Naman Shrestha
Domestic violence and abusive partners are the primary subjects of Lifetime’s ‘Murder at the Lighthouse,’ a crime thriller film directed by Eric D. Howell. The narrative revolves around a young woman named Jess and her ex-boyfriend, Colton. When the former decides that she has had enough of his abuse and violence, she devises a plan to move to Canada and start a new life far away from her traumatic experiences. Thus, she hires a fishing boat captain to help her cross Lake Superior and drop her across the border.
In an unexpected turn of events, Jess meets with an accident and gets washed up on shore. Fortunately, a reclusive lighthouse keeper named Adeline discovers her body and takes her in. As Jess recovers from her injuries, her ex-partner comes looking for her. The brooding themes involved in the narrative are captured through the visuals of the open water, darkness, and sunsets against the constant backdrop of the lighthouse. Since a majority of the story unfolds in and around the Canadian border of Lake Superior, it raises questions about the actual production locations.
Where Was Murder at the Lighthouse Filmed?
Though the story is set in Canada, ‘Murder at the Lighthouse’ was primarily shot in Minnesota, especially across St. Louis County. Additional portions were also filmed in Superior, Wisconsin. Given the limited number of days to shoot, the principal photography was reportedly completed in just 11 days, commencing in early October 2024 and getting wrapped up around the middle of the same month. During a conversation with Duluth News Tribune, one of the producers, Mandy June Turpin, described it as a fun project and revealed, “A couple of the actors are non-residents, but I’d say 95% of the people we used on the movie are Minnesota residents.”
St. Louis County, Minnesota
The team utilized several spots in and around St. Louis County in the Arrowhead Region of Minnesota to shoot ‘Murder at the Lighthouse. ‘ The port city of Duluth, which is also the county seat of the aforementioned county, served as the filming site for several sequences. For the purpose of capturing the interior as well as the close-up shots, the cast and crew visited the Duluth South Breakwater Inner Light, situated on the South Breakwater of the Duluth Ship Canal. Originally constructed in 1889 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the skeletal-shaped lighthouse stands tall at the foot of the iconic Aerial Lift Bridge from Park Point side.
A portion of the taping was also carried out just 10-15 miles northwest of Duluth, specifically in the unincorporated community of Twig in Grand Lake Township. In particular, the Twig General Store, located at 5302 Twig Boulevard, is also one of the shooting sites of the Lifetime thriller. Not far from Twig, the team lensed a few scenes of the movie at Saginaw as well.
Superior, Wisconsin
‘Murder at the Lighthouse’ also chose the city of Superior in Douglas County, Wisconsin, as a spot for painting the harrowing story of Jess to the screen. The Wisconsin Point Lighthouse on Wisconsin Point is where Eric D. Howell and the team shot a minor slice of the movie. A popular tourist site, the 56-foot-tall structure is situated atop a sand bar (10-mile long), which is reportedly the world’s “longest freshwater sand bar” — between the ports of Duluth and Superior. From what we can tell, the team left no stone unturned to ensure they bring the desired vision to life through their work both on and off the screen.
The director also shed some light on the dedication displayed by the cast and crew members, who pulled out all stops and pulled through despite the multiple challenges they faced along the way. “We had 3 weeks of prep including a full rewrite due to location issues, 11 days of principle photography, 15 days to lock picture…. This is proof that ‘Art is born of limitation and dies of freedom.” If you call this art. We did. And what a strong and devoted cast, crew, and production I was blessed with, he said, expressing his gratitude and pride for his team.
Murder at the Lighthouse Cast Details
The cast of the Lifetime thriller is led by Skye Coyne, Shelli Manzoline, and Mark Justice, who each exercise their prowess and contribute to enhancing the overall authenticity of the narrative. While Skye and Shelli drive the narrative by offering emotional depth to their characters, Mark’s compelling performance as the antagonist is a result of his rich experience of working on over 100 projects and multiple awards to his name, including the Best First-Time Director award he earned at the Vegas Movie Awards in 2020.
Skye Coyne as Jess
In ‘Murder at the Lighthouse,’ Skye Coyne steps into the role of Jess, the resilient young woman who is striving to protect herself from the clutches of her ex. Renowned for her ability to effortlessly emote a variety of feelings, the actress has over 30 credits in her filmography. Her performances as Sofia in ‘The Search for Secret Santa,’ Amanda in ‘Love’s Playlist,’ Jennifer in ‘Vanished in Yosemite’ and Tabby Banks in ‘The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge’ are what helped her earn great strides in the entertainment industry. Her other credits include titles such as ‘The Date Whisperer,’ ‘Love Under the Lemon Tree,’ ‘Love at First Lie,’ ‘Cruise Ship Murder,’ ‘A Roommate to Die For,’ and ‘Wild West Chronicles.’
Mark Justice as Colton
Mark Justice dons the garb of Jess’ wicked ex, Colton, in ‘Murder at the Lighthouse.’ The award-winning actor is widely recognized for his roles in ‘Elkhorn,’ ‘Wild West Chronicles,’ ‘Social Girl,’ and ‘The Val Chronicles.’ Moreover, he features in ‘The Twisters’ as Dr. James Garland, ‘The Weapon’ as Patrick Tanner, ‘Murder Syndicate’ as Cain, ‘Alabama Rose’ as Trey Walker, ‘Death Count’ as Detective Conner, and ‘Bridge of the Doomed’ as Lieutenant Jenkins.
Shelli Manzoline as Adeline
Shelli Manzoline essays the character of Adeline, the kindhearted lighthouse keeper who comes to Jess’ aid when she washes up on the land. Though Adeline is not the protagonist, the character does play an integral role in the narrative, and Shelli’s performance takes the impact to another level. You may recognize her from her work as Kathy Degidio in ‘In an Instant,’ Becky Broder in ‘The Killer Next Door,’ Nina in ‘A Method,’ and Bridget Bishop in ‘I Was There.’
The supporting cast of the Lifetime movie comprises a talented bunch of actors. While Tyler Noble appears as Anthony, Brandon Brooks plays the role of Rory. Meanwhile, Rod Kasai joins the cast in the garb of Deputy Foster.
Read More: Lifetime’s The Bear Lake Murders: Filming Locations and Cast
