Over the years, I’ve observed that committed horror fans are not afraid to embrace the genre as a whole. Namely, in all of its weird and strange intricacies. When I think of the most unique entries in the genre, James Wan is a filmmaker who always comes to mind. From his humble beginnings with Saw to his pivot into Hollywood franchises such as Aquaman and Furious 7, Wan demonstrates incredible range and ability. While not a fan of all of his films, he has some pieces that have really resonated with me.
With Malignant, Wan returns to the genre he’s thrived in for so long. But now equipped with the new tricks he’s picked up from his recent Hollywood projects. The end result is a film shocking, silly, and a very enjoyable popcorn flick. I appreciate when a horror film is confident enough to cross into the realms of absurdist camp. Parts of Malignant feel like Sam Raimi with elements of Gore Verbinski’s A Cure for Wellness – a film that also tackled a very ambitious concept. Despite the wild twists and turns that this film takes, it stays surprisingly grounded throughout the entire ride.
James Wan’s visual sensibilities are cleverly anchored by the screenplay written by Akela Cooper.
Malignant follows Maddie Mitchell (Annabelle Wallis) as she’s plagued by visions of increasingly grisly murders. The visions turn out to be true, and the reasoning behind them is far more terrifying than anyone could expect. The plot unfolds at a pace that keeps you engaged at all times and follows different players trying to solve the mystery plaguing Seattle. A good chunk of the film takes place in the Seattle Underground, a setting utilized in a very fun way.
While the supporting characters are your usual slasher film caricatures, a lot of opportunities are given for humorous exchanges to happen between the bouts of terror. Michole Briana White’s stern and skeptical Regina Moss has plenty of one-liners, George Young’s Kekoa Shaw is an excellent force of good, and Ingrid Bisu rounds out the ensemble as the overly eager CST Winnie. Maddie Hasson also gives a great performance as Maddie’s sister Sydney.
It’s hard not to talk about Malignant without talking about the big baddie. A character who is already guaranteed to become the next iconic horror villain of our time. With Marina Mazepa as the body actor and Ray Chase lending his voice, once they are finally revealed you won’t be able to forget them for a long time. Part of me wouldn’t be surprised if this character ended up as a playable killer in Dead by Daylight (a videogame already featuring a series of iconic horror villains).
The polarizing third act of Malignant is incredibly fun… if you allow it to be.
Wan’s aesthetic is in full force here ranging from the hard-lit interiors to the dramatic zoom-ins. It’s great to see Wan utilize Hollywood action tricks as a way to elevate Malignant to bombastic levels. The last half hour flies off the rails in all the best possible ways. Needless to say, there were several moments that had me cheering and whooping in enjoyment.
By the end of Malignant, I was impressed how a story this kooky and wackadoo was able to be made. If studios are looking to find reasons to bring people back to the theaters, then this would be the horror film to set the new standard. As another fun addition to Warner Bros. 2021 round of films, I’m thankful that Wan was able to manifest a film like Malignant. Watch this one with the lights off, and with some good company around to laugh and scream with. Here’s hoping that we won’t have to wait too long for his next contribution to the horror genre.
MALIGNANT is now playing in theaters and streaming on HBO Max.