This film will keep you your toes
This movie was gory, twisted, and at some points absolutely ridiculous… it was brilliant. James Wan has done it again.
Wan has brought us so many iconic horror films that were based on real life events such as The Conjuring and Annabelle, but this time he delivered something totally different and unexpected.
Just a forewarning even when you think you know what’s going on…you actually have no idea.
Malignant follows a young woman, Emily May, who suffers from paralyzing visions which at some point become her reality. The thing that makes her visions even more grotesque is that they are brought on by a psychopathic serial killer that may or may not be her childhood imaginary friend.
The cast is led by Annabelle Wallis; her heartbreakingly brilliant performance as the tormented May keeps you engaged the entire film.
This film is extremely fun to watch because it followed no rules and almost feels like an experiment. The plot is so outlandish compared to what Wan has done before that it almost feels like a bad ’90s horror film on steroids.
The gore in this film is almost nostalgic as Wan hasn’t used this extreme amount of gore since his creation of the SAW films. The most interesting thing about this film is the goriest scene towards the end. It was what could only be described as a “horror movie shoot out.”
This movie is more about the journey than the destination. It’s meant to be taken and enjoyed as it is. If you are the kind of viewer that needs the story to have a point and a deeper message, this is not the movie for you.
All the focus in this film goes to the plot, supernatural happenings and aesthetics rather than character development. In fact, this movie will be appreciated more by horror fanatics rather than other viewers as it may leave them feeling confused or like they’ve just wasted their time as some of the events are completely outrageous.
The cinematography was immaculate.
The entire film is lit with grimy blue and greens which undoubtedly contributed to the unsettling feeling you have while you are watching the film. It accentuates how trapped May is in her world as her malignant “friend” tries to take over. The ambiance remains like this the entire film.
Although it’s a bit difficult to take some of the events seriously it is an extremely fun and interesting watch.
If you love horror movies or are a fan of James Wan’s work, you should definitely give this a watch. This film is available to stream on HBO MAX.
