Set in the desolate outskirts of rural Pennsylvania, Malevolence is a low-budget slasher thriller that kicks off a trilogy with a grim blend of bank heist chaos and backwoods horror.

The story begins with a botched robbery, forcing a group of criminals to regroup at an abandoned farmhouse. What they don’t know is that the property is next to the lair of Martin Bristol, a masked killer who was abducted as a child and raised in violence. As the robbers take a mother and daughter hostage, they’re picked off one by one by the silent predator lurking in the shadows.

Written, directed, and scored by Stevan Mena, the film was shot over two years on a shoestring budget of $200,000 and released in September 2004. Despite mixed reviews, it earned praise for its atmosphere, suspense, and throwback slasher style, drawing comparisons to Halloween and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

Malevolence later spawned a prequel (Bereavement, 2010)** and a sequel (Malevolence 3: Killer, 2018)**, forming a full-circle horror saga centered on Martin Bristol’s tragic descent into monstrosity.