Malignant movie review: Expect the unexpected from this James Wan movie that brings a new vision of terror

3.5/5

Story:

The film starring Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young and Ingrid Bisu is a supernatural horror film directed and written by James Wan. The plot revolves around unexplained murders of people who have been a part of Maddison's life. Maddison, played by Annabelle, sees the vision of them getting killed while it happens but is unable to recall or realise who is the killer or how is she associated with these murders.

Review:

As expected from a James Wan film, this horror flick offers a fresh story of terror and the supernatural. The film opens with a scene at a mental asylum with Dr Weaver and her colleagues Victor Fields and John Gregory treating a violent patient Gabriel. Gabriel has killed a couple of the hospital staff. After the doctors manage to sedate him with great difficulty, he is seen being pulled to another space in a red room, which has piled up several dead bodies. His look is not revealed. The camera focuses on his legs with a pair of cute socks on, getting you to imagine that he's perhaps innocent who is possessed by an evil spirit, as it usually happens in horror films.

But wait, it's a James Wan original. So, that can't be it. The film gets you curious as it suddenly cuts to a scene of a couple, who are expecting. The violent husband is seen hitting his pregnant wife Maddison against a wall after an argument over her earlier miscarriages. She bleeds and the next thing you see is that the husband is killed by a weird creature. The creature is also seen attacking Maddison. She manages to escape and the police arrive. Maddison becomes the suspect as she had a motive to kill the husband and other victims traced by the police. But Maddison does not remember killing them. She sees visions of these killings as and when it happens.

The film keeps you guessing. As the story progresses, you start wondering if Maddison is suffering from a split personality disorder and if it is her, as Gabriel, who is killing everyone. But it does not explain her having the visions of these murders. The film then explores her past before she was adopted by a family and her treatment for a parasitic twin that's been feeding off her.

The colour red has mostly been used subtly, as in with roses, to indicate romance and love in films, even though it also stands for violence and danger. But in Malignant, the director uses red colours and tones aptly for the murder scenes to indicate the forthcoming violence and horror, and also to symbolise the lead character's powerful associations with these victims in the past. It helps set in the fear and clue the audience in for the upcoming horrid murder scenes. The film otherwise has a dark tone throughout the well-paced narrative that implies the terror.

The film makes for a great watch. It keeps you engaged with its edge-of-the-seat scenes and gets you to jump out of your skin with all that's happening on screen. It also has the usual slasher and horror elements like the door opening on its own, a dark shadow passing by, and the lead character killing everyone around her brutally, giving you the usual jump scares. The highlight of the film is, however, its unique storyline, which is more of supernatural than horror. The story also has several twists throughout its timeline that make the film even more interesting to watch. The eerie and dramatic soundtrack complement the story well.

However, some action scenes might give you a few chuckles, especially when you see Maddison in a Tomb Raider avatar, throwing policemen around in their departmental office like they are some inanimate objects. But all the while, you just hope she does not kill the cute detective Kekoa Shaw played by George Young. In the end, however, she does manage to hit him unconscious, but the film doesn't reveal if he's still alive or dead. The last scene where Maddie is seen ruling over Gabriel and sending him back to a 'prison' hints at a possible sequel for the film.

Verdict:

The film brings an unusual horror tale that confuses you at first, and surprises and thrills you later. It's a must-watch for all horror fans.