Malignant was marketed squarely at horror fans as writer-director James Wan's "return to form" -- in that after making several comparatively toned-down films, he was going to return to the "hard rated R" genre of Saw that put him on the map. I'm skeptical that he would see his intervening films (starting the Conjuring and Insidious franchises) as "lesser" efforts... but whatever. Gotta get butts in seats. (Including possibly "couches," where you can stream this movie for a limited time on HBOMax.)
Malignant was scripted by Aleka Cooper (who collaborated with Wan and Ingrid Bisu on the underlying story). It's about a woman who is psychically seeing the horrific killings of a serial killer as though there in the room when they happen. There's something creepily inhuman about the killer, and getting to the nature of their connection is the core of the story.
I will say that Malignant starts out pretty clever. If you don't know much about it in advance (and I think I knew even less than my synopsis above), then the opening act is a wild fire hose spraying all over the place. Where is this going? Are we still setting things up? What is happening? Once you get your bearings, however, you rapidly catch up with the script... and then overtake it. Ultimately, it's not nearly as clever as it thinks, and you suss out most turns in the plot well ahead of their reveal.
But OK, maybe surprise isn't everything. How's the rest of the movie? Well, as advertised: incredibly gory. Horror is really too broad a genre in my mind; people who like a chilling mind game aren't going to like a violent slasher. Malignant is very much the latter. The "monster," if you will, is quite visually distinct, and is involved in several evocative set piece scenes. You even get a couple of John Wick style fight sequences. If you like your horror movies artistically bloody, Malignant has got your back.
There are no big names in the cast, though everybody is good enough for a story that isn't often interested in deep character moments (other than stunned gasps). The musical score, by longtime Wan collaborator Joseph Bishara, is wild and unrestrained -- at times more orchestral and at times almost like a rock band.
I have to say, though, that I don't think Malignant is going to stay with me for long. It's hard to say whether COVID-depressed box office has cut down another hit franchise in the making here, but it's probably not one I would have continued with. Fans of gory horror should absolutely watch Malignant, but for me, I'd say it's only a C+.
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