Bereavement (film)
Encyclopedia
Bereavement is a 2010 American Slasher film
starring Michael Biehn
, Alexandra Daddario
, John Savage
and Nolan Gerard Funk
. It is a prequel to director Steven Mena's previous film Malevolence
, and centers on a child who is abducted and forced to bear witness to a madman's crimes.
Over the next few weeks, Graham brutally butchers several young women with Martin forced to witness the horrific acts of violence. Graham is seen throughout the film talking and arguing with a the skull of a fierce bull hung on his wall of the farmhouse.
The story then shifts perspective to Allison, a young woman who comes to live with relatives (aunt, uncle and cousin) in the same town Graham is committing his crimes. While out for a run, she sees Martin from the window of a supposedly abandoned farmhouse. During her run she is almost hit by a truck and falls along the road. There she meet local teenager named William, and the two bond and form a relationship of sorts. One night, Jonathan, her uncle, discovers her about to have sex with William and intervenes. The next day, upset, Allison goes to the farmhouse after she see's Martin in the window. She is captured by Graham. The following day, Johnathan gets concerned, since she never returned home. He drives to the farmhouse in search for her where he is shot dead in broad daylight by Graham. William drives by and see's Jonathan's abandoned car and is curious. He investigates the area and discovers Allison trapped inside a tightly locked meat room, but he is soon horribly killed by Graham. Allison manages to escape and rescue a mute, blood-covered Martin. Meanwhile, Graham takes Jonathan's body to his home where he stabs and kills his Jonathan's wife, while their young daughter hides upstairs. Allison arrives at the house just as it has been set on fire by Graham. She stabs Graham twice as he was about to kidnap her young cousin, he stumbles and runs off. She runs downstairs and calls the police when suddenly she is horribly stabbed in the stomach repeatedly by Martin, who has now inherited Graham psychopathic behavior. Martin goes upstairs to Alison's niece, where the screen fades black and her scream is heard. The house burns down. Martin returns to the farmhouse and kills Graham with an ax. The next day, the authorities arrive at the smoldering ruins of the house, where the owner's beagle is the only survivor and is picked up a by a local fireman.
Graham is seen staring out the window with a mentally deranged look, waiting for his next victim. In a post credit scene the movie jumps several year later, where a young girl is shown running away from something or someone, enters the farmhouse and discovers an adult Martin sitting at the table. She asks, "Can you help me?" and Martin turns around with a psychopathic stare and the film ends.
will most likely eat this one up because it truly plays like one person's nightmarish descent into a world of total madness. It gives you a feel for who Martin Bristol is and why he's so lethal. On that level the film is a complete success. We just wish there was an equally as successful editor to go along with it."
, stating "The only way to describe it is like an epic horror story. It's more in the vein of The Shining
, whereas the original was kind of like Halloween or Friday the 13th. Bereavement is more of a character study".
Slasher film
A slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe...
starring Michael Biehn
Michael Biehn
Michael Connell Biehn is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in James Cameron's science fiction action films The Terminator as Kyle Reese, Aliens as Cpl. Dwayne Hicks, and The Abyss as Lt. Coffey. He has also acted in such films as Tombstone, The Rock, and Planet Terror...
, Alexandra Daddario
Alexandra Daddario
Alexandra Daddario is an American actress, known to film audiences as Annabeth Chase in the 2010 film Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief...
, John Savage
John Savage (actor)
John Savage is an American film actor, producer, production manager, and composer.- Acting career :...
and Nolan Gerard Funk
Nolan Gerard Funk
Nolan Gerard Funk is an award nominated Canadian actor, Broadway performer, recording artist, and dancer best known as Nikko Alexander in the movie Spectacular!, and as Conrad Birdie in the 2009 Broadway revival of the musical Bye Bye Birdie....
. It is a prequel to director Steven Mena's previous film Malevolence
Malevolence (film)
-Synopsis:A woman and her daughter had been kidnapped by a bunch of bank robbers who have decided to stay the night in a house in the middle of nowhere...
, and centers on a child who is abducted and forced to bear witness to a madman's crimes.
Plot
The film begins with a psychotic maniac named Graham Sutter who asks a little boy named Martin Bristol to help him search for his nephew's bike and kidnaps him. Graham cuts Martin's cheek then proceeds to butcher a young woman in front of Martin. Martin attempts to escape and makes a run for freedom, but Graham catches him and returns him to the farmhouse, where he continues to hold him and future female victims captive.Over the next few weeks, Graham brutally butchers several young women with Martin forced to witness the horrific acts of violence. Graham is seen throughout the film talking and arguing with a the skull of a fierce bull hung on his wall of the farmhouse.
