Movie Review: Newlywed and Dead - Picture Perfect Mysteries

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Great characters and mystery

Cons: Light dose of Hallmark cheese

The Bottom Line:

Groom dies on dance floor

Do Allie’s photos have clues?

Fun first in franchise

“What are the Odds?”  “Slim to None, I’d Guess.”

Hallmark is introducing new movie mystery franchises at an accelerated rate this year.  Sunday brought us another one with the first Picture Perfect Mystery.  Newlywed and Dead was a fun first film with this group of characters.

We first meet Allie Adams (Alexa PenaVega) as she is shooting a wedding.  Yes, she is a professional photographer for all kinds of events, but one of her staples is wedding photography.  This one is filled with tension, not helped by the fact that the bride’s ex showed up at the rehearsal dinner the night before to make sure the bride didn’t want him back.  That’s also made things a bit awkward for Allie.  Why is that?  The ex is her brother, Greg (Jon Cor).

However, the ceremony happens, and the bride and groom come in for the reception.  As they are having their first dance, someone shoots the groom and he dies.  The police, led by detective Sam Acosta (Carlos PenaVega), begin to look at Greg, and the groom’s family puts pressure on them to solve the case.  But Allie knows her brother is innocent.  Do her pictures of the wedding and reception hold a clue to the killer’s true identity?

 Let’s start with the most fun part of this franchise.  If you didn’t pick up on the clue from their names, Sam and Allie are played by husband and wife Carlos and Alexa PenaVega.  I’m sure it is no surprise that these two characters are denying the chemistry between them as the movie progresses, and watching these two characters flirt knowing the actors are married in real life is a lot of fun.  And it’s hard to deny the chemistry between them captured on the screen.

I really enjoyed the mystery.  There are several solid suspects with clues and red herrings to keep us guessing.  I did figure out the killer a couple of scenes early, but that’s a minor complaint as far as I’m concerned.

Meanwhile, I really enjoyed these characters.  I’m hoping that the majority of the supporting players here will become series regulars because I would love to see them again.  That’s especially true for Greg, who plays a major part of this story as the suspect we are trying to clear with our investigation.

Of course, I do need to mention the usual dose of Hallmark cheese that infests the film.  It’s a light dose, so as long as you are prepared, you’ll be fine.

I had so much fun solving this mystery along with Allie and Sam that I was smiling when they announced the franchise would be back with more mysteries for us next year.  That gives you plenty of time to watch Newlywed and Dead before the second movie comes out.