This prequel to Malevolence (2004) explains how that film's killer came to be. It opens in 1989 with 6-year-old Martin Bristol being kidnapped by serial killer Graham Sutter (Brett Rickaby) and forced to watch him kill and clean up the aftermath. Cut to 1994 with the 11-year-old apprentice (Spencer List) still in the killer's grasp but getting peeks at the outside world, mostly via glimpses of Allison Miller (Alexandra Daddario). Allison has moved in with her uncle (Michael Biehn) and his family in rural Pennsylvania after her parents were killed in a car wreck.
Writer-director Stevan Mena's first film must have done quite well for Anchor Bay as this sequel is a much more handsomely mounted production. Filming in the same locations, this captures them even better in the gorgeous camera work of DP Marco Cappetta. The problem with the film is if you've seen the first one, you'll know certain things and correctly predict the sequences of events. SPOILERS The first film ends with a monster of a exposition scene, which lets audiences know Britsol eventually kills his captor and becomes the new serial killer; additionally, if he is killing freely and undetected as an adult, we know no one will survive this one. END SPOILERS That said, I'd say this is superior to the original in every way. It doesn't mimic its slasher influences as much and stands on its own. Mena was also able to get better actors this time around (in addition to Biehn, look for veteran John Savage in a small role). The kid playing the 11-year-old Martin is also very good. The film also attempts to explore the "nature vs. Nurture" idea, but is a bit too on the nose at times (Mena has a high school teacher giving a speech on it). It also gets a bit too torture porn-y in spots, but I'd say it is worth a watch and would probably say watch this first and Malevolence (2004) after if you are inclined.
Writer-director Stevan Mena's first film must have done quite well for Anchor Bay as this sequel is a much more handsomely mounted production. Filming in the same locations, this captures them even better in the gorgeous camera work of DP Marco Cappetta. The problem with the film is if you've seen the first one, you'll know certain things and correctly predict the sequences of events. SPOILERS The first film ends with a monster of a exposition scene, which lets audiences know Britsol eventually kills his captor and becomes the new serial killer; additionally, if he is killing freely and undetected as an adult, we know no one will survive this one. END SPOILERS That said, I'd say this is superior to the original in every way. It doesn't mimic its slasher influences as much and stands on its own. Mena was also able to get better actors this time around (in addition to Biehn, look for veteran John Savage in a small role). The kid playing the 11-year-old Martin is also very good. The film also attempts to explore the "nature vs. Nurture" idea, but is a bit too on the nose at times (Mena has a high school teacher giving a speech on it). It also gets a bit too torture porn-y in spots, but I'd say it is worth a watch and would probably say watch this first and Malevolence (2004) after if you are inclined.