Bender is based on the true story of the worlds first known serial killer family set in the late 1800’s. As a fictional dramatization of those events, it did not make much of an impression on me. The lackluster story line could have been far more intriguing as a true crime documentary. The actors portraying the Bloody Benders went out of their way to over-act in a manner that made them appear nonsensically suspicious. And let’s not forget the single actor who portrays twins, which is always a bit of a stretch. The actual violence, though sparse, does come as a pretty brutal surprise, but the scene is dragged out in a sequence that feels awkwardly edited. My overall impression is that this particular subject matter did not lend itself to a full length film adaptation, and unfortunately, it shows.
