by Jesse Miller, MoreHorror.com

Bereavement is the prequel to Writer/Director Stevan Mena’s 2005 debut film Malevolence – Maybe you’ve heard of it? It was a neat little slasher film that saw a bunch of kidnapping bank robbers and their victims hide away in an abandoned house only to come up against a psychopath that can feel neither pain nor fear. Well, Bereavement is the tragic story behind this madman and how he came to be this way.

The film begins in 1989 when a mysterious man walks into a random backyard, abducts a young boy there and takes him back to an abandoned meat processing facility where he forces him to witness the horrific torture and slaughter of many young women.

Five years later, teenager Allison (Alexandra Daddario) is moving in with her uncle Jonathan (Michael Biehen) and his family after a terrible accident befalls her own family. You’ll have to forgive me, but that’s all I can really tell you about the plot without giving too much away.

“Bereavement” is a slow-burning, character driven psychological horror/thriller film that is worthy of Alfred Hitchcock. The film takes it’s time building the characters, allowing the audience time to acquaint themselves with Allison and her family and learn more about them as time goes on.

Don’t be put off by the slow burn though, this is one riveting watch and Mena effectively builds suspense and tension, which escalates excruciatingly to breaking point as the film unfolds.

Alexandra Daddario turns in an impressive performance as the troubled Allison settling into a new life, while also showing us she has quite the pair of the lungs in places. Michael Biehn – a personal favourite - provides a touching performance as her protective Uncle, while Brett Rickaby effectively sprouts frightening yet intriguing nonsense as the madman who tries to teach Martin a thing or two.

The film is beautifully shot by Marco Cappetta, with some terrific cinematography that exquisitely captures both the rural countryside and the dark, dirty and eerie facility in which the slaughters take place.

On top of writing, editing and directing, Mena also composed the score of the film, which is nerve-racking and effectively establishes and accentuates the mood. He is a rising talent that I will be sure to look out for in the years to come.

Of course with every slow-burn build up, there needs to be a pay off and Bereavement does so both brilliantly and shockingly in a relentless, brutal and unforgettable climax that left my stomach in a knot.

This is one horror film that I highly recommend you check out and experience for yourself. Do not miss it once it hits DVD and Blu-Ray August 30th this year.