AllMovie

This thriller occasionally strains plausibility but it's colorful and tense enough to be worth a look. The script has some unique touches (particularly the wedding ritual that sets up the story) but it has one crucial logic loophole - namely, that the villains allow the two heroes to survive when they could easily kill them without detection the first time around. However, if the viewer can suspend disbelief for that problem what remains is pretty entertaining. Rebecca Dianna Smith and Dack Rambo make a likeable protagonist duo, each handling their respective traumas in a believable fashion without ever losing the audience's sympathy. Better yet, John Beck is terrifying as the leader of the killers, giving an intense and nasty performance that the makes him a villain the audience will love to hate. There are also nice supporting performances from Pat Hingle as Smith's "good ole boy" father and Jay Robinson as a sarcastic member of the conspiracy behind the murder that Smith and Rambo witness. Elliott Silverstein directs the story in a brisk, efficient style, making atmospheric use of the Louisiana locations and bringing a visceral touch to the cat-and-mouse suspense sequences. In short, Nightmare Honeymoon is a solid programmer despite its occasional logic lapse and is likely to entertain thriller fans.