Director James Wan (Saw, Insidious, The Conjuring films, Aquaman) returns to his horror roots with this supernatural thriller starring fellow Conjuring Spinoff alumnus (Annabelle), Annabelle Wallis.
James Wan’s “Malignant” story centers around with a woman named Madison (Annabelle Wallis) who, after a traumatic event in her personal life, finds herself experiencing brutal visions of murders she soon learns are really happening.
From there, we watch the mystery unfold, and some shocking truths are revealed about Madison’s past. Whatever you think is happening, trust me when I say that you won’t see the reality of the situation coming.
The films stumbles in the early first half with a clunky and cheesy opening, but perhaps that was Mr. Wan’s intent. The film has classic jump scares and relies on the tired tropes within the horror genre. Wan, however, embraces the cliché tropes and has fun with them.
Wan may have been intentionally using horror tropes to hide from his audience what is really going on in the film. This directorial approach helps with the shocking reveals but does leave the film feeling uneven at times. Whether that is a good thing is up to the viewer.
If you are looking for a horror film that is weird, then this is the film for you. The talented filmmaker throws many things at the audience such as crazy visuals, a haunting score by Joseph Bishara, and cinematographer Michael Burgess’s excellent camera work.
The film is an effective thriller because of the way the mystery unfolds organically, and a finale that helps lessen the mishaps of the first act.
The cast of the film is serviceable, but the standout is Annabelle Wallis as Madison.
With her performance, she effectively manages to portray the fear Madison feels as events continue to spiral out of control. Maddie Hasson is good, as are Susanna Thompson, Jake Abel, George Young, and Mckenna Grace in supporting roles.
If you embrace the sillier elements of what unfolds in the film and don’t take it too seriously, you’ll enjoy this scare fest. As for the lead antagonist, I will say that it’s not anything iconic but entirely effective and downright terrifying at times. Seriously, this movie is going to mess with your mind, and in that respect, it will stick with you after the credits roll.
Overall, this film was weird, interesting and had a fun twist. James Wan fans will eat this up.
Malignant stars Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young and directed by James Wan.
The film is currently in theaters and available through HBO MAX via subscription for 30 days.