A PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER

Written & Directed by Rich Varville

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LOGLINE

A dying father’s confession forces his daughter — an FBI profiler — to face the darkest case of her life.

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SYNOPSIS

Renowned criminologist Claire Covington returns to her family’s opulent estate to say goodbye to her dying father, Charles Covington — a celebrated crime novelist whose stories once captivated the world. But as his mind slips deeper into dementia, his ramblings take a sinister turn, revealing chilling details about real unsolved murders that mirror scenes from his books. Claire is thrust into a high-stakes investigation — racing to uncover the truth before Charles takes his secrets to the grave.

 

Driven by intellect but emotionally guarded, Claire faces the psychological toll of a career built on understanding killers. As guilt, obsession, and a strained partnership with the FBI mount, she begins to unravel — questioning not only her father’s past, but the instincts that made her who she is.

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DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

DEATHBED is a descent into inherited darkness. At its core, it’s a story about truth — not the kind that sets you free, but the kind that ruins everything. I wanted to explore what happens when the person you trust most, the one who shaped your world, turns out to be the architect of your nightmares.

 

The film is grounded in a precise, psychological realism — deliberate pacing, framing that isolates, and silence that speaks louder than screams. Through Claire’s journey, we examine legacy, trauma, and the price of clarity in a world built on buried secrets. DEATHBED isn’t just a thriller — it’s a reckoning.

 

- Rich Varville

Writer/Director