Lifetime Review: 'His Secret Marriage'

Waking up in the hospital following a car accident, Kelsey (Karissa Lee Staples) is shocked to find herself with no memory of the crash — or of her husband Jason (Matt Cohen), who reveals to her that they had recently eloped and were on their way to their honeymoon at the time of the accident. Eager to get out of the hospital, Kelsey is released by Jason and is convinced by her new husband to go forward with their honeymoon plans, believing the relaxation-centric resort will be the ideal place for her to recuperate.

But as Kelsey struggles to regain her memory, she begins to sense that something is not right about Jason. His concerning demeanor segues into possessiveness, and Kelsey begins to wonder if Jason is hiding something from her that her amnesia has made her forget. Can Kelsey uncover the truth before a dream honeymoon becomes a nightmare?

Going into His Secret Marriage, I had doubts. With its plot being similar to the much maligned Secret Obsession from earlier this year, I was fearful His Secret Marriage would replicate the former film's thrill-starved execution and bland plotting. For much of its runtime, in fact, I was convinced the film was well on its way to going down the generic path Secret Obsession took, with so much of the film being centered around Kelsey and Jason's attempts to relax at the resort, with only occasional glimpses being shown of the fact that Jason is not all that he appears to be. While the film's pace definitely proves a major hurdle, His Secret Marriage does well to work through it and has a finale well worth the slow build.

The pacing issues that emerge from the film's second act are greatly alleviated by Karissa Lee Staples and Matt Cohen, who make for charismatic leads to follow while waiting for the Lifetime-y truth to come out. Staples and Cohen share viable chemistry as Kelsey and Jason's stay at the resort has its ups and downs, to the point where even while knowing Jason is up to no good, you can't help but get wrapped up in the blossoming relationship.

(Dear Hallmark: if you're looking for two romantic leads for any upcoming films, might I suggest Karissa Lee Staples and Matt Cohen? Seeing them playing a couple in a non-ill-fated romance would be adorable in and of itself)

Staples, on her own, allows for Kelsey to emerge as a somewhat balanced protagonist: trusting without becoming excessively naive, and quick to call Jason out when she catches glimpses of his true nature. The third act has Kelsey becoming especially proactive once the wool is pulled from her eyes, and while the climax is propelled by her making an illogical decision akin to the ones made in cheesy slasher films, it's easy to digest thanks to the appropriately intense climax. Cohen, meanwhile, is infectiously charismatic as the duplicitous Jason, to the point where the audience might even find themselves hoping he turns out to be as sweet and loving as he appears. But once the true Jason emerges from behind the facade, Cohen brings a palpable darkness and instability to Jason, and truly throws himself into his role in the climax when Jason's backstory is revealed and his behavior takes a darker turn than Lifetime typically goes.

Elena Goode and Dennis Julian are charming as Kelsey's friends Carolyn and Landon, with Carolyn in particular standing out for being a solid Audience Surrogate-esque ally to Kelsey. Adding to His Secret Marriage's collection of entertaining side characters are resort yoga instructor Reece (played by Jake B. Miller) and resort manager Olan Bellamy (played with wonderfully histrionic gusto by Bret Shefter).

The pacing throughout His Secret Marriage is hands down the film's greatest weakness, as it takes until the final act for the build-up to pay off. Impatient viewers are sure to become frustrated by the deliberate pace, but if you stick around, the film definitely rewards you for the indulgence when the climax kicks into gear. With strong leads and a small collection of enjoyable side characters to off-set the occasionally meandering plotting, His Secret Marriage is a strong drama for when you have some down time to spend in the Lifetime-verse.

Score: 7 out of 10 green smoothies.