Sartaj Singh
Directed by Brian L Tan, ‘Murder Below Deck’ transports us to the azure waters of the South Pacific, where a luxury yacht trip turns into a nightmare after one of the guests mysteriously vanishes. Lauren (Harley Bronwyn) leaves her cheating boyfriend and corporate life behind and begins working on a lavish yacht alongside her best friend from college. As her first voyage begins, Lauren is smitten by one of the guests, a dashing entrepreneur, Mark, and she breaks a few rules to romance him. However, he reveals that he is already engaged, and tensions rise when his fiance suddenly vanishes. The Lifetime thriller boasts exotic backdrops, and the plot primarily revolves around the picturesque yacht, leading to questions about the actual filming location.
Where Was Murder Below Deck Filmed?
‘Murder Below Deck’ was filmed in Bali, Indonesia. The production team was delayed by weather and a ton of challenges inherent in shooting on a boat. Principal photography began in early June 2024 and wrapped up by June 18 of the same year. At a point during filming, the 20 million dollar yacht was stuck in the ocean for about five hours, creating a scary situation for the cast and crew on board. The production crew faced a wide array of difficulties while filming on the vessel, and the 2nd AD was out of commission for a few days because of sea sickness.
Bali, Indonesia
For filming ‘Murder Below Deck,’ the production team ventured to the province of Bali in Indonesia. An archipelago of more than 17,000 islands located between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Indonesia is a popular tourist destination, with Bali being its crown jewel. The main island of Bali boasts unique historical monuments tied to Balinese Hinduism, pristine beaches, and stunning natural sights, including coastal rock formations. The team had last-minute issues with finding a place for the yacht to dock when the setup plan fell through. They traveled to the south side of the Island and were treated to stunning and offbeat landscapes, but the waters provided unexpected complications.
There are still World War II-era naval mines around the area, and dropping an anchor close to one could set it off. This was further complicated by no one seeming to know their exact location and how to avoid them. Thus, the team ultimately chose to shoot near a jetty rather than anywhere close to open waters, making logistics more convenient. The yacht could only accommodate 40 people for safety reasons, and there were 43 crew members and 9 cast members, creating a need to switch out teams.
Shooting on deck presented a host of challenges. While capturing longer sequences, lighting would change over time as the sun shifted position, and the yacht would have to be reoriented to maintain similar lighting conditions. Since they were shooting just beyond the jetty on the boat, the backdrop of the open ocean or coastal landscape would often be disrupted by kite surfers, who were in the area in high numbers, causing scenes to have to be reshot.
Cultural differences also posed unexpected challenges for the producers, as they were relying on local production group Moonkey Creative Productions for crewmembers and equipment. When asking the local crew whether they were taking care of a task, they said yes, not meaning that they were engaged in completing the task, but acknowledging that the task needed to be done. With everything put together, the endeavor proved to be a logistical nightmare for the team. “If you want my advice on how to shoot on a boat, don’t do it.” said writer-producer A.J. Kelly on Instagram. However, by the time that filming wrapped, all the complications were behind them, and the team celebrated their accomplishments together.
Murder Below Deck Cast
‘Murder Below Deck’ is led by Harley Bronwyn taking on the role of Lauren. Bronwyn is an experienced actress of Italian, Korean, and Norwegian descent. She has perfromed in ‘Secret Life of the Pastor’s Wife’ as Sarah, ‘Secret Love Triangle’ as Lori Kelly, and ‘Bring Him to Me’ as Hayley. Her other film credits include ‘Glass Casa,’ ‘Scream Therapy,’ and ‘Mistletoe in Montana.’
Alex Trumble steps into the role of Mark in ‘Murder Below Deck.’ Trumble is known for essaying Miles in ‘A Missed Connection,’ Alan Brant in ‘Couples Retreat Murder,’ and Detective Keller in ‘One Night Stand Murder.’ You may have also seen him in ‘Baby, Just Say Yes!,’ ‘Secrets in the Desert,’ and ‘Lucky Hearts.’ Other cast members include Nadine Alexandra as Amy, Quisha Saunders as Naomi, Robin Mazer as Sarah, Joseph J.U. Taylor as Captain Liam, Oliver Pras as Rudy, and Caroline Zachrie as Vivian.
Read More: Lifetime’s The Past Comes Knocking: Filming Locations and Cast Details
