Post by Mr.HoRrOr on Aug 21, 2011 15:54:01 GMT -5
Plot:Is the horrific account of 6 year old Martin Bristol, abducted from his backyard swing and forced to witness the brutal crimes of a deranged madman.
Cast:
Michael Biehn
Alexandra Daddario
Peyton List
John Savage
Jennifer Blanc
Spencer List
Nolan Gerard Funk
Brett Rickaby
Valentina de Angelis
Kathryn Meisle
Greg Wood
Jonathan Walker
Ashley Wolfe
Shannon Lambert-Ryan
Adam Ratcliffe
Jamie Farrell
Andrea Havens
Tom McNutt
Francine Bianco Tax
Lynn Mastio Rice
Chase Pechacek
Berkeley Melvin
Miriam A. Hyman
Eileen Ert
Jessie Felice
Sal Domani
Marissa Guill
My Thoughts:Powerful and shocking!
Review:"Malevolence:Bereavement" is the shocking and terrifying prequel to Stevan Mena's "Malevolence" (2004). The serial-killer indie slasher flick which was met with mostly positive feedback in the overall genre community. The prequel tells the story of the originals and beginnings of the first films killer. Basically mapping out how he came to be the monster he came to be. "Bereavement" makes sure to keep with the indie feel of the first movie.
The films locations, filming style, and various other moving parts really make it feel like a gritty independent production. That, along with the story, and lack of a basic score...add grit and realism to the film. The story before "Malevolence", is set in a small rural town. And follows a young boy, who is abducted by a psycho torturer/murderer right from his yard. The boy though has a certain medical condition, which doesn't allow for him to feel any pain.
Which makes him a prime candidate for the madman to snatch, and pass down his evil ways to. Meanwhile, a girl named Allison (Daddario), moves from Chicago, to this smalltown. And in with her uncle (Biehn), and his family after a family tragedy. This puts her right in the sights of the madman and his newfound protege. "Bereavement" is very similar to other indie serial-killer horror/thrillers. In that it features gruesome scenes of torture, murder, and sadistic behavior.
By a psycho-weirdo who lives in a tiny, nothing-happening town. But the movie's director and writer, Mena...is what makes the difference. Mena has a way of crafting this movie to where it's not just another crappy Saturday night rental. Instead, it feels very real. Carries a lot of impact, and makes you feel real sorrow for the people being tortured within the movie. By this madman. But Mena also manages to surround all of the bloodshed with some key drama points. Daddario's character Allison, is trying to deal with her new surroundings.
While Biehn's character, her uncle...is trying to adjust to having her around. Then there's the killer himself. Who has all kinds of different aspects to his character. He's not just some crazy guy who enjoys torturing and killing young girls. Instead, the character, while trying to pass down his psychotic ways to this young boy...also seems to be being driven to do these things by a supernatural force. Which might quite possibly reside within a huge bull or cattle skull figure that he has posted in front of his lair. So the movie doesn't quite play things out as some nut offing pretty girls.
But instead, goes deeper into things. And tries to spin as many different parts as possible around the killers motives and reasons of operation. Is this guy a psycho? A psycho who's guilt is driving him to multiple personalities? Or...is there really a powerful evil at work which is driving him to kill? Amongst all of these questions, is s creepy car the killer drives. Some nice shots of the towns creepy rural grounds, and some decent acting by Daddario who at first catches the killers eye, but is not exactly and immediately preyed upon by him.
Lending more creedance to the theory that this guy is not just an instinctive and predatory murderer. But is trying to fight influences beyond his control. Mena sets up a lot of intriguing questions and what-if's surrounding the movies villain. And then there's a villain-in-training, who is the little boy in the movie. The viewer plays the waiting game by force, as Mena makes us watch, wait, and see if this boy will eventually cross over to the darkside. Or if he might possibly try and escape his captor. These questions are never clear early on, or even in the middle of the picture.
So Mena does a great job of keeping this secret waiting in the wings until the finale. Even though considering "Malevolence" was shot 7 years earlier, we already know the answer. Still, Mena makes the game interesting nonetheless. The torture scenes are very powerful in the movie as well. A combination of good acting by the pictures actresses. But also a testament to how drawn out, and well-played the scenes are. They are pretty graphic, and very effective for such a small-budgeted movie. And the lack of dialogue between the mad killer and the victims actually makes the movie work better.
As opposed to a film like "Texas Chainsaw Massacre:The Beginning" for example. Where Sheriff Hoyt is verbally abusing his victims as he clocks them and beats them up. On the scale of 1 through 10, "Bereavement" is extremelt bloody and extremely gory. But the scenes in which there's bloodshed are again, very real, gritty, and dramatic. Especially in the third act, where Allison is forced into a fight for her life with the crazed madman. After her curiosity gets the better of her.
The movies third act, really finishes off the picture in a powerful and terrifying way. Just like a finale should. The finale has all of the important and necessary elements. Drama, thrills, chills, suspense, and frights also. The acting is even elevated to the next level, which makes the movies ending all the better. When the actors are so in tune with the script and events unfolding within it, that instinctively, they raise their game as the stakes within the movies story, are themselves raised.
But "Bereavement" doesn't just give you a thrilling climax, it saves some of it's most shocking and disturbing moments for the final 6 minutes or so. Where we get two shocking death scenes. All set to very treacherous and dangerous surroundings. In the end, a final creepy scene before the end credits roll, make "Malevolence:Bereavement" a very well done, small/micro-budget indie horror/thriller. This is what horror SHOULD be. And furthermore, what indie horror SHOULD aspire to be.
There are scenes in this film which will disturb, and leave you feeling very unsettled and perturbed. Which is exactly the effect a horror movie, that's true to the genre. Should have on you. "Bereavement" really takes risks, and doesn't cow tow to the mainstream crap that passes for horror these days. Speaking as someone who absolutely loathes prequels (call me old-fashioned, but I think a horror movie should tell the franchises beginnings and origins in it's 1st, initial outing).
It was viturally impossible for me to hate this movie even one bit. "Malevolence:Bereavement" brings a certain grit and reality-based emotion, to an indie horror genre which has been sort of watered down with slasher-of-the-week straight to dvd trash, and torture-porn movie number five-hundred billion. It does much to set itself apart from the usual straight-to-disc horror, and overall indie-serial-killer efforts. And it's ambition pays off with great results.
Positives:Great camera work really capture the dull, depressing, and dark recesses of the films small, rural landscape. The acting is very powerful, and the torture/death scenes are handled with grown-up hands, and strong drama effect. A terrifically shocking, thrilling, twisted, and psychologically disturbing ending also. A strong overall script and story as well.
Negatives:Nothing major.
Overall:Four stars out of four.