Malignant (2021) - SPOILER-FREE Review
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Directed by: James Wan
Written by: Akela Cooper
Starring: Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young, Michole Briana White
Runtime: 111 min
Synopsis: Paralyzed by fear from shocking visions, a woman's torment worsens as she discovers her waking dreams are terrifying realities.
James Wan is arguably the most successful horror filmmaker of the century. After all, he's the creative mind behind the biggest franchises of the genre: from Saw to The Conjuring Universe, without forgetting the less appreciated Insidious movies, Wan at the origin point of some of the projects that deeply impacted how horror is made today. In addition to this, Wan has left his stamp in other major sagas, directing DCEU's Aquaman and Furious 7, which proves his versatile talent to venture into different genres and still be astonishingly successful.
Malignant might very well be the start of a new horror saga. Who am I kidding?! Of course, this is just the first of many, many installments. Wan gets inspiration from the giallo genre, which is basically the Italian term for horror-thrillers with crime/mystery narrative elements. Personally, the most captivating portion of the story is, in fact, the "detective work" surrounding the protagonist's life, mainly her past. Akela Cooper is the sole responsible for writing the screenplay - her debut in a feature film after working on some popular TV shows (The 100, Luke Cage).
First of all, Malignant boasts a thematically rich story. I love a good jumpscare as every other horror fan, but Cooper's screenplay holds essential topics that require some reflection. From domestic abuse to the foster care system, as well as the emotional turmoil inevitably present in these situations, this film develops these sensitive themes without feeling like a forced mechanism to give the story more substance. As time ran by, I realized I actually cared about the protagonist to the point of genuinely having a strong desire to find out more about her past.
The horror genre has become gradually more formulaic over the years, so it's super refreshing to finally watch such an unpredictable flick. The third act holds surprising revelations and bold, twisty outcomes that elevate Malignant to one of the best horror movies of the year. Annabelle Wallis (Tag) delivers a powerful performance as the compelling main character, Maddie, incorporating all of her pain and suffering seamlessly. Despite the undeniable efficiency, the third act possesses heavy exposition that partially detracts from the otherwise quite original film.
The first half may be better on a rewatch, but the lack of anything innovative or outside of the generic storytelling of the genre makes it the weaker part of the movie. On a retrospective, it sets up the story perfectly, but the cliches and formulas are still too present at the beginning. Even some of the acting - maybe due to the actual scripts - was iffy at first. Furthermore, an irrelevant, unimpactful relationship involving two secondary characters proves to be completely useless and fails to have any sort of closure.
Technically, every component has a major impact on the overall film. Malignant offers better action sequences than a lot of action movies of today. Definitely, one of the elements that positively shocked me the most. From an extremely captivating, long, impeccably edited (Kirk Morri) chase scene to a brutal, merciless fighting set piece filled with exceptional choreography (Glenn Foster, stunt coordinator), remarkable camera work (Michael Burgess, DP), and a visually creative detail that I won't spoil, Wan surrounded himself with a phenomenal crew that worked with him on previous projects. The result is impressive, to say the least.
Joseph Bishara's score is the only technical component that I can't quite figure out if I really enjoyed it or not. Some bass-heavy transitions with an abrupt volume change don't quite hit the mark with me, but just like the ending of the film, I appreciate the courage and the uniqueness behind some creative decisions. One thing's for certain: no viewer will feel indifferent towards Bishara's music since it takes a simple scene to receive a much higher level of attention and overall importance.
Regarding the ending, I'll only write that I won't be surprised if it creates a divisive response. Bold is the obvious adjective, but bold always means it won't work for everyone. Personally, it leaves one too many untied knots, but having in mind this is just the beginning of a new franchise, I find it a decent finale to a movie that deserved something different from the bland, hollow last minutes of every other generic horror flick. I also must give huge praise to the VFX artists and the makeup department, which produce some gorgeous visual elements.
Final Thoughts
Malignant is yet another excellent origin movie for a new franchise created by one of the most successful horror filmmakers of the century, James Wan. The talented director picks up a thematically rich, mysteriously intriguing narrative written by the feature film debutant Akela Cooper, and lets himself get inspired by the giallo genre. Boasting a fascinating protagonist brilliantly interpreted by Annabelle Wallis, the unexpected yet exposition-heavy revelations of the brave third act definitely improve upon a rather generic, unexciting first half. While the impressive action sequences steal the technical spotlight, Joseph Bishara's score holds divisive creative choices that might not please every viewer. For horror fans, I couldn't recommend it more.
