mraculeated
The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.
JabberJawReviews
2014 February
Murder Games: The Life and Death of Breck Bednar. In 2014 February, a 14-year-old Breck Bednar left his house, telling his parents he was going to his friend's Tom's house. While there, he informed his parents he was having a good time eating pizza and wanted to stay the night. His parents didn't object. It was later the next day, his parents would learn that Breck was not at Tom's house, but rather, in Essex....dead.IN THE BEGINNING
Breck Bednar was a gamer, and quite a good one. He attended St. Bede's School and had a number of close friends who were gamers as well. Each day after school they would each go to their respective houses and get online and play Minecraft, as well as Battlefield 3. This was a small group of friends until Lewis Daynes came into the picture.LEWIS DAYNES: SHEEP IN WOLF'S CLOTHING
Lewis prowled online games, starting with Minecraft. Minecraft was a place he could meet young boys between the age 14 and 15. The shared game among all the guys, including Lewis was Battlefield 3. Lewis claimed to own a server and made himself seem bigger than he was. The only person falling for it was Breck.Lewis said he was 16 and owned a computer company and was a computer engineer (programmer). when in reality he was 18, unemployed and living in a not-so-good part of Essex.THE GROOMING
When Lewis met Breck he learned that Breck wanted to be a computer programmer. This was the start of the grooming. But Breck wasn't Lewis's only target. Lewis had about 300 boys in his sites, but was able to quickly narrow his target to Breck, and did it quickly. For 8 months to a year, Lewis was in constant contact with Breck through online games. At first, their conversations were for all to hear, meaning Breck's friends. But soon Lewis moved those conversations to private chats just between him and Breck.It's during the private chats that Lewis started alienating Breck from his friends. He began telling Breck that he overheard conversations with his friends and how they didn't like Breck. Once he, Lewis, was able to get Breck's friends out of the picture, he had to work on one more person; Breck's mom.BRECK'S MOM
Breck's mom always kept tabs on her son when he was on the computer, which was most of the time. She wasn't meddling at all and gave him his space, but wanted to make sure her son wasn't in any mischief. She didn't think much of Lewis when she first met him, via chat only. But she had a funny feeling about just the same.During one of Breck's private chat sessions with Lewis, Breck's mother asked him to do some chores. In Breck's other ear was Lewis telling Breck he didn't need to do the chores. Lewis also told Breck he didn't need to go to church. Breck's mother finally had a chat with Lewis telling him Breck is her son and she'll raise him as she sees fit. After this, Breck's mother called the police to see if Lewis Daynes was known to them and he was. Lewis was a pedophile (or as the Brits say it pee-do-file). This information was not known the Breck. Why Breck's mother didn't tell him, I don't know. I don't think it would have made an impact on Breck or he wouldn't believe it.I'M GIVING YOU MY BUSINESS
As mentioned, Lewis was in constant contact with Breck, via chat or emails. The chats were either via messaging or via headphones. Lewis said everything he thought Breck wanted to hear how smart Breck is, how he would be a great computer programmer and all.Lewis told Breck he was sick and he needed to get rid of his business. Breck was the person he wanted to give his business too. After all the compliments and confidence Lewis instilled in Breck, Breck didn't question why a supposed 18-year-old would be giving an inexperienced 14-year-old his business. Breck was shocked and excited at this prospect. Lewis told Breck that he (Breck) needed to come see Lewis so they could finalize everything.ESSEX, NOT TOM'S HOUSE
The day Breck said he was going to Tom's house he was really on his way to Essex in a cab. Essex was 30 miles from where Breck lived. All that's known of that fateful night Lewis had plans to sexual assault Breck and possibly kill him. What exactly happened is not clear, but Breck was stabbed in the side of the neck with a knife and died.Lewis tried to get rid of evidence by put his and Breck's phone, along with computer hard drives in a sink of water. What Lewis didn't know was Breck had is iPad with him that was found in the bottom of his backpack. This iPad held a lot of incriminating evidence against Lewis by way of emails. The tone of the emails and the spotted grooming that was done.Lewis would get life in prison for the murder of Breck Bednar.FINAL THOUGHTS
This docudrama did a great job of telling the story through Breck's friends, his mother, father and his siblings (two sisters and a younger brother). The story was also told through re-enactments of conversations between Lewis and Breck. The re-enactments were done in a half human, half animated type fashion that made the interactions more creepier.
Prismark10
Having a young son that plays games consoles and this includes online gaming I made a point of watching this docu-drama as a family so we can all realise the dangers that lurk in online gaming and discuss what we have watched.Breck Bednar was a 14 year old schoolboy interested in online gaming with his school friends, among their online gaming group joined Lewis Daynes, an older teenager who spun a tissue of lies which initially impressed the kids.Normally when it comes to online stalking or manipulation it tends to be an older paedophile type pretending to be someone else and much younger. Daynes really did not fit that profile.This programme contains some dramatised scenes as well as interviews with Breck's family and school friends talking about Breck and how they feared that Breck was being manipulated by Daynes with lies. Daynes groomed Breck for a year so he could lure Breck to his flat in order to kill him.The programme also talk to the police who investigated the crime and try to piece together what happened.I can imagine it was very hard for the family to talk on camera and the reason they did it was to highlight the dangers of online gaming where people are not what they pretend to be. It would had been equally difficult for his friends to talk to the camera who are still teenagers. I think the programme-makers were sensitive to this as we could see this when they were setting up some of the interviews.It is a difficult and harrowing programme to watch if you are a parent, but it is important that teenage kids see it.