The story then shifts perspective to Allison, a young woman who comes to live with relatives (aunt, uncle and cousin) in the same town Graham is committing his crimes. While out for a run, she sees Martin from the window of a supposedly abandoned farmhouse. During her run she is almost hit by a truck and falls along the road. There she meet local teenager named William, and the two bond and form a relationship of sorts. One night, Jonathan, her uncle, discovers her about to have sex with William and intervenes. The next day, upset, Allison goes to the farmhouse after she see's Martin in the window. She is captured by Graham. The following day, Johnathan gets concerned, since she never returned home. He drives to the farmhouse in search for her where he is shot dead in broad daylight by Graham. William drives by and see's Jonathan's abandoned car and is curious. He investigates the area and discovers Allison trapped inside a tightly locked meat room, but he is soon horribly killed by Graham. Allison manages to escape and rescue a mute, blood-covered Martin. Meanwhile, Graham takes Jonathan's body to his home where he stabs and kills his Jonathan's wife, while their young daughter hides upstairs. Allison arrives at the house just as it has been set on fire by Graham. She stabs Graham twice as he was about to kidnap her young cousin, he stumbles and runs off. She runs downstairs and calls the police when suddenly she is horribly stabbed in the stomach repeatedly by Martin, who has now inherited Graham psychopathic behavior. Martin goes upstairs to Alison's niece, where the screen fades black and her scream is heard. The house burns down. Martin returns to the farmhouse and kills Graham with an ax. The next day, the authorities arrive at the smoldering ruins of the house, where the owner's beagle is the only survivor and is picked up a by a local fireman.
Graham is seen staring out the window with a mentally deranged look, waiting for his next victim. In a post credit scene the movie jumps several year later, where a young girl is shown running away from something or someone, enters the farmhouse and discovers an adult Martin sitting at the table. She asks, "Can you help me?" and Martin turns around with a psychopathic stare and the film ends.
Cast
- Michael BiehnMichael BiehnMichael Connell Biehn is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in James Cameron's science fiction action films The Terminator as Kyle Reese, Aliens as Cpl. Dwayne Hicks, and The Abyss as Lt. Coffey. He has also acted in such films as Tombstone, The Rock, and Planet Terror...
as Jonathan Miller - Alexandra DaddarioAlexandra DaddarioAlexandra Daddario is an American actress, known to film audiences as Annabeth Chase in the 2010 film Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief...
as Allison - John SavageJohn Savage (actor)John Savage is an American film actor, producer, production manager, and composer.- Acting career :...
as Ted - Nolan Gerard FunkNolan Gerard FunkNolan Gerard Funk is an award nominated Canadian actor, Broadway performer, recording artist, and dancer best known as Nikko Alexander in the movie Spectacular!, and as Conrad Birdie in the 2009 Broadway revival of the musical Bye Bye Birdie....
as William - Brett Rickaby as Graham Sutter
- Spencer ListSpencer ListSpencer List is an American child actor. List is best known from the Fox show Fringe where he played a mysterious mute child in the episode "Inner Child". He has also been on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit where he played the son of Leland Orser's character Kevin Walker...
as Martin Bristol - Peyton Roi List as Wendy
- Kathryn Meisle as Karen
- Andrea Havens as Agatha
- Ashley Wolfe as Katherine
Reception
Bereavement has received mixed to positive reviews from critics and audience. The film currently holds a 40% "rotten" rating on the movie review website Rotten Tomatoes with an average score of 4.9/10 based on 15 reviews, and an 51% from the user community. Dread Central's Uncle Creepy gave the film a 3 out of 5 knives and said "Fans of MalevolenceMalevolence (film)
-Synopsis:A woman and her daughter had been kidnapped by a bunch of bank robbers who have decided to stay the night in a house in the middle of nowhere...
will most likely eat this one up because it truly plays like one person's nightmarish descent into a world of total madness. It gives you a feel for who Martin Bristol is and why he's so lethal. On that level the film is a complete success. We just wish there was an equally as successful editor to go along with it."
Production
During post-production, director Stevan Mena initial cut of the film was three hours long. Things cut from the film included overtly gory scenes. The film is a prequel to MalevolenceMalevolence (film)
-Synopsis:A woman and her daughter had been kidnapped by a bunch of bank robbers who have decided to stay the night in a house in the middle of nowhere...
, stating "The only way to describe it is like an epic horror story. It's more in the vein of The Shining
The Shining (film)
The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. A writer, Jack Torrance, takes a job as an...
, whereas the original was kind of like Halloween or Friday the 13th. Bereavement is more of a character study".