Alright, let me talk about the elephant in the room. Will this review have spoilers? That's a question that I did give some thought. I could discuss the film without giving away anything. However that is something that is very difficult to do. It also does a disservice to this film. This is a film that deserves to be talked about. So yes, for the first and only time, there will be SPOILERS. If you haven't seen the film and don't wish for it to be spoiled, turn away now and come back after seeing the film. All good? Feel good with that? Okay, let's get into it then.
Malignant was made by James Wan for Warner Bros. Now, that may not seem like a big deal. He's made other films for them in the past. Yes, he has. This film however is a completely different ball game and genre than we are used to.
James Wan got his start in film with 2004's SAW. Now, SAW was a small indie film that was a game changer for the horror genre. It was something that not many of us could have seen coming. Hell, it literally helped jump start what many call the torture porn slice of the horror genre. Honestly, that first film could be considered more of a thriller than anything. That's not a bad thing by any means. Especially because it helped establish what Wan's style was.
Then he brought us Dead Silence. It was a film that was a bit divisive with people. Either you understood what he was going for with it or you didn't. This was still early in his career and many were expecting something more in the vein of SAW. Dead Silence was a pivot into more of a ghost story. It's all about the Legend of Mary Shaw. Beware the stare or she will come for you. Comparing the two films, you will see that they share some aspects as it's cousin. A lot of the same people behind the scenes worked on both films. The detective. Yeah, Donnie Wahlberg wasn't in the original SAW but he was in Saw II. And he delivers a similar performance. The downside was that not many found the film at first so wasn't as successful. Though it is a fun little flick in it's own right. Again, a solid ghost story.
After that, Wan gave us Insidious. Now by this time, Wan's style was evolving. It wasn't as MTV as it's cousin nor a straight ghost story. (I know I keep using family metaphor for Wan's films. But there's a solid reason for it. It helps explain the evolution of his films. So just roll with it.) Insidious was a deeper dive into the paranormal slice of the horror genre as it explored a family's journey of overcoming malevolent entities that are emerging from an astral dimension. This felt different to the previous outings as family was the heart and focal point of the film. This helped the scares and terror hit closer to home.
After this, Wan delved further into the paranormal as he presented the stories of the Warrens and their investigations. It continued to also delve deeper into cases that had a more family focus. The first film was able to show that even the paranormal could find a way to effect their homelife as their daughter has a moment towards the end of the film.
At this point, Wan had found his groove and his distinct style. Now whenever people hear it's a James Wan film, they know it's quality. His appreciation for in-camera effects adds to these films. Especially considering that a lot of movies tend to go more towards computer effects than practical. The use of shadows is something that is also welcome. There's also the slow pull-ins to add tension.
All of this led to 2021's Malignant. This is the newest entry to the James Wan family of films. It's definitely one that will be remembered down the road even.
Now, I know there's been trailers over the months. I glimpsed the initial teaser while waiting for a YouTube video one day. At that point, I wasn't hooked. That initial look felt like another Conjuring film. And at this point, each of the non-James Wan shared a similar feeling to them. It just didn't feel like a movie that I'd be excited about. But then I went to see Candyman, they had the Halloween Kills trailer. Yeah, that looks good. Kinda wished hadn't seen that trailer cause avoiding spoilers. But it was cool to see in the theater. The trailer for Malignant then played after.
At that point, I was ready for it. It looked different. It didn't look like it was in the vein of The Conjuring. It looked a little more in the vein of a slasher/thriller. It was kinda comforting and brought that feeling I had when I saw the first SAW. While the trailer was super awesome, it also didn't reveal much of the story. It definitely is a successful trailer as it managed to make me excited about it.
While I had the chance to go see Candyman in the theater, Malignant was a different story. I ended up watching it on HBO Max with my partner. It definitely brought an entirely different feeling to the film. It was very much a Dark Castle vibe. Actually it could even come across as a long lost VHS that was recently recovered.
(Also it should be noted for the record that when watched this with my partner, they had managed to pick out exactly what was going on with the film about twenty minutes/twenty five minutes into it.)
Now, before I finally dive into the film. I just would like to point out how unique this film is. It's structure is set up where the prologue and each act feels like it's own film. That's something that is super awesome and equally impressive. Major kudos for that.
