"The Russian Bride" may seem like some sort of generic Lifetime-style thriller/horror movie from the outside looking in. However, this movie contains a lot of strong performances from not only the three main leads, but the smaller supporting characters as well. Firstly, Corbin Bernsen does a stellar job as the coldly sociopathic Karl. Secondly, the performances by Oksana Orlan as mother Nina and young actress/model Kristina Pimenova as daughter Dasha are very well done, and the chemistry between the two of them makes their performances very believable. The role of Dasha made for a great start to young Ms. Pimenova's acting career, and I hope she continues acting whenever possible. Despite not being on screen nearly as much in this, in my opinion, she proved to me that she has the necessary talent and depth.

Adding to all this is the good writing, which allowed for just enough character development for the smaller supporting characters (especially the emotionally abused mute servant Hagen) for their performances to be passably believable as well.

My only regret is that I which Karl's backstory could've been explored a little bit more. Despite this, TRB is a really thrilling movie that is definitely worth watching.

"The Russian Bride" depicts a kind single mom in Russia, who meets an older American man on the internet, leading eventually to marriage. Nina takes her daughter Dasha from Russia to the United States, where they move into an unpleasant, dilapidated mansion owned by the wealthy husband.

Karl Frederick, the Prussian-sounding name of the older gent, turns out to be a monster. When Nina learns a bit of his background, meets his sinister friends, and catches him snorting cocaine, it does not take long for her to begin asking herself, "What have I got myself into? And the audience of this film has to be asking the same question!

This strange, low-budget film was a combination of dark comedy, thriller, mystery, horror, film noir, and slasher films. There is a creepy character named Hagen, who was born without a tongue. He now lives in the cold barn and does odd jobs (like committing murder) for his boss Karl Frederick. He also has a collection of old reel-to-reel classic films like "Frankenstein" and "Nosferatu." But this film is not really like those classics. It is closer to "Friday the 13th."

Much of the film defied logic, especially in the treatment of the former wife of Karl Frederick. Apparently, he murdered her, and Nina eventually comes across her skeleton. But the ex-wife also appears in the flesh to little Dasha. Was she a ghost, or was the wife being held captive by the psychopathic husband?

While the filmmakers created a chilling atmosphere in the mansion and the exterior, there was still an amateurish feel to the film. It was remarkable that the actors could keep a straight face with some of the lines of dialogue and situations. Some credit should go to the film's director for the wild finale. Still, this was a lackluster film whose theme was apparent in the early scene where Nina decides to leave her home in Livny to take her chances on what appears to be a relationship that seems too good to be true. If it feels that way, most situations in life are indeed too good to be true.