Although they’ve only starred in two movies together, Lacey Chabert and Will Kemp have proven to be a formidable team.
The Dancing Detective: A Deadly Tango finds the duo doing what they’ve been doing so successfully — you guessed it (the title gives it away), dancing!
The Christmas Waltz and Love, Romance & Chocolate were rom-coms, so although they’ll be dancing again, the romance may be a little more elusive, but never too far from our grasp.
As the story goes, Chabert stars as Constance Bailey, a no-nonsense detective who insists on doing things her way.
So far, that has meant doing everything alone.
Sure, she gets results, but it’s not like she hasn’t been looking for a partner. She has, but her stubbornness ensures they don’t hang around for long.
Partnerships can be very helpful in life, and Bailey’s career is wilting on the vine without one.
That sure doesn’t mean she’s not in demand, and when the CEO of global ballroom company Aston International gets murdered at a luxurious resort in Malta on the eve of a company event, strings are pulled with Interpol, and Bailey is sent to investigate.
The Dancing Detective: A Deadly Tango sets up the company event as a high-stakes ballroom competition between the company’s senior executives in the guise of team building, and Bailey is sent undercover as their newest hire.
Before pulling strings, someone should have asked whether she could dance!
It’s better for us that she needs all the help she can get to get through the competition because that’s when Kemp enters the picture as a charismatic and free-spirited British dancer and actor posing as her husband.
Much to everyone’s surprise, Sebastian’s crime-solving instinct, which he learned from watching a lot of TV, is as fancy as his footwork.
Will this be the partnership Bailey has been seeking?
It could very well be, as Sebastian helps her relax on the dance floor and in her work.
And with a killer on the loose and a growing list of suspects, it might be time for Bailey to open herself up to accept that sometimes, two just may be better than one.
Bailey initially fights against the idea of letting someone into her perfectly crafted solitary world, but Sebastian is one charming son of a gun.
Before she knows it, Bailey is allowing herself to relax into the competition and enjoy having Sebastian around. She can’t disagree that he’s got some great points and is far more of a help than a hindrance.
The two make quick work of nailing down suspects, and with each new clue they discover, they’re closer to the end of their investigation and the end of their newly developed partnership.
Will they find a way to keep working together? Will they even want to consider that possibility?
You’ll have to watch the movie to find out.
The Dancing Detective: A Deadly Tango is fun from start to finish and solidifies Chabert and Kemp’s onscreen chemistry. Their comfort with each other is apparent, but they still find a way to make Bailey and Sebastian’s relationship fun.
For Lacey Chabert and Will Kemp, the third time is a charm, and you’re going to enjoy every delightful move the film has to offer.
You can catch The Deadly Detective: A Deadly Tango on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries on Friday, June 2, at 8/7c.
Will you be watching?
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.
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