Lifetime Review: 'A Bride's Revenge'

On the verge of marrying her boyfriend Ian Ferguson (Jeff Schine), hair salon owner Miya Ellerson (Katie Leclerc) couldn't feel better about the direction her life is going. But Miya's idyllic future becomes derailed by the arrival of someone from Ian's past: Lori Parker (Hannah Barefoot), Ian's ex-fiancee, who arrives for Ian's mother's birthday after Miya receives an invitation to Ian and Lori's "wedding." Lori's arrival unnerves Miya, having heard all about Lori's unstable nature from Ian.

After receiving a mysterious bouquet of white roses and nearly being stabbed by a veiled assailant wearing a wedding dress in her backyard, Miya is certain that Lori is behind the events. But as more events unfold and Lori appears to have alibis for everything, Miya finds herself being doubted by Ian, leading Miya to prove that Lori is trying to destroy her and Ian's relationship—all while Lori's schemes become much more sinister than Ian or Miya could've imagined.

If there's any trope Lifetime loves, it's the "Woman Scorned" trope. And with the right combination of a well-written plot and strong casting, this age old trope is perfect for Lifetime's brand of entertainment. A Bride's Revenge is an example of this trope at its' finest, namely due to Hannah Barefoot's ruthless portrayal of the film's titular villainess. In her hands, Lori is an unstoppable and calculated antagonist. From her first appearance, Lori doesn't even bother pretending she's a sane person without devious plans in mind, and as we later find out, this is because Lori is arrogant and deranged enough to believe she can do what she pleases to Ian and Miya and not get caught. With this, Lori becomes a remarkably evil character that viewers will love to hate.

On the other side of things, Katie Leclerc (who Lifetime viewers previously saw dealing with another villainess not approving of her upcoming nuptials) turns Miya into an achingly sincere and sympathetic character. As we learn more about Miya and her tragic backstory regarding her mother, it becomes all the more tragic when Lori's machinations lead Ian to believe Miya is making up her claims of being attacked by her. Leclerc also allows Miya to grow stronger over the course of the film, never stopping to beat herself up over Lori's destruction of her life and fighting like hell to expose Lori's actions. This makes for an empowering climax, as we see Miya confronting Lori head on and finally giving her what she has coming to her.

Jeff Schine makes for another sympathetic protagonist, with his frustrating moments of doubt regarding Miya's claims about Lori (despite his well-versed knowledge of what his ex is capable of) being offset by his turnabout in the film's third act as he begins working with Miya to expose Lori. Ben Gavin and Jan Daley use their respective roles as Ian's brother Mark and mother Deborah to insert some snarky comedy into the mix, and Kendra Carelli brings a twist into the film with a role that (without spoiling anything) allows the viewer to see the true depths of Lori's sinister colors. Leslie Simms also adds a nice bit of comedy in a bit role during the film's dramatic climax, which almost seems to be a meta nod to all the Lifetime fans who would love to be part of a Lifetime-esque thriller.

With strong acting from its leading ladies and fantastic drama bound to keep all viewers entertained, A Bride's Revenge is the perfect watch for any fan of Lifetime's "Psycho Women" films. Just be warned that some viewers may need some willpower to get through Miya's "Cassandra Truth" portion of the story.

Score: 9 out of 10 wedding veils.