In 1993, Dr. Florence Weaver and her colleagues Victor Fields and John Gregory treat a psychiatric patient named Gabriel at Simion Research Hospital. Gabriel has special powers like controlling electricity and broadcasting his thoughts via speakers. One night, Gabriel turns violent and kills several staff members of the institution.
This section of the film was such a strong beginning. It has a super distinct tone to it. One that just oozes Dark Castle Entertainment/VHS video vibes. The more I think about it, the more Evil Dead II keeps coming to the forefront. The way that it's shot with the lighting of the reds after the lights go out. It's super good because of the fact that the shadows are a bit overpowering. Each of the actors and actresses definitely know what kind of film they are making. And they are loving every minute of it. It feels like they definitely had some fun making the film. The viewer is able to get small glimpses of Gabriel but the carnage he made is at the forefront. And it definitely does not skimp on the gore.
After an impressive title sequence that highlights certain points for the film (Gabriel's record from the Asylum), the next part begins.
Twenty-eight years later, Madison Lake, a pregnant woman living in Seattle, returns home to her husband, Derek Mitchell, after her pregnancy causes her to feel ill at work. During an argument, Derek smashes Madison's head against a wall after which she locks herself in the bedroom and falls asleep. Madison later wakes up to find Derek's body after having a dream of a man entering their house and violently killing him. The killer, still being in the house, attacks Madison, rendering her unconscious.
Now, this section of the film felt a bit closer to what we would expect from a James Wan film so far. It honestly wouldn't feel out of place from a Conjuring film. Especially as there are moments where the camera will slowly pan in on character then cut to a slow pan in to another room.
This also introduced our main character Madison played by the amazing Annabelle Wallis. At this point, it felt like it was throwing us into the wave pool and this world. Madison is a loving wife that is trying her best to please her husband. There are just so many layers to this performance especially as we get farther into the film. There are also touching moments we see between Madison and her sister Sydney, played by Maddie Hasson.
Jake Abel plays Derek. And he plays such an unsanctimonious prickhole. It's very easy to see especially in hindsight exactly who kick-started all of the problems in the film. I will say that I do love Abel's performance because it's a very strong one that helps make him a bit unlikeable at first. It is also a bit layered. I'm sure that if there would have been more time that there was a chance we could have seen more to his character.
It was also kinda fitting that Derek gets his comeuppance. He was the aggressor towards Madison and it brought out a whole new side that they had no idea was there. Apparently through moments with Sydney, we are able to uncover that this isn't the first time Derek has had moments like this. Unfortunately for him, this time was the last straw.
The whole sequence with Derek moving through the house was creepy. It was mildly tense. It probably would have played better if I hadn't had seen the trailer. But it was a bit of a striking image when Madison discovers the aftermath. It's not straight in your face for very long. But almost like out of the corner of my eye.
Now, we are also introduced to our slasher, Gabriel. At this point, it looked very ghost like. A plain black entity. The way it moved was pretty awesome. It's definitely the sound effect that sells it as hear the popping and cracking as it moved. One thing that surprised me for a moment was with the speed that it was moving. When it chases Madison and she goes to the front door, I jumped when it slammed into it two seconds after she tried opening it. We also get to see what I'm going to call Gabriel vision. This felt like a fun callback to Sam Raimi's distinct Evil Dead cam.
The rest of this sequence was tense. I was a bit scared for Madison. Here she was being hunted down by some thing. At this point, all we knew was that it was some thing. Nothing more. Because I had seen the trailer for the film, that kinda played up that it was an 'imaginary friend'. This was a very strong paced sequence that once again feels like it's own film unto itself.
The next morning, Madison wakes up in a hospital and is informed by her sister Sydney that her unborn baby didn't survive the attack. After being interviewed by police detective Kekoa Shaw and his partner Regina Moss, Madison returns home.
During their investigation, Shaw and Moss discover a photo of Madison as a child in Weaver's house and learn that she specialized in child reconstructive surgery. Madison and her sister approach the police after watching Gabriel murder Fields. Gabriel contacts Madison, causing her to remember her past. She and her sister visit their mother, Jeanne, to learn more. Madison realizes that Gabriel wasn't her imaginary friend but someone real whom she talked to during her childhood. Shaw finds a link between the doctors and Madison, which leads him to discover Gregory's dead body.
