’50s and ’60s feels thanks to director David Strasser’s vision, which costars Hutton, 45, and Smith, 54, didn’t expect at first.
“He had this vision that he wanted that kind of vintage retro vibe … just hints of it though,” Hutton, who plays Nelly Parker, exclusively told Us Weekly of the movie’s ambiance. “Obviously it takes place contemporarily … [but] you see it specifically in the diner and in Nelly’s wardrobe.”
Nelly, who is an advice columnist, is always one step ahead of everyone else in the film, but her wardrobe is stuck in the past — in a good way.
“There’s an outfit that she wears at the end of the movie. It’s like, this green dress and with the trench coat over top of it and the tall boots and it just is like Scooby Doo all over it,” Pascale recalled. “When I put it on, I was like, ‘I’m in an episode of Scooby Doo.’”
Nelly’s green dress and trench coat combo screams Daphne’s ’60s duds in the classic Scooby Doo cartoon, but some of her other bold color choices are reminiscent of Shaggy and Velma’s outfits in the series.
Scooby Doo, however, isn’t the only retro project the actors were transported to during filming. Smith exclusively told Us that the fictional movie town of Babbelton reminded him of several off-their-rocker films, including Big Fish and Pleasantville.
“I just think that the town itself, if allowed, can be a huge character in this,” Smith, who plays detective Michael Hogan, explained. “Not just the townies, but the town itself and the way that Nelly interacts with the town, like, super positive and upbeat and everything’s so bright and colorful.”
He reflected on the “’50s motif” that spreads throughout Babbelton, comparing it to “an Edward Scissorhands town kind of vibe.” (Edward Scissorhands, starring Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder, came out in 1990 but transported viewers to a pastel-painted suburban town with tiny windows, vibrant hues and obscure topiaries in the driveways.)
Smith teased, “There’s nothing like this town in any of these mystery wheels.”
In addition to the town’s appearance and Nelly’s wardrobe, vintage elements can be found in the old-timey lingo sprinkled throughout the movie and the background music. Plus, Nelly and Michael — as well as most of the townies — hang out at a diner and sip milkshakes despite it being the year 2024.
“There were a lot [of retro vibes], and I think it really kind of stuck out and I think it helped with the overall kind of, not absurdity, but the quirkiness of it,” Smith told Us. “They’re quirky characters. It’s a quirky little town. And I think that adding that sort of aesthetic dynamic added to that quirk.”
Hutton agreed with her counterpart, sharing that her Nelly Knows Mysteries’ character was very fun to play. “I thought Nelly was just so bubbly and energetic and really quirky,” Hutton remembered. “Right on the page when I read the script, she just seemed so quirky and that was kind of my first hit and I thought, ‘Oh, this is something I can have some fun with. I can do something with this.’”
Smith, meanwhile, called the role of Nelly a “home run” for Hutton, whom he’s worked with on When Calls the Heart since 2015. (Smith and Hutton play married couple Leland and Rosemary Coulter, respectively, on the Hallmark Channel series.)
In the film, advice guru Nelly, who is also the town know it all, stumbles upon a murder. After ruffling detective Michael’s feathers, the two work together to solve the crime and Nelly slowly helps Michael find favor in the town full of oddballs.
“Hopefully there’d be another murder. Fingers crossed,” Hutton laughed, telling Us she and Smith would love to do more mysteries.
The actress also teased a “slow burn” between their characters, which could be explored down the line. “I think there could be sparks of something, like, they’re intrigued with each other,” Hutton added. “But I also think they drive each other crazy and they’re a bit like oil and water.”
Nelly Knows Mysteries: A Fatal Engagement premieres on Hallmark Mystery Friday, August 23, at 9 p.m. ET.