Director James Wan delivers one of the most bizarre movie experiences in years with his new horror film, Malignant.
Madison (Annabelle Wallis) is paralyzed by shocking visions of grisly murders, and her torment worsens as she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities.
This is not your good, old-fashioned slasher horror movie, this is James Wan having fun as the master of horror and gore as he is. This is really what a good slasher film should be. If Wan was telling to show off his expertise in the faces of those who came before him with iconic characters or ideas (Scream, Halloween, etc.) who ended up selling films with cheap scenes of full-frontal nudity or gimmicky blood spatter, then he has succeeded.
Don’t get me wrong, I do love films like Scream and Halloween but there are just some horror films that I feel gypped because they didn’t master the mystery, story, twist and turns, and the extreme tension of knowing what’s coming.
Don’t let anyone spoil how it’s connected to Madison. A huge part of what makes Malignant so twisted and fun is the element of discovery. I would recommend that you go into the movie with the most bizarre scenario you can think of, and watch as Malignant exceeds it. I didn’t have any ideas about this movie going in, but it still didn’t prepare me for how off-the-wall Wan gets in this film. But, what whats all the twists work is that Wan fully embraces them as extreme and bonkers. He doesn’t try to “ground” his movie, instead, he uses new camera angles, contrasting color plays, and through the use of thoughtful editing he is able to push the boundaries of reality so that the rest of the film is on the same spectrum as the bonkers script.
Overall, no matter how you see Malignant, it demands to be seen. Wan has created a full-blown treat of a horror movie, a film that doesn’t scare as much as it hits you with devilish delight in its increasingly twisted reveals.
Malignant is now playing in theaters and streaming exclusively on HBO Max.
What did you think of the film? Let me know in the comments.
