Bereavement

The psycho genre as I like to refer to it as, is similar in style to slasher films. The major difference is the fact that a slasher film tries to keep you in the dark to who the killer is and why he is killing where as the psycho genre is all about the killer and his reasons. Genuinely you follow the killer through the movie and focus less on the victims give or take one character that is they are able to relate too.

Bereavement

Plot: In 1989 a 6-year old boy is lured into a vehicle of a stranger. The vehicle of sadistic serial killer. He takes the boy as his apprentice teaching him his methods. Five years young teen Allison moves in with her uncle after a tragic incident claims the life of her mother and father. She is unaware of the horrors that this town will bring to her life.

Review: Bereavement is an interesting film, it works but doesn't at the same time. So let's jump into the good and the bad.

Good, this killer seems real. He takes the audience into a decent into madness. You feel for
him as he is slowly giving into his sad life of madness and death. He becomes a victim of himself.

Good, it's a prequel to the 2004 slasher film Maleviolence but it works as a solid stand alone horror film. It builds interest into those ( myself included) who have not seen Maleviolence.
It does the job of a prequel without shoving it in your face.

Now for the hard part. The bad.

Bad, the main character outside of the killer isn't a hugely relatable person. Yes you do feel for her, that she is a fish out of water in her family and town. But she does not feel effectively complete. She lacks a certain amount of character development. She has some depth but not enough that makes her feel wholly relatable.

Bad, the film doesn't completely flesh out the relationship of the boy and the killer. There are a few unexplained moments that don't quiet come to fruition. The relationship is good and twisted as one would expect but there are a few plot holes.

Overall : The good and bad are about even on this one. The main female is a bit weak but overall I think it gets made up for by the strong lead killer. 7.5/10