The Nollywood-diaspora collaborations are pretty much a staple of the film industry. In the last decade, they have become so consistent, they might as well be classified as their own genre. A common feature of these films is the near absence of quality control, or at least a vanity check. He who pays the piper dictates the tune and producers who nurse dreams of becoming movie stars usually seize for themselves, the opportunity to realise these dreams. Sometimes these calculations work out well enough, sometimes they don’t.

Alexandra exists somewhere in the middle.

Described as a ‘’ labour of love’’ by producer Freda Steffl, Alexandra does not stray much from the script and dwells in ripped-from-the-headlines matters of immigration and gender-based violence and could indeed be considered a Trump-era love story. Right for the times.

The title character is played by Freda Steffl (of course), a naïve young woman who finds love half way a world away, and moves from Lagos, Nigeria to the United States of America to be with Kevin (Robert Hays), a tender, handsome fellow whom she meets online and communicates with on the internet. Ever the smooth operator, Kevin convinces Alexandra to leave her grandmother – Ada Ameh in a tiny, wasted role – the only family she has back home to make the transatlantic move. She does and arrives the USA to find that all isn’t well with Kevin.

The abuse starts subtly at first. Then degenerates into emotional and physical violence. Alexandra becomes Kevin’s prisoner and personal plaything as he battles his own unsettled demons. Isolated in a foreign country from the world outside their cramped apartment, Alexander must lean into herself to find the strength to outmanoeuvre her personal monster.

Directed by Robert Peters who made 30 Days in Atlanta, the AY Makun movie that started the Akpors franchise, Alexandra is a near-sterile rendition of courage under oppression. As producer turned actors go, Freda Steffl isn’t the worst of the lot. She isn’t the best either. She does not have screen presence left to burn, but her hard work is obvious and this dedication pays off in the most challenging emotional scenes. There are lots of tears, and there are folks who will find this sort of melodrama deeply involving.

Vivica A. Fox who also appeared in 30 Days in Atlanta is the big Hollywood draw here but she isn’t given anything useful to do as Detective Walker, except maybe frown and act sufficiently unimpressed. Fox must have joined the project based off a previous relationship with Mr Peters. Either that or the paycheck must have been inviting. Can’t imagine that Hollywood producers are lining up to work with her.

In a twist of fate, Alexandra meets a willing ally (Joseph Benjamin, sporting a fresh American accent) who helps her navigate the treacherous conditions she finds herself. After a while, Alexandra shifts to flag waving and the opportunities that America presents, not just to its citizens, but to immigrants as well.

Because Alexandra is in America, she stands a fighting chance of overcoming her troubles, but not before significant physical and mental harm is done. She isn’t the only victim as the film makes a very American attempt at linking her oppressor’s pain to his own childhood scars. Alexandra isn’t the most exciting film you will come across this year but for it stays within its confines and makes the most of a familiar story.