By the time Terminal Descent shows up, the Crossword Mysteries franchise is basically that friend who’s really good at one thing and refuses to stop doing it — and honestly, good for them. This fourth entry swaps art galleries and magicians for blinking servers and tech competitions, which sounds like a mid‑season plotline from a procedural that’s running out of ideas. But somehow, it works. It’s fun… just not as fun. Like someone tried to make a crossword sexy by adding an algorithm.
Tess Harper enters a televised crossword‑solving competition — because of course she does. She’s Tess. She’s the human equivalent of a sharpened No. 2 pencil. Lacey Chabert plays her with a confidence that’s been building across the series; she’s no longer the “Who, me?” sleuth. She knows she’s the smartest person in the room, even when the room is full of tech bros who think they invented thinking.
Then a fellow competitor dies, and suddenly the whole event goes from “nerdy fun” to “corporate intrigue with suspicious lighting.” Enter Brennan Elliott’s Logan O’Connor, who has officially reached the “I don’t even pretend to be surprised you’re involved anymore” stage of their relationship. He’s resigned, amused, and fully aware that Tess is going to solve the case before he finishes his coffee. Their chemistry remains the franchise’s secret weapon — warm, teasing, and grounded in the kind of mutual respect that makes you root for them even when the plot gets a little… tech‑conference‑adjacent.
The mystery itself is tighter than expected. There’s sabotage, shady business dealings, and enough red herrings to stock a seafood counter. The crossword angle is still the lens Tess uses to decode the world, but here it’s blended with AI rivalries and algorithmic drama. It’s clever, even if the movie occasionally feels like it’s trying to convince you that server rooms are inherently thrilling.
Director Peter Benson gives the film a sleeker look — more screens, more glass, more “we rented this office building for the weekend.” It’s still cozy crime, but with a modern sheen that suggests something new was attempted, but not too hard of a lurch to the left of middle.
By the time the final reveal lands, Terminal Descent proves the franchise can stretch into new territory without losing its crossword‑core identity. It’s clever, confident, and lightly tech‑flavored — a solid entry that keeps the series humming, even if it’s not the most dazzling trick in the deck.
MPAA Rating: TV-G.
Runtime: 84 mins
Director: Peter Benson
Writer: Pierluigi Cothran; Gregg Rossen
Cast: Lacey Chabert; Brennan Elliott; Barbara Niven
Genre: Mystery | Crime
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "That's what I admire most about you, Tess. You give people the benefit of the doubt."
Distributor: Hallmak +
Official Site:
Release Date: February 14, 2021
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: After volunteering to participate in a crossword solving competition with a new supercomputer, crossword puzzle editor Tess Harper finds herself swept up into the investigation of the bizarre murder of the tech CEO.