The detectives enlist the help of a psychiatric hypnotherapist hoping to unlock Madison's memories. Madison recalls that her birth name is Emily May and that Gabriel wanted her to kill her unborn sister. She came close to doing it but was able to stop. The police arrest Madison when the kidnapped woman falls from the attic in her home, revealing that Gabriel was living inside her house. It is later revealed that the woman is Serena May, Madison's birth mother.
This part of the film was definitely another shift in gears. If the prologue was Dark Castle Entertainment, the first act was The Conjuring, this second act felt like a mash up of Insidious with the 'visions' and SAW with the detective investigation. The effect of the world shifting away as Madison entered the visions was super cool. Each of these visions feel different from each other. They all share a visual style and language to them. But they don't necessarily repeat themselves. The abduction of the woman in the tunnels was also super suspenseful. But the lynchpin of it was the explanation of the tunnels underneath the city. This was a really cool way to explain how Gabriel is able to move from place to place.
And there's a chase sequence between Detective Kekoa and Gabriel that felt very home in a SAW like fashion. George Young and Michole Briana White both deliver solid performances as Detective Kekoa and Detective Moss. They have a great banter between each other that adds some layers to their characters and the history of those characters. It definitely feels like this isn't their first case together. Ingrid Bisu delivers a very interesting performance as Winnie. She...I honestly can't tell you what she does outside of working for the police. She helped develop the story with James Wan. But her character in the film is very likeable even if she's a bit quirky. The whole investigation felt a bit by the numbers. And that's not a bad thing by any mean.
The discovery of the kidnapped woman being in the attic of Madison's house. That was something I honestly didn't see coming. It was a cool way to misdirect as it definitely gave off a Jigsaw lair feel to it. So, I just thought it was at a location that we would discover later and would have tied into the the Asylum from the beginning. Also the identity of the kidnapped woman being Madison's birth mother felt like it tied things together in a neat little bow. It expands on things while also keeping them personal. And as we will soon discover this film is a very personal story.
Now, here we are at the third act. This is something that some will find it being average and easily predictable and then there are those that will find it an awesome change of pace. For me, I love this third act. It definitely shifts gears so much into new territory. This is easily a side of James Wan we haven't seen before. And he's here having so much fun with it.
The big twist is that Gabriel is a part of Madison. He was an EXTREME case of a teratoma that shares Emily/Madison's brain. This was such a severe case that everyone had no idea how to handle it. The only way was to cut out pieces of Gabriel to the point where it was just the face. And then to hide it away by sewing him into the back of Emily's brain. For years, things were okay till Derek. Again, thank you Derek. If it wasn't for him being an unsanctimonious prickhole, this film wouldn't be. The biggest shift being that Gabriel had hijacked Madison's body and was enacting all the 'visions of violence'. These 'visions' being a way of locking Madison away mentally was brilliant. It just shifted things into overdrive in terms of being bonkers. The largest set piece being the jail scene. Madison's locked in the prison with others and then Gabriel switches gears and enacts so much carnage. It was a bit operatic in it's feel and like a bloody symphony. Seeing the ways Gabriel moved to massacre others, it's just so in your face. And I definitely appreciated it so much.
One aspect that I loved about the finale is the connection between Madison and Sydney. It's Madison's realization that she had found what she was searching for finally - a sister that loved her as much as she loved them. Looking back over it, it's a pretty interesting aspect. Since Madison has had Gabriel all her life but there was no connection emotionally. Gabriel is so distant because of his darkness and hatred for everything. The finale is awesome. It's a bit of a mindtrip. Yes, it's also in the literal sense as well.
With my discussion of this third act, I chose to hold back a little on the details. And that is because it needs to be experienced. I'm hoping that this film universe will continue, but it's cool if it's a one-off. This is a film that is very well done and a lot of fun.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5. (Such a breath of fresh air.)
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Also let's give a shout out to Creepy Duck for this amazing alternate poster for Malignant. Go check out their Twitter.
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