The Deserving offers us up a unique serial killer tale about a mute killer who is haunted by the ghosts of his victims.
Why do serial killers do what they do? Well, more often than not, they like to tell you why they choose their victims and the preferred method of murder. Does he/she kill for the thrill, is it an addiction, is it because they suffered themselves through some sort of past trauma? But, what if a serial killer is mute and can’t converse with you in the normal way?
This is the bare bones premise for The Deserving. The film follows a mute serial killer and hugely popular photographer, who lures his female victims in with the promise of headshots to help further their careers. His large house acts as the perfect killing field to feed his murderous desires.
A powerful performance from Venkat Sai Gunda that has to rely on facial emotions to communicate, but, we soon learn that monsters don’t need to talk. He had to get across that he was trusting enough to get the women inside his slaughterhouse while being able to transform into a callous killer who strikes without remorse. He nailed it.
The Deserving is a great low-budget independent film that maximises and utilises what’s on offer. The large house, a home/killing ground for the killer, is also the final resting place for his victims. Little did he know, that the place he killed would become his own personal hell.
We really don’t have to leave the house to know where it’s going. Everything happens inside these walls and, it is very well put together. It goes from serial killer supernatural horror to a psychological drama.
I wasn’t sure if we were meant to sympathise with the main character. The man is a monster that has an addiction to killing young women, so, even with the backstory and flashback of a troubled life, I found myself void of empathy or sympathetic thoughts. However, it was fun to watch the mind of a monster unravel into madness.
The Deserving will not be for everyone. It is very much a one-man show but for those looking to see what can be achieved on an indie scale, this is impressive. Another great example of indie cinema done right. It is one of those movies that could double up as a theatre play…and I would be going to see it.
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