During a recent trip to my local Cinebowl cinema in Uttoxeter we spontaneously chose to go and see a horror movie and as a result, this Malignant review was born.
From the man who brought us such intense horror flicks as The Conjuring and Insidious, but the very same man who brought us Aquaman and Furious 7 I was sceptical as to what this movie would become.
With Wan dipping his toes into the bigger and more outrageous studio pool as of late Malignant was a movie that from a fan perspective would allow Wan to travel to his horror roots.
Sadly, whilst Malignant has incredible potential in places it completely falls apart as the film goes on as we see this independent tension sprung horror evolve into studio typical nonsense.
The synopsis reads as follows: Paralyzed by fear from shocking visions, a woman’s torment worsens as she discovers her waking dreams are terrifying realities.
That one line alone perfectly sums up the rather genius way in which this movie exposes us to the unseen force that is laying waste to a team of doctors who cared for our lead star Madison (Annabelle Wallis) when she was younger.
Now with amnesia about her younger years as a lab rat, she is now older and seeing visions of numerous murders as though they were taking place right before her very eyes.
The name Gabriel lingers in her mind throughout this killing spree and this malevolent force is somehow controlling her as they share a dark rooted connection which the film later explores.
Without spoiling the plot of the movie this explanation borderlines cheesy, goofy and an almost comical superhero narrative that whilst hilarious in many places includes a killer fight scene that wouldn’t look out of place in a Matrix movie.
The final act of Malignant feels like the superhero coming-of-age story for James Wan whilst the slow tension burning opening acts pay homage to his horror roots.
The project feels very self-indulgent before diving into the over the top CGI sequences.
With side characters who you couldn’t care less about and story arcs that sort of disappear as the film reaches its conclusion Malignant still isn’t a terrible movie by any means.
It has tension and some memorable moments but it isn’t a film you would rush to re-watch again anytime soon.
For me, this was because of the sluggish start to the movie and how the film sort of spirals into absolute nonsense as it progresses.
Rather than a film expertly crafted Malignant feels like two or even three movies stitched together.
A brief theme of family, abuse and trauma are sort of glossed over or explored in any detail but none of these serious topics has the chance to be taken seriously within the absurdity of the film’s structure.
A horror movie this is not, but enjoying it on a big screen and taking in its brief moments of genius, well, it’s worth a watch.
If only once.
Malignant review by Sean Evans
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Our Rating
Summary
A combination of James Wan both new and old Malignant hits home in brief sequences before falling flat and borderlines insanity as the final act approaches. There’s some real potential within the movie to stand out and be something truly unique, the premise and outline is there but sadly the execution just didn’t pay off.
