Noticias

Bereavement

Stars: Alexandra Daddario, Spencer List, Brett Rickaby, Michael Biehn, Kathryn Meisle, John Savage, Chase Pechacek | Written and Directed by Stevan Mena

What makes somebody evil? Is it just in their nature to be that person, to have the ability to harm others without remorse or is it their environment that builds the monster inside. This is the well-known argument of nature vs. nurture and Bereavement is a film that pushes for the belief that its nurture that creates the monster, that the parent is to blame.

Bereavement is actually the prequel to a movie called Malevolence, looking at the tale of Martin Bristol. In Bereavement we see him as a six year old boy with a rare disease; he lacks the ability to feel pain. When he is kidnapped by a serial killer he is taught that torturing and killing is ok because pain is not felt, which of course he understands.

The role of mentor is a time-honored one. An older, more experienced craftsman taking a younger, impressionable apprentice under his tutelage and guiding him along his path toward mastery of any given skill is a tradition that goes back to ancient times. The range of skills being taught can be wide and varied: blacksmithing, literature, business, the arts, philosophy, journeymen trades, martial arts… The list goes on and on.

From time to time, the unique skill set handed down is darker, more nefarious, than just a simple trade or artform. Sometimes… it can even be murder.

Writer/director Stevan Mena is no stranger to this concept. With his 2004 film Malevolence, he introduced a killer who’d been taught his skills by someone in his past, and audiences watched as he practiced his art against strangers unfortunate enough to wander into his hunting ground.

After a small diversion directing the horror...