Malignant: A Stupid-Fun, WTF Giallo Full Of Silliness and Gore
Director James Wan returns to his horror roots and funnels his Aquaman money into one of the weirdest studio-backed films in recent memory with Malignant. Part possession film, part Giallo, and thoroughly WTF, Wan whips up a stylish and atmospheric potpourri that glorifies the gory and commemorates the silly and strange.
Madison is paralyzed by shocking visions of grisly murders, and her torment worsens as she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities.
Malignant is so hilariously unhinged that you’ll probably ask yourself, “How in the hell did this get made?” It’s a fair question to ask, but it’s one that hardly matters. Frankly, the fact that something this WTF exists — and was backed by a major studio to boot — is a marvel. It manages to be awe inspiring, both in its peculiarity and its buffoonery, but it’s not likely to satiate the masses. No, something this bizarre is apt to rub many the wrong way, but let’s forget those folks for now, and just puff on whatever the hell James Wan was smoking when he cooked up this kooky chiller with his wife, Ingrid Bisu (who also executive produced).
The film opens with a prologue set in 1993 at the Simion Research Hospital, whose shape and size gives off major mad scientist vibes as it sits oceanside, pressed against the hazy glow of a full moon. Here, we’re introduced to Dr. Florence Weaver (Jacqueline McKenzie) and a malevolent entity named Gabriel, who has supernatural strength and abilities, which include controlling electricity and broadcasting his thoughts via speaker, and is also seemingly attached to another psychiatric patient who is yet to be named.
Flash forward 28 years, and we meet the pregnant Madison (Annabelle Wallis) as she’s promptly given a head injury by her abusive husband, which awakens the outlandish events that follow. Later that night, Madison and her husband are mysteriously attacked, leaving him brutally murdered and her without child. As more murders begin to appear, Madison finds herself at the center of these strange happenings, causing her, her sister Sydney (Maddie Hasson), and the local PD to scramble for an answer to these enigmatic events.
If it sounds cuckoo, it’s because it is! It’s completely ludicrous and unabashedly stupid, but it’s also admirably bonkers and chock-full of demented pulp. Although Wan creates an affectionate pastiche of 70s/80s horror elements and aesthetics, with heavy notes of Raimi, Argento, and Friedkin, it’s not exactly the full-on horror film the marketing made it out to be. If you’re looking for anything more than laughs and over-the-top gory thrills, you’ll likely be let down. The truth is, Malignant is too silly to be even remotely scary, but it’s a great deal of fun if you just surrender to the campy gonzo ride.
Without giving too much away, Malignant is like James Wan doing Sam Raimi doing a mash-up of Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case and George A. Romero’s The Dark Half in the style of an old Italian Giallo. And in typical Giallo fashion, there’s a mystery to solve and a lot of red herrings along the way, including the soundtrack, which remixes a Pixies classic as part of its head games. The twisted game of cat-and-mouse Wan plays can be a bit hit or miss, and there’s portions of the journey that aren’t all that engaging, but its increasingly silly revelations were more than enough to keep us hanging on.
Unlike most James Wan films, Malignant doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it’s all the better for it. All the puzzle pieces don’t quite fit, but the more it leans into the growing absurdity, the more fun it becomes. Its last 30 minutes, in particular, make for a gleefully gonzo and ultra gory climax. The performances are much more campy than any of Wan’s previous films, and they’re pretty hit or miss. The film gets dragged down a bit by its police procedural subplot (which is a little too campy at times), but it’s held together by Annabelle Wallis’ lead performance. The gorgeously atmospheric cinematography, shrouded in haze and full of lush, vibrant washes of color, also make this absurdly silly flick a stupid-fun time.
Despite the red herrings, Malignant doesn’t really mask its sadistically silly twist, which is pretty blatantly telegraphed in its opening scene, but it doesn’t matter whether you see it coming or not. The fun is in its continually unfolding absurdity and watching an unhinged Wan come at it with sure-handed swagger. Love it or hate it (and a lot of people will hate it), Malignant gives Giallo a twisted new slant, and based off the shameless set-up for a sequel, it’s pretty likely that we haven’t seen the last of Gabriel just yet.
Recommendation: If you’re a champion of the strange and enjoy horror films that are more campy that they are scary, definitely give Malignant a watch. You can find it streaming on HBO Max until October 10th.
Rating: 3.5 snapped necks outta 5.
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!